Are you depressed, anxious, or struggling with a secret addiction? You are not alone. Many Christians deal with these and other mental health issues on a daily basis. On top of these burdens, they often deal with being shamed by people in the church who don’t understand what they’re going through. Help is available and you or a family member or friend don’t have to suffer alone!
What can you do to keep your mind and emotions in good working order and optimum mental health?
Seek help
Start with prayer. After all, God is our Wonderful Counselor. Go to Him first. Pour out your heart. Pray the Psalms—many deal with issues of depression, anger, fear, and overcoming sin. Be honest with God—He knows it already, but He wants to hear it from you. It’s also wise to seek out a person you can trust, who can help you talk through your emotions. Find a friend, pastor, or professional counselor. Don’t suffer alone. Get help!
Don’t let issues linger
Is there an issue in your past that you have not dealt with? Those issues don’t often disappear. We create coping mechanisms to deal with things like abuse, broken hearts, and manipulative behavior. But when we get out of those situations, the coping mechanisms are still operating, and they don’t work the same in a new situation. Unless you find a healthier way of dealing with those things, you may end up behaving in much the same way as the person who hurt you. It’s important to get wise counsel when you find yourself repeating negative habits. Healing is possible.
Forgive
This one is easy to say and hard to do. The more hurtful the sin committed against you, the harder it can be to forgive. Forgiveness is not letting the person who hurt you off the hook. They still have to seek forgiveness from God for what they’ve done. But when you forgive, it allows you to move on with your life. If you are stuck in a pattern of anger, fear, or bitterness, you’re not living the abundant life God wants you to live. Instead, you’re allowing the injury to fester. The hurt will only grow. Forgive and let God take care of the offense so that you can move toward recovery.
Seek professional health
There is nothing to be ashamed about because you need professional help and medication. Just like a person with diabetes needs to take insulin, often a person suffering with depression or other mental health issues needs medication to regulate the chemicals in the brain that aren’t working properly. Seeing a professional combined with medication, may be just the remedy you need to alleviate your depression or help balance your delicate brain chemistry.
Take a few moments to peruse the articles we have for you on issues pertaining to mental health. Perhaps they will help you with your struggle or they may help a friend or family member. We pray for hope, help and ultimate healing.