The Golden Thread: A Biblical Perspective on Mental Health
Introduction
We all have heard the term “mental health,” but do we understand the complications of poor mental health and the consequences it can create in our daily lives? According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, “Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being.” In other words, our mental health influences how we respond to others, make decisions, handle difficult situations, feel, and behave.
Mental Health is the “golden thread” that intertwines each facet of our lives.
In accordance with the current medical model “Bio-Psycho-Social,” humans are made up of the following components: the psyche (intelligence/spirit), biology (genes/brain chemistry), and a social component. Therefore, if humans are created with such diverse categories and someone is suffering from poor mental health such as anxiety or depression, it does not have an emotional impact on one part of our lives, it can impair all of them. The repercussions of poor mental health can have negative implications on a person’s family, job, marriage, parenting decisions, school, and daily responsibilities.
The first step to alleviating symptoms is to identify the issue and then work towards connecting with a counselor and establishing a treatment plan. Two of the most common mental health diagnoses in the United States are anxiety and depression.
Anxiety
Lately, we have all experienced anxiety. But how does it affect our decisions, our interactions, our relationships, our lives? Feeling small doses of anxiety is normal. Anxiety allows us to complete daily tasks, like completing your spouse’s ‘honey-to-do-list,’ studying for an exam, making essential decisions, or writing a blog post.
Anxiety is what motivates us to complete daily responsibilities and stay on track.
Once the brain encounters a stressor or threat, the brain activates the “Fight-or-Flight response.” In this case, the brain releases neurochemicals such as cortisol, adrenaline, norepinephrine, and a few others. These brain chemicals give us a natural boost in reflex time, perception, and speed. They also cause our hearts to pump faster to get more blood and oxygen circulating through our bodies to deal with the threat or stressor.
The problem is not having small doses of anxiety, on the contrary, the issue occurs when a person experiences severe anxiety symptoms for extended periods of time. According to the Diagnostic Statistical Manual fifth version, or DSM-5, “Excessive anxiety and worry, occurring more days than not for at least 6 months, about a number of events or activities, such as work or school performance.” In other words, anxiety is not considered a mental health issue unless the symptoms of anxiety are excessively hindering daily responsibilities.
There are several types of anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and various phobia-related disorders. Here is a list of the common symptoms related to anxiety:
Restlessness, feeling keyed up, or on edge
Being easily fatigued
Difficulty concentrating or mind going blank
Racing thoughts/intrusive thoughts
Irritability
Muscle tension
Sleep disturbance (difficulty falling or staying asleep, or restless unsatisfying sleep)
Shortness of breath/tight chest
Fear/avoidance of specific people, places, or things
Excessive worry
Indigestion/diarrhea
Let us look at it from a Biblical perspective. 2 Timothy 1:7 “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” When it comes to anxiety, fear is a major contributor to making us feel paralyzed. It is easy to feel overwhelmed by fear, which can lead to avoiding situations, people, or specific places. In Timothy, we are reminded that we can break the cycle and learn to fear less by trusting in God’s provision over our lives.
When any person turns to Christ for salvation, God’s words promise that we are not given a spirit of fear, but of strength. In short, anxiety can be helpful in small doses. It allows us to complete tasks, remain focused, and motivated. However, experiencing long periods of anxiety can be debilitating. It can cause serious consequences within our spiritual, physical, emotional, and social contexts. Counseling can be a tool to help a person with anxiety begin the process of overcoming their spirit of fear.
Depression
Have you ever felt so hopeless, sad, and tired that instead of getting up and taking on the day, you just lay in bed? Depression has the power to do that. It forces us to make bad decisions like lying in bed all day and in turn makes us feel guilty, which in result steals our motivation and energy. The cycle is then placed on repeat, leaving us feeling imprisoned and isolated from loved ones, jobs, and responsibilities.
According to the American Psychiatric Association, “Depression affects an estimated one in 15 adults (6.7%) in any given year. One in six people (16.6%) will experience depression at some time in their life. Some studies report women are more likely than men to experience depression.” Depression is a serious illness that needs to be addressed. The onset of depression could be the result of any major life event, for example, the loss of a job, the loss of a loved one, or a global pandemic.
There is a difference between feeling ‘sad’ and being clinically depressed.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, “Depression is a common, but serious mood disorder. It causes severe symptoms that affect how you feel, think, and handle daily activities, such as sleeping, eating, or working.” Depression is not necessarily a result of feeling sad for a few days or having a chemical imbalance in the brain. On the contrary, researchers have proposed depression is a complex issue resulting from several risk factors including genes, biology, environment, and lifestyle.
The DSM-5 outlines depressive symptoms, a person must experience five or more symptoms during the same 2-week period and at least one of the symptoms should be either (1) depressed mood or (2) loss of interest or pleasure.
Depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day.
Markedly diminished interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, activities most of the day, nearly every day.
Significant weight loss when not dieting or weight gain or decrease or increase in appetite nearly every day.
A slowing down of thought and a reduction of physical movement (observable by others, not merely subjective feelings of restlessness or being slowed down).
Fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day.
Feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt nearly every day.
Diminished ability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness, nearly every day.
Recurrent thoughts of death, recurrent suicidal ideation without a specific plan, or a suicide attempt or a specific plan for committing suicide.
Like anxiety, depression is treatable and there are services available to combat depressive episodes and symptoms. The first step is reaching out for help to take back your life. From a biblical standpoint, consider the words of Isaiah 41:10, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand”.
Although depression can make us feel isolated, we are reminded we are not alone. We not only have a God that unconditionally loves us, but the Lord has put into place people and services to help support those that are suffering from poor mental health.
Treatment Options
Depression and anxiety are among the most treatable mental disorders.
If you struggle with anxiety, depression, or other mental health issues, one of the most effective treatment options is therapy. Orchard Hill Church offers one-on-one counseling services, either in person or in virtual counseling sessions. Each counselor has an individualized approach to combat mental health symptoms.
In the case of depression and anxiety, counselors at Orchard Hill predominantly use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CBT. This form of therapy focuses on the present and problem-solving. CBT helps a person to recognize distorted thinking and then works to change negative behaviors and thinking patterns to alleviate symptoms.
Alternately, in severe cases of depression or anxiety, medications can be prescribed such as an antidepressant or anti-anxiety medication to help improve a person’s brain chemistry, mood and reduce the severity of their symptoms. However, in recent studies and evidence-based practices, a combination of medications and therapy is effectively used in overcoming symptoms of both depression and anxiety.
In conclusion, mental health connects all components of humanity. Suffering from poor mental health such as anxiety and depression can be debilitating and cause severe difficulties in daily living if not addressed. In most circumstances, counseling is most effective to alleviate depressive and anxiety symptoms. According to evidence-based practices, medications in combination with therapy can also be effective in severe cases.
Therefore, the question remains: “how does mental health affect your daily life?” The answer: mental health positively or negatively affects all aspects of our lives including our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Positive mental health means feeling equipped to manage daily life and stressful situations. Poor mental health can lead to feelings of being overwhelmed, isolated, and out of control.
If you or a loved one is suffering from mental health issues, please do not hesitate to reach out to our office. We are dedicated to individualizing our services and supporting you in life and faith.
Resources
American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), Fifth edition. 2017.
ESV New Christian's Bible: English Standard Version containing the Old and New Testaments, personal reference Bible. (2019). Wheaton, IL: Crossway.
National Institute of Mental Health. (Data from 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.) www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/prevalence/major-depression-among-adults.shtml
Parekh, M.D., M.P.H., R. (2017, January). What is Depression?. Retrieved July 20, 2020, from https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/depression/what-is-depression
U. (Ed.). (2020, May 28). What Is Mental Health? Retrieved July 13, 2020, from https://www.mentalhealth.gov/basics/what-is-mental-health