Meds?

Taking medications for depression or anxiety is sometimes met with great resistance - particularly by people of faith. I want to address a few of those issues. Please understand that I'm not advising what you should or should not do. I'm just giving you a few of my thoughts, particularly about the spiritual implications of taking meds for emotional or mental issues.

First, let's begin with the facts. The fact is that trauma sends your body into a series of chemical chain reactions that can quickly cause a toxic imbalance. Each time you have a flashback from that original trauma, the same chemical chain reactions take place all over again. The imbalance continues, and that sets off a whole series of physical reactions that can cause real damage over time. You'll see this manifested in gastro-intestinal, neurological, or muscular malfunction, to name a few.

For many people, the emotional pain they're in is so debilitating they can't even begin to work on correcting wrong thinking, exploring abuse issues, or addressing unhealthy, sabotaging choices. That's why doctors and therapists often prescribe medication - to control the emotional pain so that the hard work of abuse recovery can begin.

People of faith often confuse emotional and mental problems with spiritual conditions. Let me be clear - there are certainly times when the condition of your spirit will deeply impact your emotions or mental health. For that matter, there are times when your spiritual condition can affect how your body works, too. This is because we're not pieces of a whole - we're a complex set of systems that must work together - one system affecting another which affects another which affects yet another. We get in trouble when this beautiful system of give-and-take gets out of balance.

I've heard ideas about taking medications - particularly medications for emotional pain - that deeply trouble me because of their glaring inconsistencies with other choices made when living with the benefits of a modern world. I've heard teachings that say if you take medication - any medication - then you don't have faith in God. This is inconsistent with examples found in the Bible where people used their wisdom, knowledge, and experiences to help alleviate suffering. Even the Apostle Paul told Timothy to drink a bit of wine for his stomach problems (1 Timothy 5:23). In other words - something created by skilled people could be used to alleviate Timothy's frequent illnesses (please note - this article is NOT about wine - it's about people using their knowledge and creativity to bring about change).

If taking medications is the equivalent to having no faith, then you should live in a cave without power or plumbing or lights because buildings and electricity and water supplies and toilets were invented by people. If taking medication is the equivalent to having no faith, you should walk everywhere barefooted because shoes were invented by people to protect your feet. If taking medication is the equivalent to having no faith, then you should only eat food that you've picked from the wild or caught with your bare hands because farming, hunting, and fishing were invented by people. You'll not be able to cook anything, because fire was an invention of people. The fact that you're reading this article from a computer indicates you have no problem using the creative God-given power of invention.


Like electric lights or bicycles or the alphabet or grain millstones, God has given people an enormous capacity to learn, invent, and improve the quality of life. This capacity includes the invention of medications. Some of those medications cure infections. Some control blood pressure. Some correct brain chemistry so that emotional balance can be restored.

Like everything else, there's balance to this discussion. I've seen people so drugged out on psychiatric medication that they're almost like zombies. To me - that's as troubling as people who refuse to take medication when they need to. I've seen lazy doctors who would rather write a prescription than get to the source of a problem. I've seen people who only take advantage of part of the healing process - they take medication but don't work on faulty thinking or abuse recovery work - all of which takes a HUGE amount of personal energy and commitment to change.

God has given people the ability to alleviate suffering, to improve the quality of life, and to overcome otherwise devastating circumstances. That's the ultimate understanding of a life of faith. When we realize that the wheel was a good invention, we also realize that God gave us an enormous capacity to learn, reason, and create – even to create medication that can do tremendous good when used appropriately.

The decision to take meds for the emotional issues you have - particularly if you've experienced abuse - is very personal and very complicated. You'll need the diagnosis of a good physician, the guidance of a good counselor, and the personal commitment to do the hard work of becoming healthier. You may benefit from appropriate medications taken for a brief period of time. You may need medications for an extended period of time. You may never need that kind of assistance at all. Everyone is different. What works for you may not be appropriate for anyone else, and vice versa.

You are a spiritual, physical, and emotional being. All of those systems are delicately balanced to work together. When trauma - like abuse – interrupts that balance, steps will need to be taken to bring order back to that unfair chaos. Sometimes that will involve medications. Sometimes it will involve meditation or prayer. Sometimes it will involve exercise and a good night's sleep. Talk to your doctor. Do some research about alternative medicine too - such as homeopathic treatment. Learn about options that might be available and be very proactive in taking control of your life. Above all things – tend to your spirit and nurture it back to health, just as you nurture your mind, emotions, and body.