January 15, 2001
FAMILY MATTERS:
God can use medicine to defeat depression
___My daughter is fighting depression without medication, mainly because of what she hears at church. Why must we believe taking medication for this kind of problem is a sign of weakness and shows spiritual immaturity?
___We cannot give this impression in the name of Christ. As I work
MARY STEDHAM
Family Counselor
Abilene
with people who are depressed, I often see resistance to medication by people who say they must be "strong."
___They see depression as only a spiritual/psychological problem. They won't believe depression is most often a biological problem--just as diabetes or an infection would be. Refusing medications that could make the difference they pray for daily, they insist God will give them the strength to fight off the feelings and behaviors that go with depression. Worthlessness, sadness, loneliness, anger, guilt, hopelessness, sleeplessness, sleepiness and other symptoms persist as they cling to their claim that God sees medication as a "crutch" for the "weak."
___They believe God requires us to work our way out, pray our way out, trust our way out of this terrible territory.
___Scott Peck, the noted Christian psychiatrist, would remind us there are three "original sins." They are laziness (our desire to remain comfortable), pride (our desire to remain independent and/or competent) and fear (our desire to be in control). We regularly fight with all three tendencies. We are more comfortable doing what we have done, remaining "lazy" in our way of dealing with something like depression. We have, after all, managed to stay alive so far, so why must we step out of our comfort zone and do something more? To do so would challenge our "pride" and expose our need for help from outside ourselves. And to rely on something that could become--we fear--addictive? Well, "I don't think so! I can handle this on my own, thank you--with God's help and without drugs." So, tragically supported by our misperceptions, we pray on for a miraculous change of heart and spirit.
___But God can provide relief from our struggles in simple, tangible ways. One way is through marvelous medications prescribed by competent, caring physicians. We need only allow him to answer our present needs and receive his gifts, not guiltily but gratefully! Sometimes, even a cup of cold water--and a simple little pill--can be life-giving provision from God!
___
Get printer-friendly version of this story
Send this story to a friend
Contents/ Masthead / Why We're Here / Links / Archive / E-mail us/ SUBSCRIBE!
