The Christian Stigma with Medications and Therapy Explained.
Mental health cannot be compared to diabetes because it’s a more complex
Mental health stigma is a personal and spiritual “strength vs. weakness” issue which makes it difficult to seek out therapeutic intervention.
The Bible encourages a therapeutic intervention as part of the spiritual journey.
NOTE: This is for encouraging church/ministry leaders in exploring and learning about Christian mental health. We do not judge and condemn the Church or church leaders - let’s be grace-makers to help to inspire a new Christian mental health culture.
In short, the simple answer is "yes," Christians should consider mental health medications and therapy if needed because it's not only scriptural, it's wise.
But spiritual and social stigma make it a little more complex.
Mental Health is not like other seen and understood health topics.
Many people compare taking psychiatric medications to someone with diabetes taking insulin or other medications. While this analogy may make sense intellectually, it doesn’t always resonate emotionally. In theory, it works, but it doesn't fully translate in practice. While there may be some stigma around diabetes, it is generally accepted (seen, heard, and understood)—unlike mental health, which still carries significant misunderstanding and stigma.
Personally, I believe we should move away from using the diabetes-mental health comparison. It can unintentionally undermine the deeper issues surrounding mental health challenges, particularly in the Church and many other faith communities.
Mental health is more complex because it’s mostly viewed through the cultural “strength vs. weakness” issue (in and outside the Church). It’s often reduced to a personal and spiritual willpower choice and discipline to be “happier” and overcome it.
For example, this mental health “strong vs. weak” stigma is cleverly addressed in BetterHelps therapy commercials (click to watch). They have other clever videos that hit the core of this problem.
Now, this is not an opinion, it shows up in various studies and surveys.
Other reports show mental health is widely accepted but in theory (1). An August 2024 workplace study revealed mental health is still stigmatized as "weak."
+ CEOs (81%), HR (72%), and employees (67%) all agree that companies view someone with mental health issues as weak or a burden.
+ Hispanic (80%) and Asian (76%) respondents are significantly more likely to agree that companies consider those with mental health issues weak or a burden (2).
+ 79% of employees report anti-stigma campaigns in the workplace would be valuable vs. 23% of employers who have implemented anti-stigma awareness (3).
If that's the workplace, what about the Church, for example, in the U.K.?
+ 91% said mental health stigma remained in the Church.
+ 35% said their church particularly supported mental health (4).
Spiritual and social stigma is the same issue (“weakness”).
As you can see, from culture and poor Biblical understanding, mental health challenges are seen as being weak ... personally and spiritually. So, it’s often reduced to a personal and spiritual willpower choice and discipline to be “happier” and overcome it. Remember, “mental health” is just as complex to uninformed and untrained church/ministry leaders (they need grace and patience-time to learn, too).
Overall, for a Christian who needs medication and therapy, the stigma can reinforce the false belief that they are weak in faith, or that their suffering is a result of a defective identity in God, sinful or outcast, and a displeased God (a false idea that God is allowing them to suffer for their weakness). This is far from the truth, and we offer valuable resources to help.
Overcoming stigma is a matter of dignity in relation to God, not merely a poster with statistics about “those people.”
God doesn’t refer to us or weak people as “those people” who need Him. In fact, God and Jesus always identify themselves with the crushed, contrite, and breathless in spirit, the "weak," poor, and oppressed to revive them and give them enduring strength … the very place where He dwells and seeks union (Is. 57:15, Matt 11:28-30, Matt 25:35-40, Acts 9:4, 2 Cor. 12:9).
God is most evident in weakness.
Biblical "weakness" often includes the meaning of "infirmities" (i.e., sicknesses of any kind). It's where God is sometimes most evident -- where we should be -- if we take the time to look (James 1:27 and 2:5).
Therapeutic intervention is part of God’s healing and restoration.
I’ve learned from Jewish ideology that God inhabits both the supernatural and natural, working in both and you can never box Him in one or the other. How true this is in our Christian faith and union in Christ. Therapeutic intervention (mediations and therapy) can be both supernatural and natural. Why not?
When you get deep into soteriology (i.e., study of salvation) the very concept includes therapeutic and healing care. Plus, the Biblical concept of healing includes the meaning of therapeutic care and a healing process.
For example, in Isaiah 61:1 … “to bind up the brokenhearted” signifies a healing, therapeutic process. This healing therapeutic process is also reaffirmed in the story of the Good Samaritan rescuing a man robbed and left for dead. This man in weak state was taken to an inn (safe space, shelter) and the Samaritan paid for that space and the medicinal agents to aid the man’s healing … and even offered to pay for whatever else was needed when he returned (see Luke 10:30-37). There are many other Scriptures pointing to physician and medicinal care, but Jesus shared this story to reveal what love looks like.
God’s response to where His Love first goes … to eliminate distance!
Overall, one thing to point out is that the good Samaritan story is Jesus responding to a theological and legal expert wanting to prove and justify his own righteousness by asking, “Who is my neighbor?”
Think about it, Jesus responds with this offensive story to show that His love starts by stopping everything, changing course to care for the “weak” … to rescue, resource, and restore! Isn’t interesting how Jesus defines our neighbor as the “weak” and how we need to respond to their need (therapeutic healing and restorative care).
Jesus is what God looks like in response to His children, even in “weakness” … union love to restore into life, especially when we are weak.
God longs to be with His children in all their "weakness" ... all of His creation. Distance is a foreign concept to Him.
Encouragement for getting help.
If you’ve been on the fence thinking about getting more help (medication and therapy), please consider working with a mental health professionals as part of a new faith journey in and with Christ (not separate). In fact, we have many therapists who use our free resources with their clients (and some lead groups in their practice).
I know many incredible and precious Christian believers and church/ministry leaders who are on medication and see a therapist. In fact, I myself have a therapist I check in with, too! Remember, we are all unique and the first doctor and therapist may not work out — and that’s normal, really great therapists will tell you the same thing.
You may feel “weak” because of your mental health challenge (or for your loved one), but it’s only you’re condition that can have improvement … who you are to God and who you’re love one is to God … He is completely satisfied with you … with him and her.
Joe Padilla | Grace Alliance
*Note: At Grace Alliance, we are working with the opportunity to educate and equip the Church, not condemning or judging what they don't know. We find church leaders eager to learn and this reduces mental health stigma! (5)
(1) The 2024 NAMI Workplace Mental Health Poll
(2) New Data Shows Toxic Workplaces and Stigmas Linked to Surge in Employee Mental Health Issues (Business Solver, August 2024).
(3) Mckinsey & Company, National Survey Shows Mental Health Disconnect Between Employees and Employers (2021).
(4) Church and Mental Health Survey (Kintsugi Hope, 2022) and Premier Christianity (April, 2022).
(5) Anthony JS, Johnson A, Schafer J. African American clergy and depression: what they know; what they want to know. J Cult Divers. (2015) 22:118–26.
Taghva, A., Noorbala, A. A., Khademi, M., Shahriari, A., Esfahani, M. N., Asadi, A., Mohsenifar, J., Yousefifard, A., Abolhassani, M., Bolhari, J., Hajebi, A., & Rahnejat, A. M. (2022). Clergy's Viewpoint Change Toward Mental Health and Stigma on Mental Illness: A Short Course Training. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13, 864806.
