Should Christians Take Medication for Mental Illness?

[Sirk]

I think medication for most people should only be a temporary way to get their feet back under them, but they still have to do the hard work of peeling the onion to the core issues and getting practiced at learning and developing tools to deal with life in a mature fashion......and eventually getting off of medication. If the purpose of being on meds is a quick easy fix then you may as well go buy a bag of weed and smoke yourself into oblivion because both cases are just taking the easy road.

 

[Fubario]

I got diagnosed with schizophrenia and got hospitalized twice and if i may share what has been my experience with medications.

1st time: got put on olanzapine then abilify, I gained weight, couldn't read properly, stopped reading my bible because of sleep deprivation caused by the medication that is still affecting me, i lost emotions and became dull (intellectually slowed down), my creativity and imagtination also suffered, and i basically almost rebelled against God because of how hard it was. I couldn't sleep for several months after properly, and it took a while for the side effects to leave. I also had restlessness. Also didn't stop the voices because they were demons, and they still attacked me to make it all worse.

2nd time: i was legitametely deluded because of a bad epistemology and i thought i was having visions and that God was going to marry me to all these girls and that all these dreams i was having were going to come true. Nope, i was medicated, muscles became stiff, stopped having dreams, devil was still harassing me with cursing voices and accusations. This time though i became much stronger in faith and spirit, but after being put on injections i became really numb mentally, i lost motivation, backslid to pornography because i had very little dopamine. I cannot stress how bad the low dopamine feels, the medication disrupted everything there. I have a hard time doing more demanding tasks, don't feel like eating, or working, my brain felt fried and blocked, and of course, similar as first time, messed up sleep and intellect. I also lost a lot of hope for my future because of its

I stopped taking medication about two months ago, its been a constant improvement ever since: discerning devils and delusions from reality, attempting to get my dopamine high again for school and things, i still struggle with pornography, motivation, and working, but i hope and pray it will return to normal.

I also did research and it appears to be that the majority of people are ignorant about, or lied about the efficacy of medications, especially for mental 'illness' which has yet to be scientifically proven (google this, you cannot prove someone is mentally ill because no tests for it exist, it is based solely on diagnosis). In my case, drugs hurt me more and for a while put in me depression and left me sick. I am sure not everyone feels the same way.

 

[Angela53510]

Maybe your were not schizophrenic? Or you are in a good period, and you will go back to the hospital over and over when you go off your meds.

Of course the psych meds all have side effects. But psychosis is pretty ugly and more than you will get hurt if you have another serious episodes. I know all about these meds, I have many friends on them. But they all say that better the meds than psychosis.

As for depression, it does not usually accompany Schizophrenia, as flat affect is a symptom of schizophrenia. Unless you are schizoaffective? I have one friend with that and she is a wonderful person and stays on her meds.

As for dopamine, take Wellbutrin to replace it. It is an AD and that is what it stimulates in the brain. And norepinephrine. Stay away from the SSRI's if you don't need them.

Mental illness is a real disease of the brain, and saying people are "lied" to, sounds like paranoia which means your psychosis is returning. I have studied this extensively, and did special work in the field for my Master's degree. My daughter is a social worker, and a big reason people who are mentally ill lose their children is because they are psychotic and refuse to take their medications because they are paranoid and/or don't like the side effects.

My husband has major depression, and he was not properly diagnosed for 30 years. Even on two AD's it is not enough when he has episodes, and he will have to take them the rest of his life. He also finds the ability to do things trumps side effects.

As for the devils you are discerning from reality, it sounds like you have already begun the slow slide that is going to put you back in a mental hospital. Praying you wake up and realize you have a real disease and it is going to take its toll if you do not take the medications.

 

[Fubario]

read mad in america and moncrieffs book on the myth of the chemical cure.

Also read the studies done on the effects of antipsychotics on the brain in humans by Nancy Andreasson and the studies done of macaque monkeys. Both indicate that antipsychotics cause brain shrinkage, and several other studies indicate recovery without medications is greater than with medications.

Antipsychotics and Brain Shrinkage: An Update | Mad In America
Evidence of Neuroleptic Drug-Induced Brain Damage
Recovering from Schizophrenia Without Medication | Mad in America
PsychiatryOnline | Psychiatric News | News Article

 

[christianperson91]

I do believe that medication should be taken by those who have mental illnesses. We have medicine for a reason, and I truly believe one of the reasons why God has allowed us to create medicine is to help those in need, that would include those who have mental issues. Of course medication should be taken wisely, and people under meds should also find other ways, beyond just medication, that could help their life.