Disclaimer: I am referring to anxiety and mood disorders in this post. I am not talking about psychotic or eating disorders. I don’t have adequate understanding to write about these, which are entirely different than the subjects of my article. I am no clerical or medical expert. I speak solely from my own experience, what has helped me, and what I can do to be a part in the healing process for someone else.

Mental illness is an issue rather unique to the 21st century. It is actually much more common than it might seem. Nearly 1 in 5 Americans suffer from some form of mental illness and as time ticks on, the percentage increases. Studies in mental illness have come a long way, and it has reached a point where it is almost a societal norm. However, no matter how “normal” it gets, it is something we as Christians avoid addressing. For centuries, in many cases, we’ve (incorrectly) viewed it as punishment for demonic possession and now that it has become such a regularity, we can see where our history has left those of us on the outside confused and those of us on the inside hurt.

I understand the reality of mental illness. I've struggled with anxiety and panic attacks for most of my life. I was put on medication to help regulate them for some time as well. I don’t say this in pursuit of sympathy or attention, but to give myself credibility in the way that because of my experiential understanding, I am fully aware of the torment and complications that accompany a mental disorder. Having been raised in the church, I am also aware of the stigma attached to it. I know what it is like to constantly battle with a feeling of defectiveness because although I know I am meant to “cast all my anxiety upon Him,” I somehow can’t stop being anxious. So I hope that through this, I might provide a window of understanding for those who might not get it.

We can begin to help those who are suffering with mental illness by first acknowledging its existence. I find that too often we deny the reality of these mental deficiencies and begin to categorize them as spiritual deficiencies. Now, I would agree that mental struggle is related to spiritual struggle. However, I also believe that physical, emotional, political, social, environmental and whatever other type of struggle I could possibly list is related to spiritual struggle. That’s the result of sin. All struggle in the world is a symptom of THE spiritual struggle: sin. Just because someone has a mental illness, does not mean that their behavior is causing them to be this way. It is important to note that mental illness is caused by chemical imbalances in the brain. It can be brought upon by traumatic experiences, but either way, it is a physical ailment as much as mental and should be looked at as such.

So we cannot carry on with the assumption that people who suffer with mental illness choose to live without peace and that because of that, they are less of a Christian. We assume that because someone deals with anxiety, OCD, depression, etc., that they simply do not have faith. Well, that is simply not the case. The reality is that it is a messy, and difficult fight. I am a firm believer in the supernatural, and I know that God moves and delivers in the blink of an eye. Trust me, I understand that and I live for that. However, liberation is not always instantaneous. More often than not, freedom is found in the process, and as believers, it’s important to know it is okay to embrace that. As the church, we need to be willing to go into the trenches with the hurting, dive into the nitty-gritty, well kept-away parts of our suffering and fight for healing together.

Our biggest fault in addressing mental illness in the church is our “Home Depot” attitude. We treat it like an HGTV program and think where there’s an issue, we can quickly find the necessary supplies, apply as directed, and boom, It’s fixed. We can just throw a certain Bible verse their way or lay hands on them and they should be fixed, right? No. The truth is that there is no verse, no book, no mindset, no sermon that can “fix” anyone; only God’s power. Although these things listed are indeed vehicles for Him to heal and restore, we cannot afford to look at them as the healers. It’s easy to tell those who are sick to just have faith, but when you are having to constantly operate in any sort of ailment, it gets difficult to believe for healing. We need to pray along side, and intercede for those who are hurting.

So what is to be our approach when faced with mental illness in the church? Be prepared. The truth is that much of the agony that comes with mental illness an ever-present feeling of isolation. It needs to be a part of corporate conversation. This way, any current or approaching circumstance involving mental illness in the body of Christ has already been addressed. With this comes the necessity of resourceful networking. If someone is struggling with this, it is vital that there are either resources available in the church, or a connection with a community outside of your specific body that can be ready in time of need. Lastly, it is vital that we build relationship with one another. People need to know that there are relationships in their lives that remain stable when their mental state is not. Nothing helps a restless heart quite like a good friend and we shouldn’t underestimate how much we can do for someone just by being there.

Psalm 34:17-20 “When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.”