Dangerous Lies About Mental Health

Dangerous Lies About Mental Health

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, so we want to put a spotlight on an issue that is very prevalent in the world, that has been for a while, but has also seen an uptick in concern ever since 2020. But first, we want to define what someone experiences when they suffer from a mental illness. Mental illness is considered a clinically significant disruption of a person’s thoughts, moods, behavior, or ability to relate to others, severe enough to require treatment or intervention.

NAMI – National Alliance of Mental Health shared statistics from SAMHSA (Substance Abuse Mental Health Service Administration and found these startling statistics:
• In 2020, there were an estimated 52.9 million adults with mental illness in the U.S.
• 21% of the population or 1 in 5 people suffer from a mental illness
• Prevalence of mental illness is higher in females (25.8%) / males (15.8%)
• Young adults 18-25 yrs have the highest prevalence (30.6%), 26-49 yr (25.3%), and 50+ (14.5%)
• These numbers don’t reflect the effects of COVID, however the World Health Organization (WHO) reports a 25% increase in depression and anxiety due to the pandemic.

Mental health issues are an on ongoing struggle in our world that unfortunately many churches and Christians alike do not always handle gracefully.

“Mental pain is less dramatic than physical pain, but it is more common and also more hard to bear. The frequent attempt to conceal mental pain increases the burden: it is easier to say ‘My tooth is aching’ than to say ‘My heart is broken’.” ― C.S. Lewis, “The Problem of Pain”

What does Scripture have to say about mental illness?

A lot actually! Scripture does not shy away from the messiness of life, including mental health issues and we will study those over the next few weeks, looking specifically at what scripture has to reveal about things like anxiety, depression, and trauma, but first we thought it would be helpful to look at some overarching distortions or lies about mental health among believers.

Distortion: Mental Illness = Lack of Faith

Many people believe mental illness is caused by a sin issue or is a sign of spiritual deficit:

• Legitimizing mental illness is a tool the world uses to dismiss sinful behavior
• Demon possession
• Absence of salvation
• Reveals an imbalance in your spiritual life, such as a need for more prayer, scripture, or repentance
• Doubt or pride

Truth…

Early on in the story of humanity, when sin entered the world through Adam and Eve, all of creation was marred as we as human beings were now placed at the mercy of our environment and natural biological processes that wreak havoc on our bodies and minds.

However, Jesus teaches us in John 9:1-3, of the story of the man born blind, that not all illness is sin but an opportunity for “the works of God to be displayed”.


Distortion: Jesus = All We Need

• Medication and therapy to treat a mental illness is an issue of weak faith
• Lack of faith in the healing power of God
• Reading Scripture and prayer is enough to calm a restless mind
• Therapy is worldly advice and it is dangerous, self-centered, and gossiping to share struggles with a stranger

Truth…

The brain is an organ just like our heart, liver, kidneys, etc., and sometimes it does not function properly and needs medical assistance. Yet the brain, is the one organ, people believe they can keep on track by simply trying harder. We don’t do this with cancer or diabetes.

What we are really questioning is God’s sovereignty when it comes to mental health. Does God work in and through medication and therapy? The answer is yes!

Throughout Scripture, we read examples of God using physical remedies to heal.

•  Hezekiah (cake of figs on boil)
•  Jesus using his saliva in 3 cases on peoples eyes, ears, and tongue (Mark 7:32-35, 8:22-25, John 9:1-7)

How do we navigate these distortions? We choose to live in reality.

Honestly, I could point out hundreds of verses in Scripture to back up any one these lies if taken out of context. Which is the danger of proof texting and just looking up passages about issues.
Instead, we need to focus on the over-arching truths of Scripture given to us from beginning to end. What is our reality?

REALITY: You = Image of God

• We are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14)
• Mental illness not a punishment
• Mental illness doesn’t mean you were made wrong
• We are created in the very image of God (Genesis 1:27)

REALITY: You = Loved by God
God knows you are human
Psalms 103:13-14, “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.”
He knows how you are made, your frailty, ask for help

REALITY: You = Jesus Sympathizes
Now that we know what we have—Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God—let’s not let it slip through our fingers. We don’t have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. So let’s walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help. (Hebrews 4:14-16, The Message)

Education is the key to loving well those who suffer from mental illness.

But also, for you here today who struggle to know, there are people here who want to know you.
The reason we are discussing this this month isn’t simply for the sake of information but because we as “the church,” the body of Christ have the capacity to offer 4 perspectives that mental health care system does not always provide:

• A hope that transcends circumstances - the power of the Gospel message
• A holistic view of humans
• Accessibility
• Supportive Community

This month we will specifically look at 3 prevalent mental health issues (depression, anxiety, and trauma) plaguing the church, how we can better support those individuals, and where the message of the Gospel enters into all of this.