Mental illness has been a consistently controversial topic within the past few years, with it recently making its way into the political eye as a topic of discussion among those who were vying for the U.S. presidency in the 2016 election. It is an issue of utmost importance in our postmodern culture and society: major depressive disorder affects approximately 14.8 million U.S. adults, and 45.1 million adults were affected by some kind of mental disorder within the past year. Like any other disease or disorder, mental illness requires treatment if one wants hope to get better. Despite this, many of the faithful have prevailing negative attitudes towards seeking treatment for a mental disorder, saying that it is better to simply pray and ask God for healing in issues regarding emotional, psychological, and neurobiological concerns.

Of, course those who say we should pray to God for healing for mental illness are absolutely correct. Jesus Christ, the One Who Is, is the Great Physician who can heal every illness of body, mind, and soul in us, the ones He has formed with His own hands, if He so chooses. To not pray for healing and help from our Creator would be profoundly unchristian.

This being said, prayer should not be our exclusive source of healing. If one chooses to use modern medicine to help heal one’s diseases, this does not diminish one’s faith in God at all.

For sake of example, let us imagine a man who has broken his ankle and is unable to walk. He drives to church, and asks his priest to pray for him for his ankle to be healed. The priest prays for the man’s healing and then offers to drive him the nearest hospital so he can get an x-ray of his ankle and get a cast. “Are you crazy?!” the man responds. “We have prayed to God; what need have we of modern medicine to heal us?”

Most of us would find the man’s response thoroughly absurd, yet many people have a very similar attitude when it comes to issues of mental health. Any priest would tell the man that driving him to the hospital and getting him medical attention is crucial for his healing and that God’s help often comes from our fellow man instead of directly from the heavens. Yet how many of us would be quick to condemn the priest if the man who came to the priest was suffering from chronic depression instead of a broken bone? In both cases, the priest who recommends his parishioner to a medical professional is doing the proper thing; he is giving his spiritual child everything he needs for healing, both physically and spiritually.

There are still many in the church who suggest that depression is simply all in one’s head and has no physical cause. In this case, the medical evidence is against those who make these claims: medical research suggests the SSRI medication (selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor medication, which causes the presence of more serotonin in the synapses of neurons) increases the presence of serotonin in the brain, thus stimulating neurogenesis and relieving depressive symptoms. Further medical research has suggested that talk psychotherapy with a licensed therapist can give one a new perspective on life issues that helps to alleviate depression. Depression may be in one’s head as these people claim, but that does not mean it is not an issue. As Dumbledore once said, “Of course it is happening inside your head… but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?”

Let us take a look at Christ’s healing of the blind man to demonstrate these issues of mental health. The passage comes from John 9:

As he passed by, he saw a man blind from his birth. ² And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” ³ Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be made manifest in him. ⁴ We must work the works of him who sent me, while it is day; night comes, when no one can work. ⁵ As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

Christ then goes on to heal the man of his blindness (continue reading in John 9 to see the entire account). Now suppose for a moment that instead of being blind, this man Christ and His disciples encounter has schizophrenia. Would Christ suddenly change His mind on the cause of the man’s illness, now stating it was his own fault? I do not think so. Would not Christ, who heals the sick, raises the dead, and enlightens the eyes of the blind, also grant healing to the man with schizophrenia? How could He who deigned to endure crucifixion and death for our sakes not have mercy on the one He had formed with His own hands? I cannot imagine how the One who is, “good, and loves mankind,” could not show His divine love and mercy to His creation.

And just as Christ shows mercy to those who are mentally ill, we are also called to show mercy and encourage those to seek aid who experience mental illness while also encouraging them to pray for healing and live up to the fullness of the Christian faith. And by taking care of both our souls and our physical bodies, which are, “temples of the Holy Spirit,” we shall fulfill God’s will and become more authentically human, thus becoming like Christ (1 Corinthians 6:19). And being healed of all ailments of body and soul, we shall become gods, experiencing Christ’s personal presence both in this life and in the life to come. May the God of mercy grant us all healing of mind, body, and soul as we seek to live unto His will and experience His unending mercies.