Christians- I am a christian and are currently on anti-depressants and they are helping me not to cry and be?

Question

depressed all the time and it helps conrol my anger. Why do other chrisitans say that it is satan doing this to me? Why do they say if you trust in God you will not need medication? I do need medication, I was put on it for a reason, a chemical imbalance in my brain. So I want to know why some chrisitans or most of them say that if you ask God he can heal you and you wil not need medication. I am not getting of of them because I will end up depressed again. God put doctors in our path for a reason and and gave them brains(well some of them) and have come up with medicine to help people. I thank God that I have this medication to help me. It might not be a cure, but it does help. I need christians to stop critisising me for this and to stop thinking that this is a curse. Sickness mentally or physically does happen in this world you know. There were many prophets in the bible of God that had depression and they were not cursed.

sahara_springs, you do not make sence

Answer 1

There is nothing wrong with you seeking medical treatment. Is it okay for Christians who are diabetic to take their insulin? Is it okay for Christians who have high blood pressure to take their medicine? Of course. As long as what treatment a person choses does not conflict with God's laws and principles, it is okay.

You said it perfectly well. You had a chemical imbalance which has been corrected with anti-depressants. There is nothing scripturally wrong with that.

No one should be bashing you for seeking proper medical treatment. It's like kicking someone when they're down. Don't listen to such criticism.

You're right about other servants of God who had depression. The apostle Paul admonished the older men in the ancient Christian congregation to "speak consolingly to the depressed souls" at 1 Thessalonians 5:14. He wanted them to encourage depressed ones, not brow-beat them or say that they were bad because they were depressed. They were good, worthy of receiving help from the Christian congregation. Those who follow Christ's superior example of empathy would want to help you and cheer you, not tell you you're bad for seeking treatment, because that's not true.

Stay away from people who put you down for doing something that does not conflict with God's laws. I'm happy the antidepressants are working for you!! Keep up the hard work! Relax, there will always be mean people criticizing what you do. Someone once told me: "You can only please all of the people some of the time, and half of the people all of the time." So some people will be ignorant and not know what they're talking about and criticize you for doing nothing wrong. Just ignore them. As long as you know and God knows that you are doing nothing wrong, you are okay!!

Answer 2

Well, Leanne, I want to commend you for finally listening to good advise and seeing a doctor and taking medication. I remember when you used to email me hateful things when I would suggest you get help. Keep it up. I can really tell a difference in your writings but still can tell it is you.

First off in my experience as a Christian it is the Pentecostal and charismatic tongue speaking miracle believing churches that have zero tolorance for the mentally ill and depressed. My dad used to tell me I had a demon simply because I went to doctors and took medication. He said all I needed was to let him or his preacher lay hands on me and I would be healed. He forgot that I did do those things for three years in the seventies.

Here is my church history. Raised Missionary Baptist, Joined the Southern Baptist in 1966 age 14, became Assembly of God Pentecostal age 21, became Oneness Jesus Only United Pentecostal age 22 and a half, then studied with Jehovah's witness, until my dad came over one day put a loaded revolver to my head and told me if I continued to study with them he would kill me, so I did not believe their way fully and did not think it worth dying for and became athiest, then age 24 was Baptized into Christ and stayed just a Christian in the churches of Christ and a preacher the next 20 some odd years. Until I became paganMy parents used to threaten to kill me for my belief but hey I really believed what the bible said and was willing to die for it so I did not waver.My parenst even turned my kids against me and I have not seen them in 11 years and know I will never see my grand kids. this is how vindictive these people can be. My kids could see me now since they are 27 and 23, but have been corrupted so much they hate me. I did see my oldes a while when he turned 18 and he said my parents bragged that their Pentecostal religion was the truth and I was going to hell for being a membe of the church of christ and because they won court battles to take my childern away was proof that they served God and I did not. They tend to forget I was unemployed and could not afford the 4200.00 an hour for an attorny and they had a free attorny due to my dad being 70 at the time. It is like fighting a bigger guy by hitting in the head with his bvack turned and keep beating meciclewesly while he is down and then declaring that god gave you victory. I was down and my parents took advantage of it. Sad thing is they had my kids because I trusted them and made them promise they would not do this, I should have sent my kids to a foster home, I would have gotten them back when I got back on my feet


All churches have a problem dealing with the depressed and mentally ill, but most try except for those who believe in dreams and visions and tongues and modern day miracles. My dad had a vision in 1976 and God told him the world would end in ten years. It has been 31.

You are on the right track. Stay there, I can really see a difference in your attitudes in your questions and noticed that you even answer many questions now, something you did not do before.

The other spiritual system that demands their followers to throw away medication and just believe in god ( did not capitalize this on purpose. AA calims god can be a doorknob) is AA.

Keep taking medication and seeing doctors.
BB

Answer 3

First of all: I hope things get better. Don't take the words of these people. Keep taking your medication.
You need it to alleviate what is ailing you.

Let's go back to the dark ages: Where everyone foucsed on the "Fire and Brimstone!" of Christianity. It got to the point where a certain faith (Protestantism) was nearly crushed due to such hatred of a concept that was different from Catholicism (I don't hate Catholics: It's history).
That's just one example, but a Christian belief that has been around for ages is the belief that Mental Illness is the wrath of god. Thank heavens we as humans understand more about these ailments, and have learn effective ways to treat such things. You would have been treated to a dungeon back in 1215.

I won't get too deep into the Doctors thing, but I agree that some of them (Like you put ^_^ ) are doing the right thing for us.
The put it plainly: Some people don't know how to balance faith. The bible to some people is the alpha and omega (With whatever level of Christianity they believe in). They will listen to every word of it's text. I myself try the balance the concept of praise and open-mindedness in a way that I keep my faith and to always consider keeping the commandments, but I obviously am surrounded by fellow christians that don't exactly cater to people: Which is one thing that Christianity was known for through history.
The Dark Ages was a rough time, and that concept of mental illness being his wrath has been carried over time. I agree that it's a bit wrong when people can't understand what one is going through, yet they impose such negativity.
Good luck.

Answer 4

God wont help you because the christian concept of deity does not exist, its very simple.....

Leanne...You really need to get over yourself... i have just spent the last few hours trying to talk a university professor out of suicide....He is an Iranian man living in Iraq because he left Islam and converted to Christianity....His family is all back in Iran he cant go home or he will be executed... Executed because he changed his religion....he lives in danger all the time because he lives in Iraq illegally...he has no passport they took that from him...he is lost and alone.....'
He works from 9am to 11 pm every day, never having a day off because he needs every cent to survive. When his contract runs out he will be sent back to Iraq to be killed. He has tried all avenues to get help and there is none. He feels that to commit suicide would be better than to let himself be tortured and killed.

You don't know what depression and being condemned feels like Leanne,,,,not compared to this man!
You should have a look around at the other people in this world...you may just realize how lucky you are.
Grow up and stop being so self centered.
Ariel

Answer 5

Alot of Christians put expectations on God that aren't God's ideas. Such as, if you pray to Him, He will heal you. God will only heal if it falls inline with His will, not simply because you want it.

God gave us meds, alot of ppl and certain religions and denominations feel those are going against God. However, they never stop to think that maybe that is the way God heals us??

Some Christians are very tunnel visioned and have never stepped outside the box to ask real questions, search for real answers and figure who God and Jesus really are. Sad sad, because there is so much more than attempting to condemn someone for taking meds.

Answer 6

Well im catholic and I think God is behind science and the way everything works. If your broken, satan did it, but God gave us free will for a reason so its up to you to fix yourself in the ways He made possible, which in your case is a pill. I think people take religions way to literally, you must put it into percpective of the time that religion began. no one says it better then Obi-wan Kenobi "what i told you was true, from a certain point of view" lol

Answer 7

What if you had epilepsy? It's also a brain disorder. Would your fellow-Christians suggest prayer, or medication to ease the seizures? The answer is obvious....take your meds!

Answer 8

>>Why do they say if you trust in God you will not need medication?<<

Ignorance and superstition! It is no more a "curse" than is a broken bone.

Answer 9

Keep taking your meds. It doesn't matter if you believe in God or not, anti-depressants have given life to people.

Answer 10

Because a lot of christian believe, that if you believe god will cure you. So, you must not believe enough. Please don't worry, Take your meds and don't listen to them. Not all Christians are that narrow minded.