Depression and Religion: How Major Religions View Mood Disorders

By Merely Me Monday, September 19, 2011

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Many of you have talked about how your spiritual faith has helped you through some emotionally turbulent times. Others talk about having a rough time trying to reconcile their religious beliefs with accepting treatment (particularly medications) for depression. Still others have expressed that their religion makes them feel stigmatized for having a psychiatric illness. I began to wonder how the major religions viewed depression. Does religion perceive depression to be a biological illness or is there a perception that depression is a crisis of faith? Are there some religions that consider depression nothing more than “spiritual laziness?” Does religion place any faith in science to explain and treat depression? This post is an exploration to answer some of these questions. We would greatly appreciate your input as to how your faith has helped or hindered your journey towards mental wellness.

Gentle Reminder: I realize we are delving into delicate subject matter. Discussion of faith and religion can provoke strong reactions. The one thing I ask of you is to be respectful of others who may differ in their faith or their views about religion. Think of this as an exploration to learn more about how different faiths deal with mental illness. Every individual and every religion will deal with depression in a different way. Remember too that the following are but glimpses into how some people interpret their religion’s stance on the topic of mental illness. There will always be different views and perspectives within the same religious community. We ask that you give your personal interpretation or talk about your experiences in the form of a comment to this post.

Although there are many religions I have chosen a handful to begin our discussion including Christianity (particularly Catholicism), Buddhism, and Judaism.

Christianity

Consider it all joy when you encounter various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ---James 1:2-3

In a 2009 Christianity Today article entitled “The Depression Epidemic”, author Dan G. Blazner explores depression as it relates to religion. Blazner cites statistics which show that: “…in a typical congregation of 200 adults, 50 attendees will experience depression at some point, and at least 30 are currently taking antidepressants.” These high numbers cause some to question as to the cause of so much depression.

According to this article Christianity has recognized that depression can have biological roots but some question the validity of looking at depression as solely a product of our biology. Blazner points out that our high-paced life style and disconnection from fellowship and community can be contributing to this increasing trend towards developing depression. Blazner comes up with a new theory for depression which relates more to society and spirituality when he states:

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Comments (20) | Add comment

Pam Flores, Health Guide

9/22/11 4:08pm

Hi Merely Me, this is a fascinating topic! I'm not surprised that some religions (Roman Catholics mostly) feel that turning to the church is more productive than medical treatment, since their belief may lie in their feeling that faith can cure most anything.

I've always wondered why some patients turn to religion, in a huge way, with either bipolar or schizophrenia. Do you know why? The people I know with these two disorders became "extremely" religious, when throughout their lives they weren't, until they found out about their medical diagnosis. It's almost a fantatical interest that they acquired along with the dx, and that has always intrigued me and I wish I knew the reasoning behind it. They also take on a type of condemnation towards others who don't have the same level of religious beliefs.

Sorry for going off topic, but it just happened

Merely Me

9/22/11 4:24pm

Hi Pamela

This is a good question. My mother who has schizophrenia has done this very thing. She would tell me on some days that she was a reincarnation of someone from the bible.

I may look for research on this.

I really appreciate your comment...the comment function had been broken for some time.

Thanks for popping on over. Will visit your site soon!

Pam Flores, Health Guide

9/22/11 4:57pm

Hi MM, I hope the comment function is now working!! I would love it if you wrote about this, as I'm sure others would too. It doesn't seem to just happen to some, but to many with these disorders and the reasoning behind it must be very interesting.

Your childhood sounds tough, but look at the fantastic person you turned into, as a result. I do believe we are the products of our surroundings, and those who can turn a negative life experience into a positive one is truly blessed.

Take Care...and stop by any time, since I know how busy you are!

Pam

osteoporosisconnection.com

jpw2008

9/29/11 3:49pm

interesting subject

Im wondering why people turn to "religion"

Do they want something from God?

Do you think God wants something from us?

I wonder if it is a crutch

Jon

Judy

9/22/11 11:57pm

Nice to be able to comment again!

I was raised Catholic, very strictly so. Truthfully, I think my religion helped contribute to my depression. I eventually got to a point where I could no longer be a part of it. There were parts of it that I loved, but I've since come to the conclusion that faith and religion are not the same things.

Faith is something inside of me that says there is more to life than just what we see. There is a Higher Power, Life Force, whatever you want to call it, that we are all a part of and everything we do has some effect on someone else, even if it's a thought or idea. I've had enough experiences in my life to believe that there ARE reasons for things, not all of them rational, and that challenges usually provide opportunities for growth. I'm not sure I believe that we are never given more than we can handle, because I've seen people break. But I don't think God is the one handing out these difficulties. They are usually brought about by our own or someone else's choices or decisions and we have to deal with the consequences. I don't know why some people get certain illnesses beyond having vulnerable genes, but they are part of being human and having mortal bodies. Birth and death are both parts of the life cycle. There is only so much that we have control over and the rest I try to leave with God.

When I was active in my religion, I never thought of it as being a place that would help me when things were tough. In fact, I remember seeing a picture of Christ hanging on the wall in my grandmother's house that had a caption under it about despair being a sin. That was a lot of comfort! Religion was abused in my family and used to control us. I do realize that not all of them are like that, but I am glad I was finally able to see the difference between religion as an organization and my own spirituality. One does not guarantee the other.

Ricovring

9/29/11 9:39pm

Judy,

I appreciate your clear expressions of your experiences with organized religion vs

your personal relation to our Higher Power. I happy you have become aware of the

difference.

Ric

Jonathan

9/23/11 11:17am

Depression as I see it and have experienced it seems to come from any kind of loss. The loss of a family member or close friend. The loss of a romantic relationship. The loss of getting a passing grade on an important test or exam. The loss of hearing you have a disease. The loss of a body part being removed as in an operation and even the loss of a tooth. It all seems to stem from a loss of something or someone. The loss seems to play havoc with the neurotransmitters within our brains. The only way I see to handle this is with legal medication, even if it takes up to six weeks before one notes a positive response. The additional approach is to continue doing the things you have always done like work. Then the most important thing is to draw near to God and pray and forgive everyone who has ever harmed you or hurt you in your life going all the way back to your childhood. Holding grudges and seeking revenge or even thinking about such things only serves to prolong your depression. I forgave all those people who hurt me and harmed me. It was harming me to hold onto those feelings. Life is but a brief period and there is nothing to be accomplished by holding onto bad feelings. Sure its difficult to forgive someone who may have done something terrible to you, but its necessary for our own mental health. I attend church services and attend several prayer meeting in the evening. I need the support of committed christians around me as much as possible. The people pray for me and we all try to hel each other.

Ricovring

9/29/11 9:43pm

Jonathan,

It is surely good to forgive. Expressing yourself, as you have here, helps relieve depression, too.

Ric

Tina

9/29/11 2:59pm

After my sister passed away, I sank into a deep depression. Finally realized that I needed to fight my way back by doing many things to help including religion. I got on an antidepressant from my reg Dr to boost my mood, started going to church again to help my spiritual self, started going to exercise class to help my physical self & started going to therapy just to have a professional to talk to. All these things are helping but nothing cleanses the soul like religion!

sevesteve

9/29/11 3:04pm

I believe from my own personal experience with depression for nearly my entire life (I am in my early 50's) that religion, per se, and Christianity, in particular, can have a hugely positive impact on one dealing with this illness. In my experience, Catholicism (and I am talking about the Truth of Catholicism as outlined in its Catechism, not as often ignorantly taught or practiced by us mere humans) does nothing but helps me live with and manage my depression because I realize my time here on earth is a speck compared to eternal life and that Christ totally understands what humans deal with in all of their sufferings. And in my experience, there has been ample room in the treatment plan to include medication and therapy. I would say that totally "secular" therapy, with no emphasis on morality and spirit, will not mix well with someone who wants to integrate all apsects of their lives to deal with depression.

rev soc bloem

9/29/11 3:41pm

I read the article by Dr. Blazer. I thought it was a thought provoking piece.
The only thing I wanted to see was a clearer statement on the pathology of mental illness as well as the marked difference between reactive depression to loss and
endogenous depression.
The Bible has a variety of reactive depression situations, whether it be a non biological depression like Asaph being troubled about sinners not having to suffer like he did or a double depression, reactive super imposed on biological depression,like (Psalm 88), Heman the Ezrahite.
Jesus Christ was very depressed in the garden of Gethsemane, the night before His crucifixion, He was<em> sorrowful unto death</em>. Hebrews tells us that while in the garden, He cried out strongly to God His Father with tears and he was heard.
I found a notable difference between my grief and bipolar 2 disorder with our 19 year old pregnant daughter, Lindsay was killed by a heroin addict who while shooting up in his car killed her and we were right behind her.
The grief and sorrow and depression were horrible. However, they were not the same. Mental Illness is a whole body disease, grief is not.
Steve Bloem, Please see my book, Broken Minds Hope for Healing When You Feel Like You're Losing It.

Free Man

9/29/11 4:32pm

My particular religion (Episcopalian), and my diocese (West Texas) takes all mental illness seriously. The diocese has a program where clergy are trained in how to recognize and handle parishners who have a mental illness. They know God didn't make us perfect. Since mental illness statistically effects 25% of America, they look at it as 25% of the diocese is in some sort of need. That percentage goes up if you add in family or friends who are having to deal with a loved one who has a mental illness. I am very proud of my diocese and in particular my church, where we run a very good mental health support group.

Ignorance is the greatest enemy to us. It pays to get educated on what you are facing. Mental health is definitely one of those subjects.

Ricovring

9/29/11 9:48pm

Kudos.

Ricovring

9/29/11 10:36pm

Hi MM and all,
      Firstly, I would point out that religion, as association with others, is separate from ones personal relationship with Deity. What the religious community has to say about depression may be a source of pain, as you have stated above. In my experience with my church, I have sensed some puzzled or bewildered members, but not outright stigma. Stigma has to do with one's perceptions of others through varying degrees of cloudiness. In other words the process can be muddied from either side.
      My pastor tries to be very inclusive, so there is an unofficial receptiveness to anyone with mental illness. At our church, we have a chapter of Friendship Ministries International, making young adults with cognitive impairments welcome. Mentoring addresses their special needs. Still my thinking is that there is plenty of room for improvement.
      Staying on the positive side, one of my most powerful gestalts of spiritual healing was visiting my relatives in California this summer. I lived in LA for most of a year forty years ago. I give God the credit for allowing me to see how much I have changed for the better. Yes, I believe joy is a sign of God's presence.
      God is good; therefore, most of life is good. There are hard times, but believing that life is good can be the best part of being alive. One final comment: over thinking can be a source of missing God's goodness, and can lead to harboring habits that are not helpful to seeing God's provisions. I hope this does not sound like preaching. I include myself in any deficits.
Ric

patsyg

9/30/11 9:00am

When I was in my twenties, a preacher told me that he didn't understand why I had so many problems since the Bible had all the answers! I quit answering the door when he came. What he knew was that my father was a preacher. What he didn't know was that my father had sexually abused me during all of my adolescence and how both of my parents used guilt and fear to manipulate me. Religion was all mixed up with my "problems"--depression and anxiety. I was taught some good values, but my family didn't really live them. Our home was a religious one with lots of rules, but not a spiritual one. My parents' public faces were quite different from what my two sisters and I experienced at home. I don't know if I'll ever be able to untangle a belief system for myself from the mess I lived in for so long.

patsyg

dshort

10/ 3/11 12:03am

I am so sorry you went through this as a young girl. My father was a pastor also, althought I didn't suffer sexual abuse from him I did from an uncle. I to have sought to know who God really is..Jesus and the Holy Spirit. I won't give up hope because of the wonderful things I know he has taught. I grew up with rules also..but it's not about the do's and don'ts.. He loves us

Donna-1

9/30/11 9:10am

As many people do, I have trouble squaring up my religion (Christianity) with what happens in daily life. I have a lifetime of Biblical teachings in my head and what I feel is a personal relationship with God. I read my Bible most days. And I know the Bible says God's ways are not our ways, His thoughts are not our thoughts. Obviousyl! Because if I had my way I would feel good all the time and have a clear picture of what my life is supposed to be. What I have the most problems with is whether the Bible is literal truth or whether it can be interpreted. Neither seem to be the whole answer. I don't want to "blindly" follow the tenets of the Bible without understanding the why and how of it all. Yet, the deeper I get into religion, the more it feels like this is exactly what I'm supposed to do.

Joy St. John

10/ 2/11 4:26pm

Thank you for this well thought and researched but short article. I am a 55-yr-old wife of a former Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod) pastor. Both he and I have struggled with depression and eating disorders from long before we met. We met when he was home from Catholic seminary and I was taking instruction to join the Catholic Church and become a religious myself.

We both came to faith because of the doctrine of justification by grace alone through faith (a Protestant teaching) but sought the Catholic Church for a more contemplative life and some historical context. We found that in the LCMS.

Off and on throughout our lives we have sought inpatient eating disorder treatment, individual and couples therapies and used medications.

The book, "Happiness is a Choice" by Minirth and Maier had a huge impact on me because of the title. I felt so hopeless and unable to be happy for so long that the title felt like a kick in the gut. Did these Christian Psychiatrists think that I was choosing to be unhappy? I never read the book but over the years I have come to believe there is some truth to the concept that Abraham Lincoln (a supposed sufferer of Major Depression) said: "Most people are as happy as they allow themselves to be."

Now there is a huge difference in my mind between an intimate personal relationship with Jesus and the Christian religions. I do hold to the teachings of my denomination but know full well that in the invisible body of Christ there are those in other denominations I can call brethren and those within my own denomination that are damned maybe because they attend church and think that makes them "good."

I have had much cruelty and harm come to me through the religious church. It was often not on purpose but because of a lack of education about mental illness and even physical illness. There is an element of the Christian religion which believes that when Isaiah says of Jesus that "by His stripes we are healed" that means because he was beaten for our sins, that means that we WILL be healed from every illness and to not be healed is to lack faith or spiritual discipline.

I believe that Isaiah was saying that when we are healed, it is because of Jesus' stripes. Just like the verse "The LORD shall give you the desires of your heart", means not, whatever you desire you will get, but that God will help you conform your heart to His desires!

A personal intimate relationship with the God of the Universe is pretty heady stuff for those of us who sometimes think we are the lowest of the low (like Saint Paul who said, "I am the chief of sinners" and my professor, Dan Allander who said, "Holy Scripture is inspired and true so Paul must be the chief of sinners, but I am in second place."). For me to go to that place of darkness, pain and despair is to have megalomaniacal low self-esteem, to be just as egocentric as the worst narcissist! Nevertheless my depression often takes me there and I do have to fight it in order to "Rejoice in the Lord, always..." But it is a spiritual battle and thus not one that I can fight on my own.

In 12 step circles the first 3 steps help me a lot with my depression and my sins. 1. I am powerless over (food, drugs, alcohol, depression, sin, cigarettes ...) and my life has become unmanageable.

2 I came to believe that a power greater than myself (and my addictions and sins) could restore me to sanity (around those things-with insanity defined as doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.).

3. Made a decision to turn my will and my life over to the care of God.

The Bible and my religion teach me that when Adam and Eve sinned, they brought death, despair, sickness of every kind, lawlessness and sin into the world. For me this means that in this world I will never achieve true happiness or freedom from the things that try to bind me (food, drugs, alcohol, depression, sin, cigarettes--the world, the flesh and the devil). It also means that I need not be surprised when things I think I have conquered raise their ugly heads again nor be surprised as to the depths human beings can go.

A lot of people in the church (and for that matter the world) don't suffer as deeply as those who suffer depression. Perhaps this is a genetic predisposition or an inherited sin sickness. To me it doesn't really matter. Through years of reading scripture, praying, going to therapy, attending support groups, communicating with other Christian sufferers of depression, talking to pastors and theologians and even earning my own degrees in Spiritual Nurture and Counseling Psychology; I have come to the conclusion that, there is nothing in one of us humans that is not common to all of us. The DSM-IV-Tr lists all the currently possible mental health diagnoses. The lists of symptoms as criteria for a diagnosis are all common human complaints. Dissociation, depression, anxiety, illusions, delusions, paranoia, (maybe not visual or auditory hallucinations because these are most often brain disorder related--Schizophrenia is the shame of the medical community who shunted it off to the mental health community and the community at large who leave the schizophrenic people to suffer without treatment) are things we have all experienced to some degree or another. The depth, combination of symptoms, frequency and amount of disablement make something actually diagnosable. I have also come to believe that since we all suffer these symptoms sometimes and the number of different diagnosable combinations is growing (look for the up and coming, longer DSM-V) there must be something more than just physiological problems causing mental ones.

On the other hand since we are whole people, when one part of our body suffers, the mind suffers too. So it is with the invisible church, the body of Christ. And in His Word, it says, "Weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice."

When in my depression I can be moved to pray even a little and even if I don’t "feel" it, I pray for God to help me feel and help me bear the pain of feeling instead of numbing out with my addictions or studying or TV or... This usually leads me to more prayer and when I can remember, I add praise of God just because He is God (God dwells in the praises of His people). That can often lift me out of my self-centered pain and into a transcendent place of freedom and joy. In depression too, because I do believe and have a relationship with the LORD, I have always experienced hope. Many is the time I called it "damned hope" because it kept me hanging on even when I so wanted to give up.

All of this thinking and writing comes from having kept wrestling with God, and even telling God off in the worst way. God is the only one who will stand there and take all my rage, fear, anger and condemnation and never turn away from me or retaliate in any way. And He will also continue to love me no matter what. For God is love and these things remain unto eternity: faith, hope and the agape love of Christ Jesus who loved me so much that He gave His own sinless life in my place. After the wrestling even as with Jacob, God gave me a new name. For Jacob it was, Israel. For me it was, Joy, because I found that even in the depth of my despair, even when I was suicidal and my emotions were frozen, even then, the joy if my salvation stayed with me and I never called that "damned" joy.

Medications have and do help me. I believe God has empowered people to learn about the universe and our world through science among other disciplines. I believe that God wants me to love Him and myself and everyone else the same way. I believe that the religions of the world are people's efforts to reach God. But since man is born dead in trespass and sin, He can't reach out at all. And so God in Jesus reaches out to me and to you. Religions are all made up of sinners. The invisible church of Christ is made up of sinners too but they have been redeemed and through discipleship they grow and transcend this world more and more until that last great day when they will all "fly away." The Protestant Reformer, Martin Luther said that true Christians are all at once justified and sinful. When I can grasp this great paradox, my mind is stretched and I am lifted a little more out of this world of despair and hopelessness and into the one of rejoicing forevermore.

Jesus did not come into the world to stop sin and death; He came into this world to deliver us from it. Hence, as long as I am alive in the body, I will struggle. Jesus said, "In this world you will have tribulations but take heart, I have overcome the world!" So today I am, in eternity, well, and in time, very sick (I have a myriad of physical and mental complaints). And I am in eternity from the time I first believed even though my eyes of flesh cannot see it yet. "Now we see dimly as if in a mirror but then we shall see face to face."

revsoc

10/ 3/11 10:34am

I don't think you should let Minirth and Meir off the hook. Happiness is not a Choice to those who have clinical mental illnesses. It is cruel to say that these came about because you have "anger turned inward." They got this concept from Freud and Neo-Freudians. Then you have the Presbyterian J. Adams who in his writings (mostly in the 70s and 80s) saying that depression is a sin. It is not. Then you have other writers saying that bipolar schizophrenia, depression etc. are the result of demon possession.
So many characters in the Bible were depressed, some had reactive depression, and some had biological. My wife and I and I were so frustrated about the failure of the evangelical church treatment of mental illness mishandling the subject of mental illness that we wrote a definitive book about it. We discuss all these subjects in it.

dshort

10/ 2/11 11:54pm

When I first started having symptoms of depression I sought help from my church. I was told at that time by some "elders" in the church that I sounded like a victim. Little did they know I was in a marriage w/ emotional abuse. Two years later my depression hit the hardest..I hadn't eaten for days or slept. I did go to my family doctor. He suggested antidepressants. I didn't know anything about medication for depression so I chose not to start at that time. Loss of sleep and appetite continued. I sought the help of our church home and was told that I might have unconfessed sin. Needless to say I have found out in my journey w/ God my Father that it wasn't unconfessed sin..it was major depression.

I have thought about writing a book about my journey, hopefully to help someone else that might be questioning whether to take medication or not

Depression and Religion: How Major Religions View Mood Disorders

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