[advice for medical depression]
Anyone going through depression, if you practice these principles, it will help you tremendously.
1. Focus your attention on Jesus.
2. Allow God to be first in your life.
3. Immerse yourself in the Word of God.
4. Tell the devil and his demon spirits to flee in the name of Jesus.
5. Have fellowship with strong believers.
46 comments
Great advice, if you want to be a fundamentalist Christian AND depressed.
I don't know; mental health advice from someone who obviously has delusions and obsessive tendencies seems a bit dodgy to me. In fact, this advice is like that of putting a Band-Aid on a badly infected major wound. The most this might do is hide the problem to others; it won't really take away the victim's pain.
For actual help to stop being depressed, it is better to see a mental health professional -- or, if you can, to see several, just to get a consensus of opinions.
~David D.G.
Since I suffered from schizophrenia some time ago, I'm appalled by this suggestion. Luckily, my family was fairly secular, if inexperienced with this sort of problem, so they went to a doctor first. If my parents had been religious, they may have taken YOUR advice, and I wouldn't be posting this. As an aside, before treatment, my symptoms were very similar to religious beliefs, although they didn't fall into any widely-practiced religion. If they had, it would have made a diagnosis very difficult. (I have only one semester of psychology, so I'm no expert, but I was wondering how they distinguish between "mental illness" and "religious fundamentalist."
How many people are missing out on necessary treatment solely because their symptoms are misinterpreted as "religion?" J Man should be ashamed for advising people suffering from ANY affliction to avoid treatment and cover up the symptoms.
Considering that I have been diagnosed with clinical depression, and am now functioning quite well with appropriate medication, I find this advice utterly appalling. I might not be here today if I had followed this sort of "treatment." This approach sounds to me like holding a drowning person's head underwater.
Coffee -- same here, except that I tried to deal with it on my own in much the way j-man advocates here. The only differences being that I A) knew it wasn't a demon, so I didn't waste time with that and B) pretty much gave up on God because He obviously didn't give a rat's ass that I was so unhappy...
And then I finally went to my doctor and got some good meds, and now I am not just balanced, but actually happy most of the time. This kind of sheer crap horrifies me to no end, since it's so dangerous.
Let me be the next to agree with birdseatbugs, Coffee, and -. When my husband died I was clinically depressed. God had nothing to do with me getting out of it. Truth is, me getting laid did :) (and that's the truth pfffffft)
you know, in that post, he doesn't say not to get mental help, or that doing his suggestions will cure you. He just says they will help. I work in a psychiatric hospital and patients with spiritual support do tend to do much better than those who do not. They can work hand in hand with treatment. This doesn't strike me as a fundie post.
you know, in that post, he doesn't say not to get mental help, or that doing his suggestions will cure you. He just says they will help. I work in a psychiatric hospital and patients with spiritual support do tend to do much better than those who do not. They can work hand in hand with treatment. This doesn't strike me as a fundie post.
6. Ignore steps 1 through 5.
7. You may not need drugs, but if you need 'em, take 'em. Even if you ultimately don't need them, it probably won't hurt to try them. In any case, get treatment.
I didn't see that at first...but he's still not saying to not get medical attention, so I don't see a problem.
I've known Christians (and I am a Christian) who would chain someone to a bed who is mentally ill and literally try to be the devil out of them, or whatever. So, J Man's comments are pretty mild if you ask me. Once again, spirituality can work hand in hand with medical treatment. They're not mutually exclusive.
Hmmm - going back to the source of insanity from the J-man.
<<<4. Tell the devil and his demon spirits to flee in the name of Jesus. Make it clear that you follow Jesus and that they have no part in you. Don't entertain their thoughts, suggestions and ideas but rebuke them with the Word. James4:7 tells us to resist the devil and he shall flee. You are able to resist Him with the Word. When Sata tempted Jesus(Matthew4:1-11), each time, he used the Word against Him, sayiny, "It is written." When the enemy comes against you, use the Word of God against his lies and deceipt. >>>
RR. He also posted this "testimonial".
<<<<<<<<Kenna, it's not medication you need, it is deliverance and for you to think of yourself the way Christ sees you and to stop allowing destructive, negative thoughts overrule you. You are special and you have a calling on your life.
I have been through depression, put on meds and even in the psycho ward. Meds and being in the hospital did not help one bit. It did not change my situation. The problems were all still there and I felt I had nothing to live for. I felt hopeless and helpless. I did not care any more.
Taking meds for depression was like mowing a lawn filled with weeds. Mowing the lawn doesn't uproot the weeds, it just mows them down. But in order to get rid of the weeds, you need to dig them out from the root. Same thing with depression. You need to get to the root of the problem. You never mentioned what in specific is causing the problems you are facing, but whatever it is, this is what you need to deal with.
The solution to my bout with depression was, I needed to stop believing the lies that the devil infiltrated into my mind that I am a reject and that no-one likes me. I believed that about myself and that I could never really be anyone in life. I believed that I would be hopeless at ever amounting to anything in life. I had suffered a lot of rejection and had a lot of nasty, mailicious things said to me that effected me and caused me to believe these things about myelf. I needed inner healing from all that. Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy, he comes to seek whom he may devour, and because I did not know who I was in Christ and did not know how to take authority over him and rebuke his wicked thoughts, suggerstions and ideas, I succumbed to those lies rather than stand strong and trust the Lord.
If christians all knew who they were in Christ, they wouldn't be suffering depression. Jesus made us more than a conquerer(Romans8:37). We are accpted in the Beloved(Ephesians1:6). You are a child of God(John1:12). You are a friend of Christ(John15:15). You are a member of Christ's body(1st Corinthians12:27 and Ephesians5:30). You are God's workmanship, His handiwork(Ephesians2:10). You are chosen of God(Colossians3:12 and 1st Thessalonians1:4). You are a partaker in a Heavenly calling(Hebrews3:1).
Believe what God says about you. It is the truth. Anything contrary to that is a lie. You can make it in life, you can be all what God has ordained for you to be. But of course, you have an adversary(1st Peter5:8) who will try and keep you from reaching your destiny in Christ and will use depression and all what is going on in your life to try and hinder you from becoming what God has ordained for you to be. You need to put your focus on Christ and take your authority in Christ over the powers of darkness(Luke10:19).
Is there any sincere christians that you can talk to? Encouragement from others can really help as a remedy to depression. Sometimes, for people going through depression, that is what they need. A Little encouragement from others.>>>>>>>>
I knew a Jehovah's Witness who was very devout, yet often had periodic mental and emotional issues. The JW I knew claimed of being talked to by demons and constantly expressed the fear of hell. Every now and then, that person would visit the mental ward of a hospital. Not going to name names or even reveal gender.
Man, J Man, the Devil and his demon spirits are all that keep me going anymore... I tell them to get lost, I lose the one thing that keeps life interesting.
1. What did Jesus have to say about mental health?
2. Why? If he hasn't answered my prayers up till now, why should he start?
3. Nah, too depressing and narrow. I like cookbooks myself.
4. Again? But that trick never works.
5. Dude, I'd love to have fellowship with virtually anybody, believers or no (why limit myself?). The depression makes that rather difficult, though.
We created the so-called Christian god with our brains. Therefore, that god is in your brain rather than an actual external entity. So, 'he's really the Lord Brain. We also create Satan and demons with our head. Therefore, those are in your head. Worshipping imaginary friends such as Jesus, Buddha, Virgin Mary, Muhammed, etc. fall under the definition of delusions & schizophrenia. Delusions (and also psychotic symptoms) can also occur with depression. Get a neurological repair and get on some various agents (pharmaceutical & natural) instead.
Wow, fantastic.
Nice snake oil-- also found to "cure" cancer, diabetes,
numerous hormone imbalances, etc. Placebos are fun, aren't they!
Of course, if a severely clinically depressed person commits suicide after following your "treatment", do you count that as a success? After all, the person is no longer depressed.
No, it is more likely that you evil bastards would sanctimoniously preach how the patient's faith wasn't strong enough. No doubt you think that the poor guy is deservedly roasting in hell. Nice god, who inflicts depression on a person--a living hell-- and then tosses him into eternal torture when he can't stand it anymore.
I am not depressed, but if I started hanging out with a bunch of batshit nutjobs obsessing about the end times, I might be. Who wouldn't? I can only imagine what that kind of a crowd would do to a person who was depressed to start with.
So explain why everyone at Rapture Ready are so miserable.
And add me to the list of those who's clinical depression was successfully managed with medication.
Although my depression was also lifted the day I quit organized religion for good.
Oh yes. "Tell the devil to flee in the name of Jesus" - that will cure anything.
Please don't dispense medical advice without a licence, or indeed even a fucking clue about the nature of the problem you are "advising" on. Some poor sod might actually believe you and make things even worse for him/herself.
Typical of fundies- prayer is better than therapy, don't face your issues, just ignore, suppress, and deny them. This is also called "faith".
“1. Focus your attention on Jesus.”
Frankly, this sounds more like autohypnosis.
“2. Allow God to be first in your life.”
That’s giving a lot more credibility to a concept than i’m prepared for.
“3. Immerse yourself in the Word of God.”
I did. It’s why i’m an atheist.
“4. Tell the devil and his demon spirits to flee in the name of Jesus.”
But i don’t have a heard of pigs to race him into the sea.
“5. Have fellowship with strong believers.”
Yeah, autohypnosis.
Confused?
So were we! You can find all of this, and more, on Fundies Say the Darndest Things!
To post a comment, you'll need to Sign in or Register . Making an account also allows you to claim credit for submitting quotes, and to vote on quotes and comments. You don't even need to give us your email address.