Including God in the Mental Healthcare Conversation: The Spiritual Foundations of Mental Illness

Usually during or after breakfast in the morning I browse YouTube for some personal development or some inspirational/encouraging content to start my day. Today’s video was an interview done with Dr. Jessica Clemons, a Black African American psychiatrist who came on The Breakfast Club radio show to discuss, ‘mental health, working through anxiety, depression, + more’.

I found the interview to be pretty interesting, and yet I was also frustrated.

I was frustrated at the lack of genuine spiritual information delivered in this interview. Now, of course, this isn’t necessarily a platform built for the dissemination of such information.

It is the responsibility of the people of God (who know God and have experienced God) to be bold enough and to have the compassion within us to bring this information to light in whatever ways we can.

For any of you who have followed this blog for any length of time or kept up with me on social media, you know that I do this regularly. This blog post is about my efforts to do just that, but within the context of this situation. I responded to a comment that I agreed with in the comment section of the YouTube video, and I have included it below to share with you all:

“…Mental illness is very spiritual in nature, and I wish there were more people of God with influence bold enough to talk about it in this way. God is not anti mental health treatment, but the enemy is fooling so many with pushing people away from God and the church to deal with their problems. I do think, however, that the people of God can do better with not shutting down conversations about seeking mental health care. On another note, just as God is healer over physical conditions, God can heal (and does heal) mental health conditions (because their root is spiritual in nature! everything good is from God; everything evil from the enemy.). If we remember accounts in the bible like the man in the caves who would cut himself and throw himself against the rocks-he was tormented by spirits, and its manifestation was what we would call mental illness today. God is still in the business of healing these things and delivering us, if we want to be delivered and believe!

In fact, that’s a huge part of my testimony-the Lord healed and delivered me. I believe the church/people of God can work together with the mental health care system to really help those who are suffering. One more thing, please be very careful what you confess over yourself and [what you] accept in general, but especially as it relates to mental health. Don’t be so quick to confess a diagnosis over yourself as if it’s who you are! (For example, saying ‘I’m bipolar’ as opposed to ‘I was diagnosed with…’) Our words and confessions have power; just like your positive affirmations can bring about positive change in your life, affirmations of negative mental health experiences can draw this kind of suffering. Our words are powerful! ‘The power of life and death is in the tongue’.

Allow a mental health diagnosis (if you’re given one) to inform you on how to resist the enemy in that area in conjunction with counseling etc–but don’t be quick to accept a diagnosis as who you are and as unchangeable.

If anyone is interested in support, information, or prayer, I’m here for you! Visit www.healthierplacepllc.com. God bless you all!!!”

Comment below what you thought about my comment-response and, if you had a chance to watch the interview, what you thought about the interview.

Marie