Is modern psychology's treatment of depression in line with the Bible?

selenah · May 29, 2011

I've been wondering because I've heard some Christians say that modern psychology goes against the Bible. It seems that psychology is fine for most disorders, but I'm not sure about depression (I've been depressed for a long time). Would talking to a psychologist about depression help a person or would it only confuse the person more. I really could use some incite on this. I have NO IDEA what modern psychology's teachings are.

Scotth1960 · May 29, 2011

selenah said:

No. Not necessarily. Medicine is psychology and psychology is medicine. Both come from God. Scripture says, "Honor the physician with the honor due him, And also according to your need of him, For the Lord created him. Healing comes from the Most High, And he will receive a gift from the king. The physician's skill will lift up his head, And he shall be admired to the presence of the great. The Lord created medicines from the earth, And a sensible man will not loathe them." I know from personal experience when I despised my medicines, I stopped taking them, and I had a panic attack, a psychotic break, where I did all sorts of strange and I guess I could call it despisible things lacking true faith, and falling into a false faith and a wrong thinking. It was hypocritical of me. God save me. I am ashamed of what I did. May God forgive me, and take away my sin and shame. God gave us psychiatry and medicine to heal our broken hearts with medications that calm our minds. Amen. In Erie PA Scott R. Harrington PS That Scripture is Sirach 38:1-4 OSB Orthodox Study Bible. Which see! Despise not the true Bible, of which Sirach is a part!

Ramon · May 29, 2011

Scotth1960 said:

No. Not necessarily. Medicine is psychology and psychology is medicine. Both come from God. Scripture says, "Honor the physician with the honor due him, And also according to your need of him, For the Lord created him. Healing comes from the Most High, And he will receive a gift from the king. The physician's skill will lift up his head, And he shall be admired to the presence of the great. The Lord created medicines from the earth, And a sensible man will not loathe them." I know from personal experience when I despised my medicines, I stopped taking them, and I had a panic attack, a psychotic break, where I did all sorts of strange and I guess I could call it despisible things lacking true faith, and falling into a false faith and a wrong thinking. It was hypocritical of me. God save me. I am ashamed of what I did. May God forgive me, and take away my sin and shame. God gave us psychiatry and medicine to heal our broken hearts with medications that calm our minds. Amen. In Erie PA Scott R. Harrington PS That Scripture is Sirach 38:1-4 OSB Orthodox Study Bible. Which see! Despise not the true Bible, of which Sirach is a part!

Where does it say honor the physician with the honor due him? And where was it written the physician's skill will lift up his head? What book are you reading from? God didn't give you medicine, he gave Jesus for healing. Where is this coming from?

Forlorn-Hope · May 29, 2011

Nope, but considering the fact Religion hindered the progress of medicine for centuries, psychology included. And forced hundreds of people into brutal insane asylums, I wouldnt worry to much whether its keeping with in Biblical guidelines.

giantone · May 29, 2011

I don't know much about what they teach except dwelling on the past and blaming others for your problems and trying to keep people medicated and keep them carefully balanced with the proper drugs. They do as good a job as any human could understanding the human mind. The psychiatrist also puts labels on people like a brand on a cow giving them ownership of there disorder thus giving them a right to stay sick.

The Bible just says to think about what the Word of God says and His promises and good things. To forget about the past and look to the future, The Bible also says to forgive others, (I think more people have mental problems that result from refusing to forgive others.) The Bible says submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you, the Bible says to fight the fight of faith, I don't think the psychiatrist would say such a thing. The Bible also agrees that medication is necessary sometimes, but I get the feeling not one bit as much as everybody is getting medicated.

I would also imagine them saying something like you are your own salvation or your own god and other such faldercarb.

I have a friend in my church who last year was put in a home of some sort being looked after and medicated for his own safety and he's been out for almost a year and he told me today that he is constantly in the Bible and praying He says he needs to do it every day to stay in a sound mind that he has. and I've known him for 10 years and he's never looked better, I didn't ask but I don't think he is even on meds any more.

jimmydiggs · May 30, 2011

Depends on what the cause of the depression is. The biggest problem I have against psychology is that it is all subjective. Depression is "considered" to be bad becauseof it being maladaptive, abnormal, etc etc... Normallity is just another word for societal average.

If it's a chemical imbalance, I would just say proceed with great caution. Many of the prescribed drugs are reported as doing more bad than good in many cases. There was a young girl who went to the same High School I did, and she about killed herself after being on pescribed medicine.

Also, Gotquestions.org helps with surface understanding on some issues like this. I've quoted the relevant part so you don't have to click any links.

Gotquestions said:

pickles · May 30, 2011

My daughter has many health issues due to a genetic delition.
The interesting thing is this delition is not carried by the parents, it happens at the moment of conception.
No known cause as of yet.
This delition causes her entire body to be unstable.
Thus she suffers from depression and has all of her life.
She is treated and has been much better since.
Saddly, sociaty sees any mental condition as separate from a physical condition.
This is not to say that some mental conditions are not the result of emotional trama or inabuility to forgive another or self.
But many mental conditions are simply due to a physical imbalence.
Now , I believe one can and will be healed in Jesus through faith in God Our Fathers will.
But God Our Father also gave us everything we need to live.
One should be able to treat any health condition, untill healed of it.
To judge another wrong or lacking faith is not anothers place.
One should witness though to all that is given in Jesus.
I have seen some find the time to see and know in faith healing in Jesus because of medications.
Healing comes in many forms, all is Gods given gift to us.
The perfect healing though is always in Jesus.
If one has a need of medication, another should not judge or condemn.
As all given to all needs is from God Our Father.

in Jesus, God bless.
pickles

AnandaHya · May 30, 2011

selenah said:

find a psychologist that will pray with you before your sessions and the focus be upon your healing and not just pushing medicine. Medicine can do a lot of good if used right, but with psychological issues you have to determine if noninvasive technique might be better. there are alot of people suffering from depression and they go to psychologist. have you checked out the women's forum?

I've found the best thing for depression is to focus on God and doing things for others and when you are busy doing and helping others then you don't have as much time being down or depressed. If you can shift your focus from yourself to others that helps, unless you have some unhealed wounds you need to talk to someone about or allow God to heal.

Dear Lord, help us to understand and heal so that our lives might be accepting sacrifices and used to glorify Your Holy name. In Jesus we pray.

Scotth1960 · May 30, 2011

Ramon said:

Dear Ramon.
Saint Luke, who wrote the Gospel, was a physician. Which verse in the NT or OT says God does not give anyone medicine? The book I am reading from is Wisdom of Sirach, a book the early Church had in its Bible. Martin Luther removed this book from the Bible, on his own authority, deleting whole books from the Bible, adding the word "alone" to the text of Romans 3:28. and wanting to delete the text of James from the New Testament, but Martin Luther failed to succeed among the Lutherans, who still retain James in their canon of the NT. What did Martin Luther say when questioned why he was deleting whole books from the Bible, and adding words to the text of the NT in his German translation, words which were not in the Greek text of the NT. Why is it so? Is it so? "It is so because I, Herr Doctor Martin Luther, say it is so!" Go figure!
In Erie PA Scott R. Harrington May 2011 AD
PS Are you saying Jesus can't heal through medicine? Are you saying Jesus heals everyone? What about the people who die? Does that mean they weren't true believers? Lazarus died, and he was a true believer, wasn't he? Jesus wept when Lazarus died. Didn't He?

MaggieMye · May 30, 2011

I've been wondering because I've heard some Christians say that modern psychology goes against the Bible. It seems that psychology is fine for most disorders, but I'm not sure about depression (I've been depressed for a long time). Would talking to a psychologist about depression help a person or would it only confuse the person more. I really could use some incite on this. I have NO IDEA what modern psychology's teachings are. Depression is Hope deferred, it is caused vy a SPIRIT OF HEAVINESS, for which we are to put on the garments of PRAISE*. Depression BECOMES a chemical imbalance, but it does not start that way. Depression is a form of complete self-focus; it is self-obsession; self- abosrbsion that LEADS to depression. It is a SPIRITUAL condition that is ALLOWED to come about because the person's focus is NOT on Jesus, but on their situation or condition or circumstanced. (This does not mean that depressed people are not saved!!)

People that are depressed far to often say "I will be happy when _______" and even if that 'thing' does come about, they are not 'happy'. Happiness is a MOMENTARY FEELING often confused with CONTENTMENT. Scripture tells us that we are to be CONTENT in all (ALL) things, which we CAN DO IF we truly BELIEVE that God loves us as much as to come and die for us and shed His own blood for us so that we can be with Him. The 'trick' is to DECIDE that "I will be CONTENT NOW!"
"Modern psychology" is the WORLD'S method of TRYING TO deal with a condition that is spiritual. Meds are a temporary fix and temporary ONLY. Why do I say 'temporary'? Because if the meds are stopped, the person sinks back into the de-pressed condition. There is no completely HEALING. Meds are a band-aid that society has opted to use JUST SO the rest of humanity does not have to tolerate or be bothered by a person that, basically, needs a FOCUS-ADJUSTMENT. There are spirits of depression, rejection, fear, loneliness, rebellion, and PRIDE...all is based in Pride, that come to a person because they have a legal right to do so. There is either sin that is unrepented for, some word curse spoken over them (even by themselves**), or a generational curse in their family line that is the open door to their soul through which unclean spirits can have entrance to a person and so mess with the person's thinking. Emotions are BASED in our thinking.
The ONLY answer is JESUS and His deliverance. Nothing else will set a person completely FREE.
*If you truly PRAISE the Lord, your spirit will rise. Demons do not like praise of the Lord and if you persist, they leave. BUT PERSIST!!
**There was a woman who 'had it all'; great face, great body, lots of money, loving husband, great kids...the works. But she was depressed. After some sessions of counsel (NOT PSYCHOLOGY OR PSYCHIATRIC treatment***) it was discovered that as a teen, she spoke words to this effect, "I'd rather be depressed than ever be fat or ugly". And she got what she said. Upon confessing those cursing words as sin, asking for and receiving forgiveness and breaking off that curse and commanding all spirits attached to the curse to leave in the name of Jesus, she was no longer depressed. And she has NEVER had another session of depression since. She has had MOMENTS of unhappiness, of sadness, but those moments have been with JUST CAUSE, but no depression.
***Psychiatry from Pharmakeai = witchcraft. Which is WhY it goes against God's word. We are to God/Jesus and deliverance FIRST.

Nope, but considering the fact Religion hindered the progress of medicine for centuries, psychology included. And forced hundreds of people into brutal insane asylums, I wouldnt worry to much whether its keeping with in Biblical guidelines. That is what happens when GOD is not sought FIRST. HE is our healer. The institutions were simply tools and prisons that Satan trapped people in because of the LACK OF BIBLICAL KNOWLEDGE. Hos 4:6, Prov 5:23, 7:7, 9:16, 10:21.

selenah · May 30, 2011

Yeah guys, I think I'll stay away from psychologists. Hopefully God will show me what to do and stop me from focusing so much on myself.

MaggieMye · May 30, 2011

Let me know if I can help you!

Maggie

Broern · May 31, 2011

Psychology is helpful for Christians but the Bible is the absolute truth. Luke the apostle is a doctor but there was no mention of practicing his profession when he followed Jesus. The common word "doctors are instrument of God is not 100 percent true." I will not explain further but look at the lifestyle of most doctors.

Doctors can give medicine to change the neurons function in the brain but leave the problem in the soul. Another thing of concern is the side effects of the medicines given by the doctors.

Depression is a physical and emotional manifestation and the root cause comes from the problem in the soul's heart (subconscious mind). The Bible says to "renew the mind" which means to leave the thing which caused the depression and casting them to our Lord Jesus Christ. God's power is more than enough to replace depression with joy.

resurrection33 · May 31, 2011

selenah said:

I think a large part of depression comes as a consequence of sins we are committing.

selenah · May 31, 2011

resurrection33 said:

Yeah I do agree that sin causes depression, but there's alot of other things that can make someone feel depressed. I feel like life is so unstable and insecure. I've always been moved around, switching school programs, switching churches, having to make different friends, and just everything else makes me hate life sometimes.

selenah · May 31, 2011

selenah said:

But, I think focusing on self is another big cause of depression. I tend to do that lol. I just really don't think that sin is always the cause of depression.

rainacorn · May 31, 2011

selenah said:

This is how pretty much every teenager on Earth feels. It's not weird and it doesn't need to be medicated.

If you want to feel stability and security, then jump into the Word. God's truth is the only absolute in this world. Everything else is just madness.

selenah · May 31, 2011

rainacorn said:

Well...it's not just the being moved around. There's alot other things like regrets, doubting God, etc. that make life pretty rotten for the people who have them. But, yes, God is the only truly stable thing that we can go to.

MaggieMye · May 31, 2011

Selenah, you are 15!!! It is very common to feel as you do at your age. It is not so much depression as it is your HORMONES BEING COMPLETELY OUT OF WHACK!! When my oldest was 16, he was like the teenager from hell! Full of anger and rage, never laughed, barely ever smiled...UNTIL I put him on some intense nutritional supplements. Then it was like someone flipped a switch. When his hormone system and brain were getting the NUTRIENTS they needed to function properly, he became a completely different person...and happy/content!! His grades went up, he began making friends and you could even tease him without 'war' ensuing!
Go to a health food store and ask questions and tell them your feelings. I'm sure they can recommend some supplements that will help.
AND...eat healthy!! "Choose life and not death" goes beyond choosing Christ and His ways...or not. It also applies to eating foods that have LIVE ENZYMES (fresh fruits and veggies, for instance) and not the junk at the fast food (or even NOT fastfood) restaurants.

Maggie

wwjd_kilden · May 31, 2011

First of: Part of what is considered depression in our society would other places simply be seen as the person retreating into him/herself to "find themself"
It is important to know that "depression" isn't just about feeling sad, it can also be a lack of feeling, motivation etc. For short periods this can be good, it can be used to focus on other things (like God). But of course, once it interferes with ones social life, or ability to work or study it becomes a problem.

A therapist dont have to equal drugs. Any sensible therapist should try talking first, before medications. Also, you are the doctors client, as long as you see him of your own free will, you are also free to decline drugs if you feel unsure about them.

Is modern psychology's treatment of depression in line with the Bible?

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