Quote:
Originally Posted by n david
Years ago, I met and knew a Pastor who secretly battled depression. I did not know him well, but saw and greeted him at various conferences and events. He was on medication for depression when he shot and killed himself.
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I have read through this thread and have something to say regarding this subject.
1) Your above comment says he "secretly" battled depression. That is one of the problems in many Apostolic churches. A person cannot be authentic for fear. There is fear of gossip, losing a ministry, loss of friends, judgement by the "saints" and worse yet - judgement by the ministry.
2) If you truly "knew" this man, you would also know that his medication was prescribed by a general practitioner and not a doctor that specializes in mental health. You would also know that his wife recognized that his issues were far beyond what could be helped by the general practitioner. She had begged him to see a Christian psychiatrist. (And yes, E.B. there is such a thing as a CHRISTIAN psychiatrist. ) He refused to do so for fear of losing his ministry and being judged by his fellow ministers. I truly believe that IF he had been persuaded to see a psychiatrist who would be able to monitor his progress, TALK with him and monitor his medication, he would still be with us today.
3) If you have never experienced REAL depression and/or anxiety - debilitating depression or anxiety, (or have been close to someone who does experience this) you have absolutely NO right to judge someone who chooses the route of seeing a psychiatrist or psychologist and taking prescribed medication. Our brain is an organ of the body and it CAN and DOES sometimes not function properly. There IS most definitely a thing called "chemical imbalance." Sometimes, medication is what is needed to help get a person back on track.
4) YES, I believe that the Holy Ghost can and often does a miraculous healing of brains! I've seen it happen. But I've also seen situations where it didn't happen instantaneously and the person involved needed a safe place to counsel and often medication to even get their minds in a place that they could receive counsel and receive the healing that God can give. I've also seen people who were so fearful of the judgement of God that they were unable to receive the healing he offers. I've seen medication used to get a person in the place where they could begin to think logical and accept the healing that God gives .... leave medication and not return; however, sometimes medication was needed to continue.
5) PTSD is NOT something that only military veterans encounter. It happens often in rape victims, physical and emotional abuse victims. There are many triggers that can bring on an episode.
In closing, I will without a doubt testify to the healing power and cleansing power of the blood of Jesus shed on Calvary. I've experienced it in my own life and have seen it work in the lives of many others. However, I also believe that Jesus Christ uses medical science to sometimes accomplish healings. I have also been witness to that. I used to be in the camp that said: "Just get close to Jesus." "You just need a good dose of the Holy Ghost." But when I came face to face with the realization that only the help of a mental health professional and medication was necessary to help someone I was close to heal mentally, I realized that YES, God sometimes uses psychiatrists and psychologists to help the healing process.
Some of you on this forum being so judgemental is the reason that Pentecostal people will suffer in silence. Families will be destroyed and some people will lose their souls because there wasn't compassion among the ministry and the rank and file. Sometimes, even the very scriptures that offer comfort to most of us will send these people into a tailspin because of misconceptions perpetuated by the ministry. I'm afraid that the ministry will have some things to answer for on judgement day.
This is a subject that is very near and dear to my heart. Please don't sit in judgement of ANYONE who suffers from mental depression and anxiety.
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