Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Depression, Bipolar, Panic, etc. No one is to blame
“No one is to blame. Just as a diabetic cannot by sheer will power alone, control his or her blood sugar, a person with depression cannot simply decide to elevate his or her mood... Knowing this should help release those with depression from the painful suspicion which some harbor, that what really lies behind their illness is a personal failing or weakness. Personal strength can’t by itself, change the genes a person has inherited or the stroke a person has had. Seeing depression as a disease could help to remove the prejudice toward psychiatric patients that is cloaked in words like ‘crazy’. While it might be more comfortable for many to assume that their current good health (or good habits or good sense) protect them from a depressive disorder, this is not so. The fact is that everyone is vulnerable to depression. Once it is understood that each of us is a potential victim of this illness, it becomes more difficult to stigmatize those who are actually suffering from it." DePaulo, Raymond M.D. Ablow, Keith Russel M.D. How to Cope with Depression, A Complete Guide For You and Your Family. ( New York: Fawcett Crest, 1989) pp. 94,95 For more information like this, please see Robyn and Steve Bloem's book, Broken Minds Hope for Healing When You Feel Like Your Losing It, Kregel Publications. http://www.amazon.com/gp/search?index=books&linkCode=qs&keywords=0825421187
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I have just read an article by a christian that started off talking about bpd but in the article and comments after, they stated there was no such thing as mental illness and it is all sin. According to the author people with bpd are "weak and very annoying" and that "psychiatry has medicalised many sins". I was hoping the article would be helpful but it has left me fighting off the thoughts that my depression is something I should get control of and bring myself out of and that any behaviours that I am trying to rectify and change to do with my bpd should be done tomorrow. Am I glad your blog was here to counter those thoughts.I don't understand the resistance to accept mental illness in the christian family. I suggested they read your book!!
ReplyDeleteRuth, I am sorry you stumbled across the critical
ReplyDeleteHireling (I would not call him a shepherd of God's people) who tries to obscure and slander the truth about psychiatry.
This is why we have started the organization,
CAMI. Christians Afflicted with Mental Illness need to speak louder and more accurate than such ignorant people.
It seems when it comes to mental illness there are still many of "Job's friends."
We recently had our first international CAMI gold member from Australia. Let us pray hard for the mentally ill, especially those who are of the household of faith. And thank you for telling him about our book, "Broken Minds, Hope for Healing When You Feel Like You're Losing It" -Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications.
In it we deal with the error of nouthetic counseling, the integrationist and spiritual warfare devotees. Furthermore Robyn and I both share our family fight against depression. You can read about it at the same link above.