Proper Disclosure Of Stigma

"After this, Jesus found him in the temple complex and said to him, 'See you are well.  Do not sin anymore so that something worse doesn't happen to you'" (John 5:14, HCSB, all italics and boldface mine in verses).  
"I think, 'My bed will comfort me, and sleep will ease my misery,' but then you shatter me with dreams and terrify me with visions" (Job 7:13-14, NLT).  
"Why am  I discouraged?  Why is my heart so sad?..." (Psalm 43:5, NLT).  
"Come quickly, LORD, and answer me, for my depression deepens..." (Psalm 143:7, NLT). 

I'm not speaking of popularized behavioral modification or self-help courses but after the onset of serious mental issues (neurosis and psychosis) that require immediate medical or professional advice and/or care.  Mental health (or wellness) awareness has hit an all-time low in reputation because of assault crime committed by so-called mentally disturbed individuals or people with deep-seated personal defects in personality; therefore all mentally ill persons suffer a stigma from society, in extreme cases being ostracized from employment on the level of being an ex-con in rehab, even of being a danger to society.  It is wise not to openly discuss one's disability because of this danger and this is called proper disclosure--only to one they trust "ought" to know or has a need to know.

We must refrain from ignorant, hasty, or uninformed diagnoses.  Unfortunately, one's own family members may have known the legally diagnosed person in the day (and they can never manage to live it down) and nothing erases the memory of the way they were.  No one likes being "labeled," so they try to avoid it now with young children in elementary school--a positive approach.

The road to recovery can be a long one; various coping remedies and strategies are available though.  Mental wellness management of one's issues is not just executed by avoiding bad habits, taking meds, going to therapy or group, or a work therapy program with incentives, but by developing new therapeutic conduct and wellness practices or habits to replace the bad ones--in other words, "positive mental hygiene." 

Education in wellness management is conducive to sound mental hygiene also.  Mental illness should not be seen as merely behavioral disorders which need behavioral correction, (which is not cured, but only treated and managed!) and it is not just a matter of having "unresolved personal problems," (as if mere personal one-on-one counseling is the key or answer) nor is it a matter of being maladjusted, immature, of having a poor father image, or of poor self-image, and so forth, but some people are actually born with a vulnerability (much like alcoholism) to certain stressors and something traumatic triggers it and the onset begins and needs treatment.   

Mental illness is most likely a bona fide disability, not a sin to overcome.  Sometimes it seems like just the symptoms are being treated and a cure is not even sought like this is the way it's supposed to be. We must not remain complacent to medicate people to the point of becoming emotional zombies too.    

CAVEAT:  "It could happen to you!"  All psychological, cognitive, or mood illnesses have stressors and triggers to bring them on.  Some people may be equally vulnerable but never subject to the same level of stress (this is sometimes called PTSD or post-traumatic stress disorder, shell shock, or battle fatigue by old nomenclature).

It is a known, accepted scientific fact of research and not just my opinion, that biological factors (including several physical factors like diet, exercise, sleep, body chemistry) and temperament have an effect unless you adhere to free will and that one's nature is not predetermined by God.  We are born with a certain disposition, inclination, or tendency, although we may misuse it and let it take over and overcome us, as it's written: "Sin wants to destroy you, but you don't let it--per Gen. 4:7).  Sin, as well as levels of stress, plays a role in developing emotional/cognitive illness or psychological/mental disabilities to become a special needs person or even a vulnerable adult in an institution.  Thus, biology, DNA or nature (temperament), sin, and stressors (nurture) all play a role and are a factor. But God is in charge of our life AND DESTINY by Providence and in a way, people can become the innocent victim of circumstances. 

But don't get me wrong!  We must not blame nature or nurture (a cop-out) for our behavior that we will be held accountable for and judged by.  We are always responsible for our actions (according to our own conscience and awareness) and when someone pleads innocent because of insanity, he is on flaky and flimsy grounds spiritually--although a complete loss of moral compass is possible, and there may be extenuating circumstances.  God has given all men some sort of moral compass.  But all in all, God is the final Judge and we are to "judge nothing before the time."

We all experience spiritual highs and lows too, even occasional mood swings known as the blues or when one is in a depressed funk--no Christian is meant to walk around on cloud nine all day or to walk in the glow of some experience or existential encounter with God forever. We all come down to earth someday and become oriented to Reality 101, the OJT of real life.  Pop psychology can become a crutch if one becomes overly dependent, when not used in combination with other methodologies, as well as an escape from personal responsibility or a way of pointing the finger and blaming others--the old game of throwing stones at glasshouses. Pop psychology is a tool and aid, not a substitute for balanced living. Anyone can go overboard and off the deep end.  It used to be that everything was someone else's fault a la Freud's diagnosis or psychoanalysis!  (It's all your father's fault!).

We must all grow up spiritually to a mature mind in Christ and learn to walk by faith, not sentiment: the proper order is the right knowledge, right thinking, right doing, and then the right feeling.  Our orthodoxy (right beliefs) must align with our orthopraxy (right conduct) to be well adjusted and balanced with holistic health.

We are all spiritual works in progress and hopefully, people will be patient with us, God isn't finished with us yet!  God promises to complete the work of forming Christ in us.  We all have different crosses to bear and without a cross, we have no crown!   We only build character through adversity!  (No one is exempt!)  That's why we must be cautious not to judge prematurely and to try to empathize and put ourselves in their shoes, and walk a mile in their moccasins.  Sin is the ultimate cause of all maladies and illnesses directly or indirectly, as the curse on the earth that entered mankind through the original sin of Adam eating the "forbidden fruit," but we all have sinned and must consider our sins when judging another and their humanness or weaknesses.

But for every illness, there is a cure or treatment option and the Divine Healer can use physicians and therapists to do His will--in essence, all humanity is sin-sick, not just the mentally ill, no one can claim innocence.  As Dr. Karl Menninger, MD, wrote: Whatever Became of Sin?  It is regarded as the ultimate killjoy word.  People must realize their responsibility--no sin equals no culpability either. However, the cure may involve more than just repentance!  As Jesus said, "Repent or something worse will happen to you." In my opinion, it could be the judgment of God or even the test of God like Job's case "When He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold," (cf. Job 23:10).  I won't rule out other contributing factors.

In my opinion, Christians can suffer spiritual PTSD or become bipolar but they play the blame game (a cop-out) and don't want to seek help from professionals who deal with these issues all the time. Many are on an identity moratorium and are confused about life and the ultimate questions we all must answer.  It could be as simple and easy as a medication or to "find oneself" and then "be oneself" in some therapy group where one feels "welcome" to express himself freely and open up, learning to trust without fear of disclosure or restraint,  fault-finding, judging, shame, or blame. This is why they are sometimes called "encounter groups" where they can find their voice.  We all have a desire for "touching base" and having fellowship with friends, similar to social media.

If nothing else, one may feel he finally knows himself and sometimes the picture isn't pretty--reality may dawn on him.  He is meeting the group not to judge but to heal and help each other relate to the group as practice in the real world--realizing they need each other to achieve goals.  This is akin to confession and getting it off one's chest, instead of living in denial.  They found someone that will listen.  Why confession and letting it all hang out in the open, showing vulnerabilities?  The Christian sees one culprit as sin and we must recognize, admit, and repent of it.  The first step to becoming healed is to admit a problem and that you cannot deal with it or heal it yourself.  The psychologist cannot heal himself either--we all need someone like in a buddy system or group setting to have accountability and responsibility--two important contributions to healing.

Being open about one's faults is chicken soup for the soul and very therapeutic in itself, releasing a heavy yoke of shame.  Today we see more celebrities even coming out of the closet and admitting mental health issues. That is why we must not be ashamed of our feelings either because we all are vulnerable just like George Whitefield said upon seeing a man going to the gallows:  "There but for the grace of God, go I." It can be good to feel so bad! If you cannot feel another's pain upon being whipped check out where your heart is.   Letting go of guilt also can be therapeutic!   Paul reiterated, "I am what I am by the grace of God."  So, we are all in the same boat and no one is immune from mental illness or in its forms of depression, given certain events: as they say, "Everyone has a breaking point" or the capacity of a nervous breakdown," all things being equal.

But Jesus promised we can overcome the world by faith, and can also be cheerfully doing it.  The best treatment option is work therapy--staying busy--or a structured, organized, disciplined life with accountability--giving them some dignity and worth as individuals go a long way in boosting morale and spirit.  There is no reason a person diagnosed to be bipolar cannot grow in Christ and become a mature believer, living a productive life giving back to the community if given the opportunity because there is no direct link or correlation between mental illness and spiritual bipolar symptoms which demonstrate unstable spiritual lives not grounded in the faith or sound doctrine.

We have no biblical warrant to stigmatize anyone for seeking support for mental health concerns because God has leveled the playing field and it could happen to anyone; it's just "them," a sort of tribalism.  It takes courage to admit our weaknesses, even to boast of them.   We must not be like Job's miserable comforters either.  Today's Postmodern psychologists deny normalcy (What's normal? has become what's normal for you?) and that there is such a thing but that it's relative to person and situation or culture, and it has been said that "in a mad, mad world, only the mad are sane!"  We need to be cautioned not to "define deviancy down" as sociologists do to deviant behavior when they are really justifying sin--which by any other name should still be called sin--call a spade a spade! Calling sin but shortcomings, mistakes, weaknesses, or habits maximized its hazard or danger to our soul; how can one repent if not admitting sin?

In sum, Jesus meant to raise the bar in loving others, and He inspired the highest ethics but also lived to be the greatest motive for them, but the question still remains, "What is the LCD or lowest common denominator?"  How low must we go before denying moral relativism and realize some people aren't sick but evil (as at the trial of the Nazis at Nuremberg using natural law) and they're just sinners--we must not let insanity be an excuse for evil either, reasons are not excuses!   





LET'S SAY AN AMEN TO THIS!  






ADDENDUM: TALKING TO MY THERAPIST, WE BOTH AGREED, AFTER MY SUGGESTION, THAT TREATMENT SHOULD BEGIN WITH BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION AND NOT FOCUS TOO MUCH ON DIAGNOSIS SO AS NOT TO STIMAGITZE RIGHT OFF THE BAT BEFORE ANY MEDICATIONS ARE PRESCRIBED ONLY AS A LAST RESORT AND THERAPY FAILS TO AMEND THE INDIVIDUAL AS OPPOSED TO MEDICATING FIRST AS IS THE CUSTOM.  JUST BECAUSE SOME RARE INDIVIDUAL MAY NEED A SEDATIVE TO CALM THEM DOWN, DOESN'T MEAN THIS SHOULD BE POLICY AS TRIAGE.  

GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO BE HEALED ON THEIR OWN!   IN OTHER WORDS, GOOD PSYCHOLOGY IS NOT JUST THE AVOIDANCE OF "BAD" BEHAVIOR BUT THE PRACTICE OF GOOD AND THERAPEUTIC BEHAVIOR AND HABITS ("POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGICAL HYGIENE").   IN SUM, WE SHOULD NOT SEE THE MENTALLY UNHEALTHY AS JUST NEEDING REHAB OR MEDS FOR SYMPTOMS, BUT ON THE ROAD TO RECOVERY, EVEN THOUGH A COMPLICATED ONE, AS A WORK IN PROGRESS!  

We all search for purpose, meaning, and dignity and Christ is the answer to all three, but they are extrinsic solely because we are in the image of God.  

Soli Deo Gloria!  (TO GOD ALONE BE THE GORY!) 

Where's The Joy?

"But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold"  (Job 23:10, NIV).  

"I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete"  (John 15:11, NIV).  

"He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,
Out of the miry clay,
And set my feet upon a rock,
And established my steps"  (Psalm 40:2, NKJV).

If you are a melancholy believer, or one who seems glum, sullen, or dejected, in the pits, in a depressed funk, despondent, or have the doldrums, and don't know how to snap out of it you are a bad advertisement for Christianity, if you're really happy and full of joy, tell your face!  There may be periods of depression when one wallows in self-pity, has a pity party, or withdraws, (even Elijah got depressed), but one must learn how to bounce out of it.  Paul exhorts us in Philippians 4:4 to "rejoice in the Lord always."  " Nehemiah says "... [The] joy of the LORD is your strength." There are some key elements to finding joy amidst the hard times--and He does make us experience hardship:  "You have fed them of the bowl of tears, You have given them tears to drink in great measure"  (Psalm 80:5, NKJV).

This is to develop our character to mold it after Christ's image, which cannot mature without adversity, hardship, discipline, trials, and even temptation--but remember Christ was honest enough to warn us and they are inevitable as a "coming of age" spiritually.  Christ didn't exempt Himself from trouble, and our "crosses" pale in comparison to His.   If you don't know why you are suffering or you think you don't deserve it, be like Job and throw a spiritual fit and cry out to God with your case and complaint.  It's okay to throw a spiritual temper tantrum or fit! Some people are just more vulnerable to getting the blues or even depression, but this doesn't need to define who you are.

There is a methodology or method to the madness, for rebounding from depression, when it is time to seek the Lord and His presence--there is a time and season for every purpose under the sun.  God is in the business of sharing His joy!  When we sin and grieve the Spirit it can show and spread like wildfire.   Every believer has been called to do God's work and if he knows his calling, he can find joy in doing the Lord's will and in being in the Lord's will. There's always joy in doing God's work with a smile and finding fulfillment in that.  When you live for something bigger than yourself you will have a different perspective on life.  Real living begins when we commence serving others and get our eyes off ourselves.  We shouldn't just exist, but live!  Work for something in life that will outlast it.  If you know how God uses you and what your spiritual gift is, you are on the way to finding joy in the Lord and knowing how to spread it as a messenger of the good news with a positive testimony.

When we are in a depressed funk, or "downcast" as Psalm 42 and 43 call it, God seems to be MIA and we need to seek the face of God. We are to seek the Lord and His face or presence.  The whole business of the Christian life is to seek God, not just when we feel down.  Even Job wondered about the whereabouts of God: "Oh, that I knew where I might find Him"  (cf. Job 23:3).  God is never far from each one of us according to Acts 17:27.  He may be no further than the mention of His name! Did He not promise:  "... Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age" (Matt. 28:20, ESV). Remember that where ever two or three are gathered together in His name, that Jesus promises to be among them (cf. Matt. 18:20).  The Holy Spirit dwells in us to be our Comforter and Enabler to live in His power and to overcome trials and the enemy.  Jesus is the Good Shepherd who seeks His lost sheep and brings them to green pastures and to give them rest.

It is a joy to see God at work in others and to share in the blessings by association.  This is an encouragement for us to do the Lord's will and to be profitably engaged in spreading the Word. There is vicarious joy, just like parents relive their childhoods through their children. Remember, we are all on the same team and we must know the real enemy, the devil, who prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (cf. 1 Pet. 5:7).  We learn to "rejoice with those who rejoice" (cf. Romans 12:15).

We really must learn to find joy despite our circumstances and to be strong in our faith, for the Lord must test our faith:  "Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction" (Isaiah 48:10, ESV).   God wants to see if it is genuine and will stand the test of time, and isn't a facade, sham, or masquerade--only sincere, even if imperfect, faith will do.  Learn to rise to the occasion and above your circumstances:  Experience is not what happens to you, but what happens in you! Paul was in prison and rejoiced in the Lord with such testimony with Silas that the jailer got converted in Acts 16.

Joy is contagious and a great testimony, and that is more motive to seek it to be a light and river of life to others, who need to be encouraged.  This is so that we acknowledge joy in the Lord, not in circumstances, which can change.  Joy is something on the inside that is not dependent on happenings like happiness is.  Paul learned to be content in whatever situation he found himself in (cf. Philippians 4:13).

When you know God is with you, everything becomes bearable and that is one of Christ's names:  "God with us." Also, it is written in Isaiah 43:2 (ESV):  "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you ...."   We are to seek the Lord and His presence "as a deer pants for flowing water, so my soul pants for [God]" (Psalm 42:1, ESV).  Mother Teresa of Calcutta, now canonized, says that "true holiness consists of doing God's will with a smile." That is, if we are happy, we should tell our faces!  Soli Deo Gloria!

Problem Of Depression

Depression, according to Dr. Gene A. Getz, is when we dwell on the past, misinterpret the present, or anticipate the future all in a bad light.  It is caused by unhealthy thoughts in most cases, though it is possible not to know the reason:  Refer to Psalm 42 and 43 where the psalmist wonders just why he is so "downcast."   It is popularly defined as impression without expression equals depression.  Sometimes the blues are called the doldrums or being in the pits or in a funk.

The problem we have today is not that we have a new problem labeled "depression" which was somehow invented by the psychiatrists in this modern age to define a new phenomenon, but that we don't want to admit our problem or weakness and keep it all to ourselves until it is too late and we are victims.  Many veterans are committing suicide and they have learned to cope in the most trying of circumstances, but find civilian life unwelcome and unsettling and can't readjust or acclimatize back into the common society, which is another culture shock.  Job, Jonah, and Elijah all had death wishes and we have their records in Scripture to warn us or show us that it is not unusual or something God can't deal with or heal.

The problem with depression, is not that we get it, because most will at one time or another ("Song sung blue, everyone knows one"), but how we cope with it (we all have coping mechanisms that "work" for us, some are just self-destructive like binge eating)--what is the therapeutic thing to do and is this a helpful solution, or part of the problem?  If we go shopping, eat, sleep, gamble, drink, withdraw, or get into trouble every time we get depressed, it may become an ingrained habit and become part of our nature.  "Sow a thought, and reap an act; sow an act and reap a habit; sow a habit, and reap a character; sow a character, and reap a destiny.'  We are what our thoughts make us up to be:  "For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he" (Prov. 23:7).  It is important what we make out reality to be and our viewpoint, regarding reality and how we adjust to it.  We cannot live in a fantasy world but must be realistic.

Depression, to some, is a choice:  they choose to have a pity party and wallow in their self-pity, just not able to cope.  But in some cases, it is more of an inherited trait or personality trait, and not a flaw to be ashamed of, but something that can be helped.  We may not choose to be depressed, but we do choose how we react to it and how to cope.  Psychiatry today is focusing more on the positive thing to do and depending less on trying to figure out the reason for the depression.  Living a healthy lifestyle is the cure, not understanding ourselves.  The Greek axiom of Socrates, "Know thyself" may be valid for success, but we need to interact with others and get help if we are to overcome our depression--by the way, knowing the Lord is even more vital.  People who need people are the happiest people!  "I get by with a little help from my friends," sing The Beatles.  You'd be surprised at how much a good friend can get you out of your depression simply by talk therapy.  Things tend to work them out if we give them a chance.

Some people are known to have "bipolar disorder" and abnormally have highs and lows due to some inborn. inherited trait, but this per se is not wrong or a "sin" but how they deal with it and what happens when they are in their periods of depression or euphoria.  They may even frown upon someone feeling "too good" for their own good.   Creative people would often rather stay that way because they find creativity has a lot to do with their feelings. It is not good to rely on feelings but some people are more maudlin and sentimental; others are more stoical and less demonstrative in their feelings and don't even relate to their feminine side--they want to "be a man" or act like a man and be "tough."

We don't want to get out of touch with our emotions and harden our hearts, but God desires a tender heart that is in tune with Him and his feelings.  Great men in the Bible also were in touch with their feelings and were not ashamed. Sometimes all we need to do is to get it out in the open and express ourselves in the interaction with others by having and making friends--we don't want to end up loners who live in their own little world without any fellowship or interaction with people they are in touch within their circle of friends or sphere of influence.

Ted Turner says that "Christianity is for losers."  They say that it's a crutch!  Everyone has a crutch of some kind--no one is an island that needs no one.  We all need each other--only God is a rock.  The Buddhists say that we to face up to our own karma and we only get what we deserve--what goes around, comes around.

We all are meant to be a religious people that can only find fulfillment in God--a vacuum that only God can fulfill. Augustine said only God can meet our needs for this longing of the soul.  Men are said to be Homo religiosus or a religious being.  We will worship something, whether it is God or not doesn't matter, it will be something (fame, fortune, power) or someone (heroes, family, friends, lovers), but letting anything take God's place is idolatry and breaking the first commandment not to have any gods before our God in His rightful place.  When we learn to depend on Christ in our daily walk we have certainly matured and we all must learn that we are all part of the body of Christ and are in this together.   Soli Deo Gloria!

Should We Be Ashamed Of Depression?

We all have to learn individually how to cope with our "demons." After we have indulged ourselves in a pity-party (being in a funk, in the pits, or having the doldrums) we should rebound to fellowship (or as a friend told me to "snap out of it"), and the filling of the Holy Spirit. Let's not wallow in self-pity, but seek a divine viewpoint--things are not all that bad as we make them out to be. Depression usually happens to people who have a sensitive side and are in touch with their feelings (but this is a luxury not all enjoy); those too busy with the rat-race don't have time to get depressed nor elated, for that matter. "Sorrow is better than laughter because a sad face is good for the heart" (Eccl 7:3). [Remember Christ was "a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief."]

Here is a case in point: Psalm 40:2 says the psalmist was lifted out of the "slimy pit," out of the "mud and mire": he strengthened himself in the Lord his God (1 Sam 30:6b). N.B. he didn't necessarily know why he was depressed ("Why am I downcast O my soul?" (Ps 42:11). "He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings" (Ps 40:2). As we quoted Psalm 42: "Why are you cast down O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?" Evidently, he had bouts with being of broken and contrite spirit or of depression, which some call sloth. According to Rome, this is one of the seven deadly sins.  Depression is more common than most admit: Note Neil Diamond's song "Song Sung Blue" which says, "Me and you, are subject to, the blues now and then/Song sung blue, everybody knows one, every garden grows one."

God puts trials in our way to make us learn dependence on Him. If we think we are a rock that feels no pain or an island that doesn't cry like the Simon and Garfunkel song "I Am A Rock" we will suffer more because we are in this thing together and all the parts of the body must work in coordination and in sync. It takes a real man and a big person to admit his weaknesses and vulnerabilities to others. True fellowship often takes place when we "come clean" (share our vulnerabilities) and are totally honest as to our feelings--sometimes the best of us needs "therapy." I like Job 23:10: They are merely trials we must overcome. "The Lord knows the way that I take; when he has tried me I shall come forth as gold."

  By common definition, depression is anger turned inward; however, depression often results from fallacious or erroneous thinking, and we must substitute a more helpful and healthy thought. Job was so depressed he wanted to die. Likewise, Elijah wanted to die and so did Jonah. God gave Elijah something to eat and he was good to go, as they say.   Jonah was angry and wanted to die. Many suicides can be prevented if we knew the warning signs of depression and suicidal ideation.

Note that depression usually is the result of the dwelling of living in the past, misinterpreting the present, or anticipating the future.   Some say, "Impression without expression = depression!"  How do we overcome? 2 Cor. 1:4 says: "[Who] comforts us in our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted."

Find someone who's been there and done that!   Abe Lincoln rightly said that the Bible is the best cure for the blues--he was known for getting depressed. People who get depressed often also get elated or have periods of euphoria (bipolar affected personalities), and tend to be more in touch with their feelings--that is good! Sometimes, to get out of depression, all we need is to talk with a friend ("I get by with a little help from my friends")--this is talk therapy. Sometimes we just have to wait it out: "This too shall pass!" "Wait, I say, on the Lord" (cf. Psa. 27:14).

A good rule of thumb is to be too busy to get depressed, which is a luxury that not all possess. It is not depression per se that is sin, (the coping skills need to be healthful habits of hygiene),  but what we end up doing that can be problematic: oversleeping, overeating, shopping sprees, social withdrawal, etc. We need to find therapeutic things to do (hygienic psychology) when depressed like going for a walk, and talking to God about what concerns us: "Casting all your care upon the Lord..." (1 Pet 5:7). "Cast your burden on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved" (Psa 55:22).  The ultimate is sometimes prayer therapy or even talk therapy (not cash therapy, food therapy, or sleep therapy!).   "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God..." (Phil. 4:6).   Soli Deo Gloria!