Let's get right down to it. I am a Christian. I’ve been a Christian all my life. I have also been dealing with severe depression since around the 8th grade. Often when I try to explain to other Christians that I have depression, I get reactions like “God can change that” or “If you pray hard enough, He will cure you!” or “Just do a fast and you’ll be fine.”

This isn’t a bash on Christians, nor am I saying that prayer will never help someone like me. In fact, my faith in God and my prayers have kept me alive. But here is the thing. Mental illness is exactly that. An illness. One prayer or fast is not going to cure my brain. One prayer or fast is not going to give my brain the chemicals it is lacking.

And then when I tell fellow Christians I take medication for my depression, there is often an unconscious judging that is going on. Many Christians believe that taking antidepressants defeats the purpose of relaying on God and stepping out in faith and all that wonderful stuff. But let me ask you this. Didn’t God make everything? Wouldn’t it be logical to think that God MADE these medicines to help people?

The way depression is talked about in the church needs to change. We need to break down the stigma around depression in the Christian community. I know too many Christians who are dealing with mental illness and aren’t taking steps to get help because a) they are convinced that God is going to magically cure them or b) they are afraid they are going to be judged as “not real Christians.” This needs to stop.

I thankfully grew up with very understanding parents. When I asked them to put me in therapy, they did, as they believe that therapy is a good thing. When I finally told them last year that I wanted to try antidepressants as well as therapy, they were also very supportive. I had been praying on the matter for a while, and really felt that God was telling me that this was a good route for me, at least for now. So I went and got prescriptions, and honestly since being on the antidepressants, I’ve felt so much better. Am I cured? No, but the medication helps me function in day to day life.

But, when I’ve told some of my Christian friends about this experience, I always feel a little bit of judgment. For a long time, I didn’t think I could be open about the fact that I had depression and was taking medication for it. I felt the same way I did when I first realized that I had depression - ashamed and embarrassed. This is not what Christianity is supposed to make you feel.

Christianity is all about love. Our mission as Christians is to spread the eternal and unconditional love and full acceptance that we get from God. God’s love for us is so deep and unfathomable. He loves us even when we mess up and turn away from him. It’s our mission to tell people about that love, so that they can maybe experience that too. So it goes that a person shouldn’t feel ashamed about something that they are dealing with in a Christian Community.

We need to stop being so afraid to talk openly about depression and other mental illness in church. Having this stigma and not talking about mental illness with an open mind is damaging and one of the things that turn people away from Christianity. There are many people with all forms of mental illness, and judging them is our mission. Why are we loving these people less than the ones who are not mentally ill? Why does the Church seem to turn these people away?

The best thing you could say to a Christian with depression is something along the lines of “I’m sorry you are dealing with that. Do you want me to pray with you about it?” or “I’m sorry. What kind of help do you think God is suggesting you get? I can pray with you about it.”

I am not under the impression that this one article will completely change the way people think about depression and other mental illnesses in the church. But, what I am hoping is for this to maybe start to open up dialogue. This is something that needs to be discusses and addressed, and the best way to do that is to share our experiences with each other. We are all brothers and sisters in Christ. So let’s act like it.