Overcoming Stigmas: Embracing Mental Health in the Christian Community

Despite lots of progress, stigmas surrounding mental health and therapy remain widespread. As you probably already know, discussions about mental health can still be fraught with controversy, shame, and denial. And I believe, now more than ever, that the Christian community should be leading conversations around mental health challenges and how scripture and the help of professional therapists can help manage or overcome many of these challenges. Considering that nearly two-thirds of the American population (including newer immigrants) are Christians, this can be a very debilitating trend for more than 200 million people.

This is not to say that all Christians are one particular way — far from it. Every church, pastor, and parishioner is unique. But it is an important population to reach when it comes to debunking myths and challenging stigmas. It all begins with important conversations like this. 

What’s Behind the Stigma With Mental Health in the Christian Community?

Perhaps the biggest factor revolves around how faith is perceived. In a time of anxiety, for example, you may feel pressured to rely solely on God. To see help elsewhere might be judged as a lack of faith. 

Such a belief grows out of the general perception of mental health. After all, if you sprained an ankle, you’d most likely see a medical doctor. Or, if your car's brakes suddenly started acting weird, your first stop would be a mechanic’s shop. We all see the value and use of specialized practices to help us find solutions and healing.

Unfortunately, too often, mental health is considered just another facet of thinking. After all, you might think "If I had the willpower to think differently, trust God more, I wouldn’t struggle". However, trying to resolve long standing mental health challenges on your own, can be damaging to you, those around you, and even your faith in God. Mental health concerns in the Christian community can and should be addressed by a Christian therapist to help you find healing.

What Role Does Perceived “Weakness” Possibly Play?

A huge component of the Christian faith is developing the strength to avoid and resist temptations, which we know require self-control. If and when we lack it, we see ourselves as weak or "unfixable". So, how does mental illness fit into this paradigm? Let's take for an example how we view the word “weak”. When someone get diagnosed with something like diabetes, the last thought is not that they are weak. Meanwhile, a challenge like ADHD or depression is too often viewed with suspicion. After all, a Christian may wonder, isn’t it up to me to show willpower?

A giant step forward would be to challenge how you define weakness — real or perceived — and not view it as something to be ashamed of. A casual skim through the Bible reveal countless times that humans had to overcome mistakes, anxieties, grief, depression and more.

A Few Thoughts to Help Embrace Mental Health in the Christian Community

• We are all granted free will by our Heavenly Father thus, it’s a form of deep faith to pray for an experienced, Christian-based therapist to be brought into your life if you are having difficulty with life challenges or other mental health conditions.

• The more we learn about mental health issues, the more obvious it becomes that we need a combination of natural and supernatural support.

• Breaking free of harmful stigmas is no small feat. However, challenging the narrative of praying away mental health can help you and others find the necessary care to address mental health issues.

• About 25 percent of Americans report struggling with a mental health disorder. We can only imagine how many suffer in silence. We have an opportunity to advocate for those in need. Such people need our help, not our judgment. 

To the outsider, it may appear there is a wide chasm between the realms of therapy and faith. In reality, studies show that over 80 percent of therapists feel religion is beneficial. If you’re a Christian who needs help but feels uncertain about how to make that happen, I invite you to schedule a free and confidential 10-min consultation so you can learn more about Christian counseling at Reset Wellness Center and make the informed decision that’s best for you.

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