Mental Illness: Sin or an Exception to the rule?

Elizabeth619 · Jun 22, 2015

I was just in a thread that was discussing mental illness and this question came to mind. I will first state that I was recently diagnosed with severe depression, and anxiety. I also take medication for this as well as counseling. So I am going to be the first person to put myself in this category. Is my "illness" as an excuse to go against God? I am by no means saying that anyone that suffers from a mental illness is deliberately sinning, but trying to clarify(mainly for myself) do we use too many excuses to act sinful and try to put a diagnosis to it to clear our own conscience?

If you look in psychology books or even google it you will see that about every sin mentioned in scripture can be seen a some type of mental disorder. Killing, lying, cheating, even worry(anxiety). If you know in your mind that what you are doing is a sin, but still do it due to mental illness is it still a sin? What is everyone's take on this?

seed_time_harvest · Jun 22, 2015

Sometimes a person has got to be delivered and then preach the WORD.

Elizabeth619 · Jun 22, 2015

seed_time_harvest said:

I agree, but I will be the first to admit, the trials an individual deals with can cause even the most faithful to question God, and deliverance.

Blain · Jun 22, 2015

I have severe depression I don't know why it's not like life is bad for me, I have all kinds of mental issues as well. But I never let these things have power over me, when I fall into deep depression mode I refuse to stay down I get back up and I fight with everything I have knowing that I have God by my side. So I fall sometimes but I get back up knowing I will be stronger, my mental disorders seem to only bring me closer to God

Elizabeth619 · Jun 22, 2015

Blain said:

And that is how it should be. Unfortunately I haven't been that strong in the past few months.

valiant · Jun 22, 2015

Elizabeth619 said:

being mentally ill is not sinful. It is often simply due to cells having 'died' in the brain so that dopamine in the brain is not rightly controlled. In that case it is a 'physical' illness. There are so many degrees of mental illness that it is difficult to be dogmatic about them. At the extreme level it may cause someone to kill someone else because they see them as evil and devil controlled. To them their action can appear 'good'. They see themselves as destroying evil. At their level they are justified. Mental illness can make a person take directly opposite views to what they once held. Thus a minister may through mental illness become for a time an atheist. On the other hand most mentally ill people are aware of right and wrong, even if they see it from a twisted viewpoint. Thus they have a level of moral responsibility even if it may not fully tie in with that of a non-mentally ill person. Fortunately it is God Who will judge them and not me. He knows and understands the whole problem.

I think that there is little doubt that Nebuchadnezzar was mentally ill even before his breakdown. It explains a lot of his behaviour. Indeed from what we now know of how experiences in childhood can cause later mental illness it is probable that many tyrants were in fact mentally ill. They rarely had a 'normal' upbringing. Whilst, however, it may explain some of their behaviour, it does not completely exonerate them. It does not necessarily mean that they did not know that they were doing 'wrong'. God will judge.

Most mentally ill people are quite able to understand the Gospel, even if in some cases in limited form, and are able to find salvation and be morally changed. They can also reject the Gospel because they are sinful. They are able to discern between right and wrong, although mental incapacity may in some cases mean that they act on a different basis than a non-mentally ill person.

All this is a reminder to us all how careful we must be in judging people. There are varying degrees of mental illness.

But God is able through mental illness to bring some to himself. and to use those who are mentally ill in various ways. Mental illness is not a hindrance to being a Christian. It has to be recognised for what it is and faced up to.

VioletReigns · Jun 22, 2015

I'm convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, (including mental illness) will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Sin is whatever lame-brain idea we have that contradicts the Truth of God. Nothing in our carnal flesh will ever agree with God. It's impossible. Because no man is justified by the flesh. None of us can be good enough. All of us are mentally/carnally ill, some more so than others. (I wouldn't doubt it if I was one of the "more so" ones)

Nevertheless, Jesus came to save the broken, the sick, the poor, the simple-minded, the outcasts.... not the ones who think they are wise and healthy already. Jesus delivered the lunatic in the mountains who couldn't be held in chains. Jesus delivered the boy foaming at the mouth and rolling around on the ground. Jesus delivered me. Jesus delivered numerous members on this site.

What is impossible with man is not with God. I don't know if I answered your question, but I look at it this way. Jesus took away our sin when He died on the cross. He doesn't condemn us, He leads us and teaches us day by day.

As brother Sirk said earlier in another thread, "Shame based religion is not from God."

The Lord is our Loving Father, not a prison warden. So rather than concentrate on sin, we should focus on Jesus Christ, rest in His arms of love and just follow Him. Don't you think, dear sister Elizabeth?

Elizabeth619 · Jun 22, 2015

VioletReigns said:

When someone is spiritually oppressed it is easy to tell them to follow Him, as we should. But until you have walked in their shoes you don't know their struggles. A Christian with a mental illness has serious struggles, and what is easy for you is a challenge for them.

I told my bf the other day if I could stop having panic attacks on my own I would. He doesn't understand why I get easily upset because he doesn't have this struggle. If I could just let my worries and depression roll off my back and be happy I would, but this is a major struggle. This is a test of my strength, and faith. It isn't an easy one.

Angela53510 · Jun 22, 2015

Mental illness is NOT a sin! Nor demon possession nor something you bring on yourself, that you can "snap" out of, or will yourself out of.

It is a disease of the brain. While depression often starts with circumstances, such as grief, abuse, pain, etc, after a while, it becomes its own disease when the brain fails to produce the neurotransmitters necessary for normal mental health.

God knows and understands depression. And a relationship with Christ can help, and depression can also bring us into a deeper relationship with God.

"5 Why am I so depressed?
Why this turmoil within me?
Put your hope in God, for I will still praise Him,
my Savior and my God." Psalm 42:5, Psalm 43:5 HCSB

I think, like in any disease, use of medication is appropriate and necessary. Proper care from a qualified medical professional can mean recovery, instead of getting worse. But always supplement that with a vibrant relationship with God.

I might add I work with the mentally ill, and those who are recovered/recovering all point to exercise as one of the most helpful things to get back on their feet. I believe this is because God created us to have bodies that move and work. When we get depressed, we don't feel like doing much. In fact, the best recipe is to push ourselves to move, to get the blood and the endorphins going and the brain will improve!

I know part of my recovery when I had depression before 2005, besides God, was learning to ride and getting very involved in bicycle riding. Plus, recent studies show music lowers pain levels, and I always ride my bike listening to uplifting Christian music. I don't know how many times God has spoken to me through the words of the songs, many of which were taking directly from Scripture.

Anyway, praying for both of you, Elizabeth and Blain, and please do not think you are sinning because you are depressed or having problems with mental illness.

Elizabeth619 · Jun 22, 2015

Thanks Angela.

I will admit I am getting better at some things. Some stuff I have been able to put in perspective and straighten out my priorities. Other things are a lot more challenging. Then again these changes don't happen over night.

Blain · Jun 22, 2015

Elizabeth619 said:

Warriors are not born they are made

Viligant_Warrior · Jun 22, 2015

Elizabeth619 said:

No, God would not allow something to take root in a believer that would cause him/her to rebel.

Depression has been broken down into eight categories in the new DSM-5. They range from the mild "down feeling" that lasts a day or at most a week or two, to the extreme depressive state that can result in delusions and hallucinations. While there can easily be a spiritual aspect to it, there is also such a thing as brain chemistry that affects how we feel, both in the short- and long-term.

Elizabeth619 said:

That's gets very complicated and is way beyond your state of mind. Those eight categories I mentioned? Here they are:

Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder: This is chronic, severe and persistent irritability in children
Major Depressive Disorder, Single and Recurrent Episodes: Also known as major depression, clinical depression, or unipolar depression, the latter referring to the presence of one pole, or one extreme of mood or depressed mood.
Persistent Depressive Disorder (Dysthymia): The key symptom is a depressed mood that occurs for most of the day, for more days than not, for at least two years.
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder: Obvious
Substance/Medication-Induced Depressive Disorder: Also obvious
Depressive Disorder Due to Another Medical Condition, Other Specified Depressive Disorder, and Unspecified Depressive Disorder: Catchalls when the clinician is unable to fit the depressive mood into any of the other categories because not enough diagnostic criteria are met

Depression is disease. Nothing more. Depression is not sin. The root cause of any anxiety or depressive mood disorder, or for substance abuse, can be sin, but it doesn't have to be, perhaps lying instead with brain chemistry or physical illness. Most clinicians will not call it sin, but they can treat the symptom/disorder.

Any mood disorder, addiction issue, or personality disorder can potentially be an indicator of a spiritual need, but before it is determined it is a spiritual need, and before the need can be identified and addressed, the disorder must first be treated so as to assist the client in reaching down inside and dealing with the root cause.

Elizabeth619 · Jun 22, 2015

You people are more help than my psychiatrist. Seriously.

blue_ladybug · Jun 22, 2015

Elizabeth619 said:

no, mental illness/ depression is not a sin. Elizabeth, I would like you to click the links below in my signature and read my story of depression.. I pray it will help you as it has so many others on here.. pm me anytime..

Sirk · Jun 22, 2015

We're all mentally ill to one degree or another. Lord Jesus thank you for the cross.

Elizabeth619 · Jun 22, 2015

blue_ladybug said:

Thank you. You're description of your depression is pretty much like mine.

VioletReigns · Jun 22, 2015

Elizabeth619 said:

Walked in your shoes? If you had a quick glimpse of the many years of fearful hellish torment the Lord brought me out of, your hair would turn white. Seriously. Depression? Panic attacks? Mental illness? How about torture. Mental, physical, spiritual... the gamut.

Easy for me? No. Not at all. I suffered from anxiety so badly, my bones hurt, my skin hurt, my heartbeat was weak and felt like ice, I was drained of energy and felt like a prisoner in my body. I couldn't see with my physical eyes for the mental fog that was always in front of me... like a covering of fear.

The worst of it was that nobody could help me. Nobody really understood. Doctors couldn't help. Friends and family couldn't help. I thought I was doomed to suffer like that for the rest of my life. But what's impossible with man, is not with God.

I am amazed every single day how the Lord miraculously got me to trust Him and delivered me from that spirit of fear. I am just amazed. Yes, it was a rough road. Yes, it was like carrying a cross... it was a major scary battle.... not at all easy.

But the Lord brought me through by His grace alone. Why? To glorify Himself to me. He loves me that much. That takes my breath away....

Viligant_Warrior · Jun 22, 2015

Elizabeth619 said:

Some people in the mental health profession shouldn't be. Just fact.

blue_ladybug · Jun 22, 2015

Elizabeth619 said:

It's an awful thing.. I've had mine fairly under control the last few years, but it reared up again between November-March when I was crippled and in bed with a herniated disk.. I could barely move and lost the use of my left leg for awhile..It's depressing when your stuck in bed for 4 or 5 months and cant move and in agonizing pain.. but I trusted God to get me through and he did..

He will bring you through also.

PoetMary · Jun 22, 2015

Elizabeth619 said:

I totally get this Elizabeth. Personally, I deal with dysthymia (chronic, persistent, low-level depression). The thing about dysthymia is that a person can struggle with it for years. I've basically dealt with it since I was a child. And, like all forms of depression, it's a particularly slippery beast, so if you aren't vigilant, it can develop into a severe level of depression.

As I've been on this journey, I've tried pretty much everything--prayer/meditation, journaling, cognitive retraining, diet/exercise, therapy, and lots of just plain old "gutting it out." All of these worked...until they didn't. I'd always wanted to exhaust every option before taking any meds. Well, I arrived at that point in 2009. When I began taking cymbalta, the effect in my head was so startling I remember thinking to myself, "this much be how the brain of a normal person functions." I took cymbalta for about four years before getting off of it.

Part of what people don't understand is this: Everything I did represented a great level of effort on my part, and significant amounts of self-control. Even while I was depressed, I showed up for work and did my job well, and used all my energy in the process.

Even people who've dealt with significant physical illnesses can understand the difficulty of very simple day-to-day activities. What once took moments and required little energy, might now take all day and demand all we have.

I'm glad to hear that you're working with a therapist as you walk through this time. I pray that you'll get some good skills and insights there, and that even at this very low time you will remember that the Holy Spirit is your advocate and intercedes for you with the Father.

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