TO ALL THAT HAVE A FAITH IN GOD: do you consider it a lack of faith if a person?

Question

requires medication for depression or anxiety....or any mental distress.

I ask for Information gathering only........thanks

Answer 1

Well, I am an Atheist, but I certainly see no problem with someone's faith and taking medication. Medication for depression or anxiety is no different than medication for any other purpose, such as antibiotics. Faith should not contradict someone's resonableness in matters of health.

If there is a God, then surely he has inspired the hand of man to make that which can better life.

Answer 2

God gives people the good sense to help themselves. Depression is something that can be clinically diagnosed and an actual health issue, so if medication can help that, then, of course, it should be taken.

On the other hand, being stressed about every little thing, does show a lack of faith to an extent. You have to believe that God will take care of you. Again, that doesn't mean sit back and he'll do the work for you, but just know that He is there.

Answer 3

As a pharmacist and a fundamentalist Christian I believe that requiring medicine for mental disorders does not indicate a lack of faith in a person. Mental health requires treatment the same as physical disease. In the ministry of Jesus besides teaching, preaching and performing miracles He most certainly healed.

Depression, anxiety, insomnia, and psychosis can all be linked to chemical imbalances in the brain. In the same way that diabetes requires supplemental insulin , the brain very often needs supplemental or rebalanced neuro transmitters.

In fact it is my opinion that if a person purposely does not treat these problems, this lack of action dishonors God. A life of faith is a journey and requires the best from a believer.

A depressed, uptight Christian does not honor God. The only qualification for use of these medications would be that they be prescribed by a doctor who is qualified, that is to say a specialist who does a thorough work up and follows up with the patient.

Answer 4

Yes and no...not sure if I would use the term "faith" but perhaps it is.

My brief struggle with depression was a result of my own actions bringing me unhappiness and when I started taking medication I was able to finally see that the very things that were causing me pain were the areas of my life that I was still trying to "go my own way" instead of seeking God's wisdom. A month after I started the medication, I started attending church again for the first time in years (one of the areas I refused to accept God's instructions about) and about a month after that I stopped taking the medication and my depression hasn't returned.

Perhaps it was my lack of faith that drove me to the medication. In hindsight I can see that I was operating under the mistaken impression that since I had created the problem, I was responsible for fixing it. Did the medication help me, perhaps, but I do suspect that the artificial "high" created by the medication could easily lead a person to believing that the problem was cured because the symptoms were masked and that's not the best long-term strategy. For my problems (and I suspect the problems of many others), the medication was a crutch, God was the cure. I just had to get the heck out of his way and let him do his work!

Answer 5

No I don't consider that a lack of faith. I believe that God gives us lots of resources to deal with problems. Some of his healing is through faith healing, some is through improved diet, some is through other methods, some through drugs and things like that. Remember that Luke was a physician and I'm sure that he had remedies that were not just: pray, lay on hands, and call me in the morning. (Little bit of humor to lighten things up a bit.)

Answer 6

Sometimes medication is good. Personally though, I've noticed the synthetic medications have side effects such as head-ache, dry mouth, stomach cramps, toilet "dumping" if you get my drift, and etc.

Now there are natural medications, and even stuff like St. Johns wort, or kava-kava, but they are not FDIC approved. But note, that necessarily doesn't mean they don't work, or else they wouldn't sell it. And it is cheaper.

Personally, if you choose natural, you have to also cut down on certain things. Caffeine, if you smoke, slow down to half a pack or something like that. At-least that's what I did. Oh, exercise burns some of that anxiety off too...

Answer 7

I don't think that having a faith in God keeps us from the suffering and turmoil of this world. Our bodies react to stress regardless of our faith, and certain peoples bodies overreact causing anxiety, depression, etc. I certainly believe that God heals people and at times that healing comes through doctors and medication.

Answer 8

Absolutely not. Some people do turn to medication instead of God to solve problems. However, chemical imbalances require meds (short of a miracle). There is nothing in the Bible that says ill people cannot seek medical attention. A true mental illness is no different from a broken leg. Both require medical intervention.

Answer 9

If you have believed that the Lord Jesus Christ died for your sins, you are going to heaven when you die but as long as you are in a natural body you will have physical problems. You may require medication, that does not mean you have lost faith. Remember the Lord Jesus Christ can never turn from you. Philippians 1: 6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Answer 10

No.

I am a Christian. One of my family members requires medication for depression. We didn't initially want to try it, being at that time prejudiced against it, but our pastor counseled us to get the medication for him, and now we are very glad we did.

Some depressions are chemical in nature, and require medication to help with the chemicals in the brain. There is no shame in this: we each have spirit, soul, and BODY.

We do not rule out the possibility that God may someday heal him supernaturally--that would be ideal, in our eyes--but God sometimes chooses to work through doctors and medication for reasons known to Him.

As for me, I once suffered severe anxiety, and even went to the hospital for it, thinking something surely must be seriously physically wrong with me. I did not want to hear that my recurring chest pain was the result of anxiety, because then I felt like I was to blame for it and should be able to manage stress better (this is the condemnation I heaped on myself; the doctors were very kind).

Thankfully, those stress-inducing circumstances soon changed, and so I only used medication as a temporary assistance to help get me through it.

To judge some one else's faith as lacking because they require outside help other than "just God" is presumptuous. God works in many ways, and people's personalities and situations are all different.

Some people may be able to get through certain difficulties without medication, while others may need it. Everyone should be praying to God for help, and accepting the help provided as He directs. Nothing should become more primary to us than our relationship with God.

Bottom line is, people are different, and have different needs. And God has a unique plan for each of us, and works differently in each of our lives.

I believe in supernatural healing, and have experienced it. I am also aware of many times when God does not heal when and how we want Him to. I think we need to keep praying and having faith, regardless of how God chooses to work.