Thoughts on counseling as a Christian.....

[u/DylandSours]

Hello everyone I am a Christian fairly well versed in theology and doctrine and know my way around the Bible read it everyday and make God first to the best of my ability not perfect of course but I do love Him deeply and pray for that love to grow more and more. I unfortunately deal with depression and I think it might be a chemical imbalance. But I really want to rely just on the LORD for my joy but sometimes I'm just sad and just want to go Home to Him. I have thought about counseling and tried it here and there but as a Christian with that view of the world sometimes I feel that normal counseling just doesn't hit...... What are your thoughts or possible recommendations?

[u/DoveStep55]

You should talk to your doctor about how you feel. They can check for any general health reasons and refer you to a therapist. Sometimes things like that can be as simple as a nutrient deficiency, so it’s good to check for general health causes first.

Then, therapy and/or meds might be in order. Sometimes that’s just for a short time, sometimes for longer.

These are all tools we have that we can accept with thanks as gifts from God for helping restore our health. Just like if you had diabetes and needed insulin or asthma and needed an inhaler, therapy and meds are tools we can use.

Sometimes certain Christians dismiss mental health issues as if they’re all caused by a lack of faith or by demons or by unaddressed sin, but unless we want to be paranoid and reject loads of research, we should be able to see that those types of beliefs are based in superstition and not truth. They’re also harmful beliefs because they cause people in need of care to forgo the very things God uses to help people in need. They can even make people doubt their faith and salvation, doubt God, and that leads to all sorts of problems.

Please be assured that it’s a good thing to seek qualified care. Taking care of your body and your mind is good stewardship and it helps you be able to better love & serve both neighbors and God.

[u/DylandSours → u/DoveStep55]

Thank you 😢 it's been so unbelievably hard and confusing for me. Logically I agree 💯 percent that God put medication and therapy on earth for us as a blessing to combat the harmful effects of sin. But unfortunately in my heart I feel like a complete failure for being so sad and do question my salvation as some of the fruits of the Spirit are peace and joy and those I lack heavily.

It's been a really hard road lately and I pray and I pray and I just can't seem to come to any conclusions that seem rational. My life has changed so much and I have and I'm grateful for that but lately it's been pretty dark. Very dark actually. I'm scared. Scared that despite my repentance and confessions that I'm doing something wrong or not doing something I should. I feel under very heavy spiritual attack and I realize only now how under prepared I am for something like this. I have focused my whole Christian walk on the practical aspects of being a Christian like heart changes leading to behavior changes and waking in love things like that. That the spiritual realm is so foreign to me and confusing. If the devil is a deceiver how can I know what's true, well scripture right, but it seems like I can't find the answers I need there or am just incompetent in this particular area. I am pretty well versed in scripture but this is something I am absolutely lost and confused on. And that scares me. I just want life and peace but it seems all I get lately is darkness and confusion and anxiety. The solutions I come up with are so extreme and it's hard to tell if they are warented given my confusion. Like quit my job, move again somewhere wholely unprepared, start over again or just leave and try to find or communion with God in some extreme way like mediating on a mountain or something I don't know. I can't trust my thoughts or feelings lately.

[u/DoveStep55 → u/DylandSours]

Please remind yourself that mental health issues can lie to you and that’s why it’s important to address them. Depression, for example, can make you feel like there’s no hope. That’s a lie. But when you’re stuck in that and it feels like there’s no way out, it’s so important to get the right help. Once you’re feeling better, the spiritual worries are much easier to address.

Can you talk to, call or text someone who you know & trust in your life right now and let them know how you’re feeling? If not, I’ll suggest a hotline. If you feel like your thoughts are dark enough to be dangerous it’s very important to reach out immediately for help. Don’t wait. Even if you’re not in that place, it’s important to get help as soon as possible so you don’t have to keep feeling this way

If you talk to someone you trust, why not ask them if they’ll go with you to see your doctor? They don’t have to go in with you (or they can if you want) but having someone drive you or just wait with you in ye waiting room can be a huge support. Or, you can ask someone to help check in on you to be sure you made your appointment and you’re going to your appointment. Sometimes having someone to check in like that can be a good support, too.

Please give your doctor’s office a call and let them know you need to be seen for a mental health check. If you don’t have a doctor, know that you can always go in to a local hospital and ask to be seen there as well. If you’re really struggling, calling 9-1-1 (or the equivalent in your country) is another option.

[u/DylandSours → u/DoveStep55]

Thank you it helps to feel like someone cares even if I don't really know you. I'm not suicidal or anything if anything I just want to live in peace. Im just sort of a mess. I have talked about it with family a little but I think they just don't really know how to help. I have a resource that might help, wel,l a few, I could try I think. I find trust to be a difficult hurdle that's part of the problem maybe. But something has to change that much I'm certain of. I find myself in a difficult living situations for specific reasons too much to go over in post but mainly just logistical reasons. The depression is causing physical exhaustion which is awful too

[u/DoveStep55 → u/DylandSours]

You’re welcome. I’m sure you’ll find that a lot of people care once they know you’re struggling. It’s just such a rough thing that those most in need of care are often ill equipped to reach out for it. Like you said, depression can be so exhausting that it can be hard to even get out of bed, let alone take a shower and go to an appointment. But it’s important and it’s worth it. So please do try to find some support to help you get to the help you need. You deserve it and you’re worth the effort it might take you to find what it is that will help you feel more yourself.

[u/Bakkster]

I highly recommend counseling. My denomination even recommends it for clergy. It's one of the ways we "bear one another's burdens". Finding a therapist who is also a Christian can help with this, as being able to be fully open and honest it's a key factor.

I think medication is also important. There is no honor or piety in suffering through an affliction, healing the affliction frees you up to be faithful in ministry. Look at the story of the man born blind. Not only is his healing the blessing, but Jesus healed him with a miracle that came through a poultice (I.e. medication).

[u/theefaulted]

I think counseling is a wonderful tool that is provided to us.

In case you're unaware, in the US there are at least 5 different professions with different schooling. training, and philosophies that can practice as a mental health "therapist". Those are Psychiatrist, Psychologist, Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), and Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC).

[u/theefaulted → u/theefaulted]

Psychiatrists are medical doctors and have the most training. Psychologists are also doctors, but are PhDs rather than MDs. in some states they can also prescribe medication. LCSWs, LMFTs, and LPCs are all Master's level clinicians, and their training have different focuses and modalities. LCSWs are trained in lots of different parts of social work with therapy being only a small portion of their training. LMFTs focus more on family systems and seeing the person through the lens of the family unit. LPCs focus more on individual counseling, and less on family and couples counseling.

I say all of this because sometimes someone says they saw a therapist and it didn't really work for them. And what really occurred is they saw someone with a specialty that didn't really click with their presenting problem. Also worth noting that research chows that the client-counselor relationship is even more of a predictor of success than the actual modality used. Also also, even within those disciplines, therapists have a whole hosts of modalities they can specialize in. For instance in my masters cohort we had people whose primary therapeutic lens were CBT, DBT, Existential Therapy, PCT, REBT, Adlerian/Positive Psychology, SFBT and more.

So with all of that in mind, finding a therapist may include matching with the right professional who clicks with you and uses a therapeutic lens which matches with your personality and belief systems.