Friday, July 15, 2011

Should Christian’s Take Anti-Depressants?

pills

 

I received a comment in my last post concerning Christians taking medication.  The sweet reader, referring to my admissions that I take no medication for fibromyalgia or depression, pointed out that taking an anti-depressant is no different than a diabetic taking insulin.

Let me take a moment to clarify my position on this and why I choose not to medicate.

I am NOT against medication.  My belief is sickness is a result of a fallen world and God has provided us with doctors and pharmaceuticals as a way of dealing with things like illness, depression and chemical imbalances.  I believe depression is a chemical imbalance within the body and not a reflection of the individual’s spiritual condition.  Christians get sick too.  Christians must live with imperfect bodies in an imperfect world.  We are not exempt from pain or suffering, despite the feel-good fluff that popular ministers like to dish out. 

I am not on anti-depressants because after several attempts with different brands, I feel they do me more harm than good.  For whatever reason, my body does not react well to them and they leave me feeling more lethargic and “muddle-headed”.  When parenting two small children and homeschooling a special needs child, I need to have a clear head.  That is why it is important for me to be strict about my natural treatments-making sure I get plenty of rest, knowing my boundaries, limiting my wheat intake etc.

Let me add, too though, that I think the less manufactured gook we put into our bodies, the better; but I am not against all medication in all situations and I certainly have no place to tell others what is best for them.

So, thank you dear reader for bringing to my attention an issue that may have caused confusion for some.   I hope this post clears this up.

3 comments:

Sarah said...

What an excellent post! I once read a book for Christian women and it said that most depression was because of sin in a person's life. That would make me even more depressed! Though the book had great points, it faulted on that one.

And yes, many Christians suffer with depression and other mental illnesses. Christian bodies aren't different in this world, just redeemed. It's good to read pieces that state that mental/mood sometimes just happen.

Kris said...

I don't tell many people this Marcia, but I too suffer from depression and anxiety and have since my late teens. I was once on Paxil, but it had me at such a state that I didn't care about anything, so I stopped taking it. This post is wonderful.

Sarah said...

Kristine, I also struggle with depression and anxiety. One of the best decisions I ever made was to visit a Christian counselor that was provided by my campus. I have found that talking through the bad days is one way to get through it.