{"id":8032,"date":"2016-04-14T07:00:43","date_gmt":"2016-04-14T11:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/?p=8032"},"modified":"2016-04-08T09:11:21","modified_gmt":"2016-04-08T13:11:21","slug":"should-i-be-taking-an-antidepressant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/2016\/04\/should-i-be-taking-an-antidepressant.html","title":{"rendered":"Should I Be Taking an Antidepressant?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"fear\"<\/a>Often, I get asked if taking an antidepressant for depression is wrong for a person of faith. We need to be careful to judge people as to why they take medication. Depression can be a secondary effect of a disease like cancer, heart disease and other syndromes and disorders. When depression is medically induced, it often takes a medical solution to correct the biological changes. Also depression can be a side effect of certain medications as well. And there are people more genetically prone to depression. This doesn’t mean depression is automatic, but it may mean that as life circumstances pile up, depression can result.<\/p>\n

Antidepressants can be useful for depression treatment. In my opinion, their use should be determined by the cause of the depression and the response of other approaches. So for example, people with bipolar medications need to be on a mood stabilizer. This type of depression is treated with medication. Other types of what we call unipolar depression, like major depressive disorders, persistent depression, etc. need to look at the root of the depression and what it takes to keep a person safe and functioning. If medication is a part of that plan, I have no issue with using it.<\/p>\n

The choice isn’t medication or faith. Both can be at work.\u00a0As Christians however, we believe that God is our ultimate healer. We pray and believe for healing. Taking an antidepressant is not a lack of faith anymore than taking insulin is a lack of faith for the healing of diabetes. Does a Christian diabetic pray to be healed? Yes. But until he sees evidence of the healing, he doesn\u2019t throw away the insulin.<\/p>\n

Medication sometimes improves mood enough for people to revitalize their spiritual lives. Antidepressants\u00a0don\u2019t replace spirituality. We are not dependent on anything but God. Medications are simply agents to get you functioning again. And medications are not cures\u00a0so we still must work on the causes of clinical depression.<\/p>\n

An important step in your healing is to build your faith through the Word of God. The more you fill yourself with the Word, the more you can stand in faith for healing. Speak the Word of God over the depression. Claim His promise for a sound mind and peace. Stand on the Word no matter how you feel and you\u00a0see improvement because so much of depression treatment is renewing the mind.\u00a0If you find you need medication along the way, you haven\u2019t let God down. Use what you need.<\/p>\n

Be willing to explore all aspects of the depression. For example, explore if you are\u00a0holding on to anger and hurt, are you\u00a0 getting sleep or\u00a0running yourself\u00a0\u00a0in the ground, do you\u00a0think negatively about most situations, do you\u00a0need to change your\u00a0behavior and thinking? Lifestyle changes and talk therapy are powerful in terms of depression treatment.<\/p>\n

Medications should not be used\u00a0to avoid parts of life in need of change.\u00a0But they are an aid that is sometimes necessary given the multiple causes of depression.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Often, I get asked if taking an antidepressant for depression is wrong for a person of faith. We need to be careful to judge people as to why they take medication. Depression can be a secondary effect of a disease like cancer, heart disease and other syndromes and disorders. When depression is medically induced, it…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":419,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[913,914,917,916],"tags":[3504,304,3507,3505,3506],"class_list":["post-8032","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-couple-relationships","category-family-relationships-2","category-friend-relationships","category-god-relationship","tag-antidepressants","tag-depression","tag-faith-and-depression","tag-mood-disorders","tag-unipolar-depression"],"yoast_head":"\nShould I Be Taking an Antidepressant?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/2016\/04\/should-i-be-taking-an-antidepressant.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Should I Be Taking an Antidepressant?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Often, I get asked if taking an antidepressant for depression is wrong for a person of faith. 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