At times Christians are hesitant to consider taking antidepressant medications because they may believe that if they just believe the Bible, trust God, pray and obey Him, their depression will go away. In some cases that is indeed enough. But when the depression is more severe there are physiological changes that occur in the brain which cloud one’s thinking, cause physical symptoms, and can be extremely resistant to resolving. In fact, when one has a major depression, it can be so severe that they can’t even make effective use of counselling, as their thinking can be so distorted and stuck in a ‘sea of blackness’ that they can’t reason through what is true.
The following are a few links from individuals who address the topic of Christians and antidepressant medications:
- Christian Medical & Dental Association – A Christian Perspective on Antidepressants
- Brian Briscoe, MD – Antidepressants can be an “agent of mercy”
- John Piper – Should Christians take antidepressant medications? (a brief 5 minute video response)
- Dwight Carlson – Exposing the Myth That Christians Should Not Have Emotional Problems (Christianity Today article)
