Shifting Perspectives on Mental Health
Growing up, people rarely discussed depression, anxiety, and therapy. Today, mental health issues are receiving more attention. As a result, younger generations are increasingly aware of and struggling [1] with these conditions.
While the idea of bringing mental health issues into the spotlight was necessary, it raises questions: Are our interventions improving, or are there some aspects still unaddressed?
Unfortunately, the causes of depression are more complex [2] than we yet understand, with no single treatment providing satisfactory results for everyone. Because depression is such a complex condition, mental health professionals often recommend a treatment approach that includes medications, psychotherapies, and lifestyle modifications.
Can We Ignore The Role of Values In Fighting Mental Health Disorders?
The result of bringing mental health issues to the limelight gave rise to psychologists and therapists. These guys both provide mental health support through counseling and therapy, helping individuals cope with emotional, behavioral, and psychological issues.
As noted, “the causes of depression are more complex than we understand, with no single treatment effective for everyone.” Should we automatically label those seeking help as medically unwell and in need of treatment? Could their personal beliefs and values be a part of the problem? Can science pass judgment on values?
For example, if a married woman today is unhappy in her marriage and attributes her depression to this, might her discontent be her partner’s financial status compared to her secret lover’s?
On closer inspection, can we ignore that she chose to walk into the depths of infatuation before getting married, going against the values she was brought up with, which reinforced her dissatisfaction with one man?
Even her intentions of seeking advice from a psychotherapist are primarily to validate her desire to dissolve her marriage and try another that probably won’t work.
Can we afford to say that scientific interventions such as psychotherapy [3] and psychotropic medications like antidepressants [4] are satisfactory in helping people reclaim their mental health?
Is it possible that emotional difficulties may not always stem from an underlying mental illness?
How People Viewed Depression Before the 19th Century
Before the term depression was coined [5] in the 19th Century, no scientific framework existed to describe it. People attributed depression to spiritual or moral afflictions, bringing about a deep sense of pain within themselves whenever they acted immorally.
They believed that the only proper remedy for this suffering was to seek reconciliation with God, others, and oneself, or else there was no cure.
Did it work? Solomon the Wise, who suffered from severe depression, shares with us in Ecclesiastes and Proverbs how to deal with it from his personal experience. It has worked for many then. And even today, there’s scientific backing [6] that those who read the Bible are more likely to heal from depression faster.
Sin is Not Behind Every Psychological Problem, but it Has a Part.
Let me clarify. I am not suggesting that all emotional and behavioral issues can be labeled as sins in disguise. Neither am I implying that every psychological problem can be attributed solely to either illness or sin. However, many problematic situations can be traced back to people’s sinful actions, habits, and attitudes.
Henceforth, we would demonstrate that sin may be the pertinent issue and that where it is, repentance and faith in the redeeming work of Christ constitute the proper cure. Later, you might realize that sin is a significant factor worth considering in what plagues you or many others these days.
You will better understand your depravity and discover a more robust key to the door of wholeness than what psychology currently offers.
Again, remember that disregarding the awareness of sin and goodness, of evil and God, has dire repercussions. We can be helpless when we wish to lead a life of fulfillment like the world’s inhabitants rather than identifying our sinfulness and claiming the need for salvation and healing.
With this, let’s take a leap of faith to consider the weightier matter.
History of the 7 Deadly Sins
Popular culture has undoubtedly capitalized on the concept of the 7 Deadly Sins, with movies and anime exploiting its allure. This is the devil’s scheme to make folly of a concept not devised for entertainment purposes.
It was created as a moral/spiritual aid to persons serious about their Christian lives, particularly hermits ( Evagrius of Pontus, John Cassian). From these humble beginnings, it caught the imagination of the Christian world by storm, and extensive seminal works were published.
Some scholars, like Randy Rowland, propose that this list of sins can be traced back to Pope Gregory the Great, but it has changed in terms of its length and names over time. Eventually, it evolved into the well-known list of 7 sins. Sounds familiar, you diligent students of Proverbs?
How Can Sin Cause Mental Illnesses?
To understand this, let’s use a case study to understand the principle of causation.
There was a bone-chilling account of a 22-year-old boy who mercilessly wiped out his entire family. Shockingly, he drew inspiration from a TV series. And then there’s the heart-wrenching incident where a 24-year-old mother stabbed her 2-year-old child and then did the unthinkable.
But amidst all these horrifying scenes, one can’t help but wonder, what could drive someone to commit such heinous acts?
You might get even more confused if you read about the causes of some of these atrocities. Is the cause genetic? Cultural? Perhaps family-related? Is it, as some psychologists insist, reinforcement (rewarding consequences)?
There are many ways to imagine potential causes, but for the sake of this discussion, we will concentrate on proximal and distal causation.
A proximal cause refers to something closely related to an event. In this case, the act of stabbing leading to tragic deaths.
A distal cause, however, refers to something occurring earlier in the chain of events. For instance, the influence of a TV series and resentment on the 22-year-old boy.
The limitation of the concept of causation in today’s world is its assumption that all causes are secular, overlooking sin.
Sin is the Indirect Distal Cause of Mental Illness
Today, it’s alarming that people search for a cause to absolve an individual from accountability or wrongdoing, as if finding a reason for someone’s behavior compels us to overlook that they consciously made a detestable decision.
Even psychologists have crafted elaborate theories on the process of causation. They have asserted that guns being easily accessible leads to murder, childhood conflicts result in rape, inadequate public housing triggers poverty, strict toilet training causes compulsions, and genes play a role in homosexuality.
Even though scarce evidence may support these claims as the true culprits, many maximize their efforts to validate that there is a 90% probability of the cause.
Therefore, labeling something today as sinful is the biggest sin and politically incorrect. Why? It forces individuals to take accountability for their actions. It’s better for many to “do what seems right in their own eyes.” Consequently, sin often goes unaddressed with the severity it deserves.
That has always been Satan’s scheme, which has slowly led the secular world to replace sin with illness and other fancy words carelessly. Sinful pride today is replaced with high self-esteem, and the escapades of lust have been rebranded as liberating sexuality.
Yet, the Bible consistently portrays sin [7] as a profound, severe, and dreadful force that has brought death and all life’s miseries to this once-perfect world. Hence, sin is the indirect, distal cause of emotional anguish (sometimes a direct proximal cause).
Therefore, it is essential to recognize that psychological disorders can emerge from various causes, even when sin underlies the root of the issue.
How, Then, Will We Get To Deal With Mental Illnesses Within Consideration of Sin?
We will consider whether terms like sickness can do justice to all that is radically wrong with our minds and get to ask and answer the following questions;
- Would it not be closer to God’s psychology to recognize that often, the problem involves sin?
- If we approached our struggles with due attention to our sin traits, might we get better therapeutic results?
- Would diagnosing specific sins instead of specific neuroses frequently be more truthful and liberating?
Suppose we refuse to acknowledge and confront our sinful nature. In that case, we will remain oblivious to its pervasive influence on our character. Such ignorance prevents us from recognizing the urgency of repentance.
Remember, the transformative power of Christ’s redemption [8] remains in everyone’s life. This is His promise: without this redemptive force, we will forever be trapped in the misery, pain, loss, and sorrow caused by sin.
Only by comprehending the magnitude of our transgressions and their role in generating our troubles, emotional pain, and setbacks can we truly appreciate and wholeheartedly embrace God’s mercy, grace, and sacrifice and live the meaningful life He always intended.
Stay Tuned For This Deep Bible Study
In this deep Bible study, we will boldly confront the 7 Deadly Sins and explore the underlying sub-traits that make up each sin. Think of it as your diagnostic tool that will take you on a profound journey of introspection and deep soul-searching.
We will see the reality of how sin disorders lurk beneath many, and maybe most, psychological problems.
When these disorders are recognized for what they are, our hearts may be led to repentance, faith, and hearty cooperation with the Holy Spirit. Your portion will be a new dimension to your life in Christ.
Breaking habit patterns is challenging, and overcoming the overpowering grasp of sin is even more daunting. As we contemplate and reflect upon the life of Christ, which reached its culmination on that gloomy crimson tree, we come to realize that:
- Your reconciliation with God vanquishes sin’s power.
- Sin and its punishment are so grave for us that Christ must bear it.
- If we receive Christ as our answer, He will do what no psychologist, psychiatrist, or even ourselves can do.
- Christ will give us absolute triumph over sin’s power and its consequences.
After everything is said and done, we will have a solemn ceremony to lay down the sins we have held onto for so long, grieve over the sacrifice of our desires, and welcome Christ to live within us.
INSPIRATION
1. What Your Counselor Never Told You by Dr. William Backus
2. The Lost Art of Thinking by Neil Nedley M.D
3. Character, Strengths, and Virtues by Christopher Peterson & Martin E. P. Seligman
4. King James Bible
