Today, I am not going to delve into a long explanation of any of this. Why should you listen to me right? I'm no doctor or psychiatrist. Instead, I want to point you to a book written by just that--a former psychiatrist and current biblical counselor: Will Medicine Stop the Pain?: Finding God's Healing for Depression, Anxiety, and Other Troubling Emotions by Dr. Laura Hendrickson MD and Elyse Fitzpatrick.
You can actually read the first 20 pages or so of this book HERE on Google Books.
Who should read this book?
-Anyone who is currently or has in the past taken any kind of medication for depression, anxiety, panic attacks, etc.
-Anyone who is considering taking medicine for depression, anxiety, panic attacks, etc.
-Everyone else, because you will likely consider it or go through a difficult life experience where your doctor recommends it at some point in life.
What is this book going to tell you?
The back cover of the book lists these questions that this book will answer:
-Where do my feelings come from?
-Is emotional pain a disease?
-Can I really change?
-What is wrong with me?
Nancy Leigh DeMoss writes in the Foreword:
"Countless women struggle daily with depression, anxiety, out-of-control moods, and other troubling emotions. Will Medicine Stop the Pain? offers clear answers to help women handle emotional problems in a stable, God-honoring way.
The authors, both seasoned biblical counselors, include stories from real people and practical advice on issues like how to talk to your doctor. Read this book to learn:
* How your body and your emotions affect each other.
* Why drugs that help you feel better may end up making your emotional problems worse.
* How applying biblical principles can help you deal with the true sources of your pain.
* Why it is possible to respond to emotional pain in faith and hope.
“God is with you—no matter how you feel. His promises are stronger than all your feelings.”
I urge you to read this book all the way through—with a prayerful heart and an open mind. It may be one of the most important, helpful books you have read. It will likely challenge your thinking on many fronts. It will certainly give you a vision for how your suffering (and the suffering of others) can become a path to great blessing and growth and can result in the display of God’s glory in this fallen world."
Just another tidbit--Dr. Laura Hendrickson, in addition to being a former psychiatrist, was herself once diagnosed with depression and bipolar disorder. She herself spent years on medication. She herself was on the brink of smothering her son and killing herself one night years ago in the midst of all these troubling emotions. She didn't. She asked her husband to take her to the hospital. He called their pastor instead...She herself has been completely off of medication for over sixteen years now, praise God! You can read her story in the Google books 20-page preview HERE.
This book does an excellent job of explaining the connection between the spiritual an physical--how each affects the other. She combines medical knowledge with scriptural truth in an easily understandable way to help you understand what is causing your emotional pain (is it physical? is it physical in some cases?) and how to deal with it in a biblical, God-honoring way. The most wonderful thing is that not only will dealing with these issues biblically be the way that glorifies God and adorns the gospel, but it will also be the only truly effective way to deal with your troubling emotions. As is the case with everything in life, God's way is the only God-glorifying and personally satisfying way to do it. Isn't that wonderful that in obeying Him, the LORD gives us true delight and peace?
So before you take anything or before you take anything else, would you please consider reading this book? Wouldn't it be wise to take the small amount of time it would take to read this to ensure that you have a proper perspective of these issues--a perspective that is firmly grounded in God's word--before taking something? God's word is sufficient, dear friends, for all of life and godliness--even and especially for our troubling emotions.
(Fitzpatrick, Elyse, and Laura Hendrickson. Foreword. Will Medicine Stop the Pain?: Finding God's Healing for Depression, Anxiety & Other Troubling Emotions. Chicago: Moody, 2006. Print.)
1 comments:
I went through a really dark period after fertility treatments (that is a whole different discussion about drugs!) to where I really thought I would need serious medication and therapy. I did some natural vitamin type medication to try to even out my crazy hormones and waited (im)patiently for all of the drugs to make their way out of my system but about 6 months later I was back to normal and feeling mentally and spiritually healthy again!
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