One person in a family that develops mental illness such as depression can cripple the entire family function. The whole family function has to change to help the one who is sick.
The media feeds needless fear into people over those with mental illness. This only impedes the healing process that mental illness sufferers need. The family and church members can speed recovery through love and acceptance of the sufferer. The family can help through finding ways to remineralize their loved ones diet. Pitch in and help buy good food based vitamins to give to their loved one. Good food based vitamins without petroleum and chemicals are highly expensive and are not found in the average grocery store.
Medication for mental depression was never meant to be a lifetime commodity as they are teaching the doctors now. Originally, it was only meant to be given for about 9 months so that the one with depression can explore why they are depressed and work on that. Many times it is because of poor nutrition or past or present abuse issues. The medications make it easier for the one to work through it.
Lots of things cause mental illness because certain chemicals in our food system and culture will remove God-given human brain based receptors such as norepinephrine and dopamine and take it's place.
MSG (monosodium Glutamate) is but one that comes to mind. Much of this is in restaurant style food and in processed foods.
http://www.msgtruth.org/
http://www.truthinlabeling.org/
But there are many more chemicals and preservatives that have never been evaluated and we are consuming.
People tend to want to lump all mental illness into one pot and place fear upon the concept of mental illness. A phobia is a mental illness. Being afraid of heights or closed in spaces or of crowds is irrational and considered to be mental illness. There are just degrees of incapacitation.
Schizophrenia is a totally heartbreaking illness. People should have pity upon those who suffer from schizophrenia, not total fear, but a healthy caution concerning these people. They suffer immensely.
Chemical substance addiction/abuse is another heartbreaking problem and we as Christians should do all we can to help a brother or sister break free...even if it means the use of medications (a slow step-down) for a period of time to restore them back to normal body function.
Christians need to educate themselves on the problems that their brothers and sisters go through and either help them through with education and restoration or say little to nothing. Many people mean well, but hurt more than they help.