There is much debate within Christian circles concerning whether or not a Christian should take mental health medication. As a Christian who depends on anti-psychotic medication for his stability, I find this debate intriguing. The people who say that mental health medication should never be taken by Christians seem to get their line of reason from the idea that the Greek word for pharmacy means "sorcery". The people who say that mental health medication is permitted for Christians tend to say that God allowed man to advance in their knowledge of how to make medications work for us. As you may already know, I align with the latter group of people instead of the former. In this blog, I shall give some reasons why it is permitted for Christians to take mental health medication. However, first, allow me to address the whole Greek word argument because I see it a lot from anti-psychiatric medication folk. It is true that the Greek word for "pharmacy" is "pharmakeia". While this may seem like a valid argument against mental health medication, I have noticed that the people who use this argument rarely use it whenever they take an Advil for a headache or they will never use this argument when a diabetic needs insulin shots. It is a double standard these people seem to not understand. Suppose you are going to be against mental health medication because of the Greek iteration of pharmacy. In that case, you need to apply it to all medications to be consistent in your logic. Rarely do I see these people be consistent, however.
Now, what we do know from the Bible is that Paul's traveling companion, Luke, was a physician himself. This would mean that he would have frequently prescribed medication to the people whom he was treating. Some people would argue that medicine back then was not the same as nowadays, but that is a moot point. Of course, medications back then were not the same as nowadays. God has allowed man to advance in his knowledge of medications to the point where they are much more effective these days. My question for the naysayers is this: If it were appropriate for Luke to prescribe medicine back when people were not as knowledgeable concerning physical and mental health, why is it not permitted for doctors to prescribe medication these days when we are much more knowledgeable concerning physical and mental health? Also, if you would like an example of an ancient medical treatment prescribed to someone in the first century, we can look to the advice that the Apostle Paul gave to Timothy. In 1 Timothy 5:23, Paul instructs Timothy,
"No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments"
As you can see from this text, Paul gives his protégé some medical advice for treating his stomach and "frequent ailments". How do you think he knew to give this advice? Could it have been from his doctor friend, Luke? The Apostle Paul could have very easily told Timothy to just "trust God" for healing, but that is not what he did. Of course, he would have already told Timothy to trust God in everything, but Paul knew that one can trust God while seeking medical treatment. We do not need to fear medical treatment for our ailments, whether they are mental or physical.
Now, that I have established why it is not wrong for a Christian to take mental health medications, it is not time for me to talk about the benefits of mental health medications. The reason that I'd like to do this is because many Christians seem to believe that mental health medications only serve to make one worse over time. This could not be further from the truth. In reality, if someone has a mental illness and they refuse to get it treated, that is what will make things worse over time. As I talk about the benefits of mental health medications, I will be using myself as an example. My intention in doing this is so that what I am saying will be more relatable to people. There are countless studies out there that prove mental health medications are effective. According to the National Association of Mental Illness,
"Psychiatric medications can be effective in treating mental illness, but they aren't a cure. They can help relieve symptoms, improve daily functioning, and overall wellness. Medications work by influencing brain chemicals that regulate emotions and thought patterns. For example, medications can help with depression symptoms like lack of energy and concentration, which can allow people to participate more in talk therapy"
I agree with their statement that mental health medications are effective, but they are not a cure, and that one must see both a psychiatrist and a therapist for maximum treatment. But, I digress. The three ways that I have seen mental health medication help me in my life and can help you too, are: Preventing Death, Preventing Imprisonment, and Developing Close Relationships. I will now elaborate on each of these points.
Preventing Death
Firstly, I'd like to say that everyone is appointed a time to die by God, and that in no way can we affect when or how we will die. However, when I say taking mental health medications prevents death, I am speaking purely from a humanistic perspective. There are times when I have gone into a manic episode and left my home in the middle of the night to harass people. Obviously, the reason this is dangerous is because when you are harassing people, you never know if they may shoot you or beat you up. After all, you made them uncomfortable. It is by the grace of God that this never happened to me. There are also other times when my mania has put me in dangerous situations where someone could have killed me because they did not understand that I was ill.
Preventing Imprisonment
Many of you already know my story about how I was visited by the Secret Service, but for those of you who do not know, I will briefly tell you now. A few years ago, I had a manic episode which led me to make a YouTube video threatening Donald Trump. As a result, the Secret Service paid me a visit when I and my mom were staying in a homeless shelter. I told them that at the time I was off my medication, but now I am back on them. After telling me that I better make sure I remain on my medication because if they have to come back they are bringing handcuffs, they left. This experience really frightened me. However, it has taught me an important lesson. Mania, as fun as it seems, can lead one to being locked up in prison. And mentally ill people are not treated well in prison, I might add.
Developing Close Relationships
I say this because I have noticed that when I am off my medications, no one really wants to be around me. I do not blame anyone for their avoidance because I know how unbearable I can be when I am unstable. There are times when even I do not want to be around someone mentally unstable. However, I have noticed that when I am properly taking my medications and I am mentally stable, then more people want to be around me and even talk to me too. Sure, mania may feel like fun for us individually, but it is no fun for those around us who have to deal with us. When we are mentally stable, it really does make it easier for people to get closer to us. I may not have many friends and family, but the few I do have mean the world to me. I would never give them up for anything, especially not a manic "high".
I hope that this blog helps you to better understand why it is false to say that a Christian cannot take psychiatric medications and still trust in the Lord at the same time. We can trust in God's sovereignty while also trusting in man's knowledge to know how to treat us with medication. One is actually denying God's sovereignty when one says God only works in the supernatural and never in the ordinary. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and may the grace of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ richly bless you all!
-David Lee Chu Sarchet
Christian Mental Health Advocate
Check out the Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website
Now, what we do know from the Bible is that Paul's traveling companion, Luke, was a physician himself. This would mean that he would have frequently prescribed medication to the people whom he was treating. Some people would argue that medicine back then was not the same as nowadays, but that is a moot point. Of course, medications back then were not the same as nowadays. God has allowed man to advance in his knowledge of medications to the point where they are much more effective these days. My question for the naysayers is this: If it were appropriate for Luke to prescribe medicine back when people were not as knowledgeable concerning physical and mental health, why is it not permitted for doctors to prescribe medication these days when we are much more knowledgeable concerning physical and mental health? Also, if you would like an example of an ancient medical treatment prescribed to someone in the first century, we can look to the advice that the Apostle Paul gave to Timothy. In 1 Timothy 5:23, Paul instructs Timothy,
"No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments"
As you can see from this text, Paul gives his protégé some medical advice for treating his stomach and "frequent ailments". How do you think he knew to give this advice? Could it have been from his doctor friend, Luke? The Apostle Paul could have very easily told Timothy to just "trust God" for healing, but that is not what he did. Of course, he would have already told Timothy to trust God in everything, but Paul knew that one can trust God while seeking medical treatment. We do not need to fear medical treatment for our ailments, whether they are mental or physical.
Now, that I have established why it is not wrong for a Christian to take mental health medications, it is not time for me to talk about the benefits of mental health medications. The reason that I'd like to do this is because many Christians seem to believe that mental health medications only serve to make one worse over time. This could not be further from the truth. In reality, if someone has a mental illness and they refuse to get it treated, that is what will make things worse over time. As I talk about the benefits of mental health medications, I will be using myself as an example. My intention in doing this is so that what I am saying will be more relatable to people. There are countless studies out there that prove mental health medications are effective. According to the National Association of Mental Illness,
"Psychiatric medications can be effective in treating mental illness, but they aren't a cure. They can help relieve symptoms, improve daily functioning, and overall wellness. Medications work by influencing brain chemicals that regulate emotions and thought patterns. For example, medications can help with depression symptoms like lack of energy and concentration, which can allow people to participate more in talk therapy"
I agree with their statement that mental health medications are effective, but they are not a cure, and that one must see both a psychiatrist and a therapist for maximum treatment. But, I digress. The three ways that I have seen mental health medication help me in my life and can help you too, are: Preventing Death, Preventing Imprisonment, and Developing Close Relationships. I will now elaborate on each of these points.
Preventing Death
Firstly, I'd like to say that everyone is appointed a time to die by God, and that in no way can we affect when or how we will die. However, when I say taking mental health medications prevents death, I am speaking purely from a humanistic perspective. There are times when I have gone into a manic episode and left my home in the middle of the night to harass people. Obviously, the reason this is dangerous is because when you are harassing people, you never know if they may shoot you or beat you up. After all, you made them uncomfortable. It is by the grace of God that this never happened to me. There are also other times when my mania has put me in dangerous situations where someone could have killed me because they did not understand that I was ill.
Preventing Imprisonment
Many of you already know my story about how I was visited by the Secret Service, but for those of you who do not know, I will briefly tell you now. A few years ago, I had a manic episode which led me to make a YouTube video threatening Donald Trump. As a result, the Secret Service paid me a visit when I and my mom were staying in a homeless shelter. I told them that at the time I was off my medication, but now I am back on them. After telling me that I better make sure I remain on my medication because if they have to come back they are bringing handcuffs, they left. This experience really frightened me. However, it has taught me an important lesson. Mania, as fun as it seems, can lead one to being locked up in prison. And mentally ill people are not treated well in prison, I might add.
Developing Close Relationships
I say this because I have noticed that when I am off my medications, no one really wants to be around me. I do not blame anyone for their avoidance because I know how unbearable I can be when I am unstable. There are times when even I do not want to be around someone mentally unstable. However, I have noticed that when I am properly taking my medications and I am mentally stable, then more people want to be around me and even talk to me too. Sure, mania may feel like fun for us individually, but it is no fun for those around us who have to deal with us. When we are mentally stable, it really does make it easier for people to get closer to us. I may not have many friends and family, but the few I do have mean the world to me. I would never give them up for anything, especially not a manic "high".
I hope that this blog helps you to better understand why it is false to say that a Christian cannot take psychiatric medications and still trust in the Lord at the same time. We can trust in God's sovereignty while also trusting in man's knowledge to know how to treat us with medication. One is actually denying God's sovereignty when one says God only works in the supernatural and never in the ordinary. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and may the grace of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ richly bless you all!
-David Lee Chu Sarchet
Christian Mental Health Advocate
Check out the Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website
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