The Place of Faith in Mental Health-Part 1

” The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full” (John 10:10).

Introduction

We all desire mental health for us and for our loved ones. We do not think of it as  mental health but peace of mind, mental strength, and vitality.  A healthy mind sustains us under afflictions, pain and trials but an unhealthy mind, who can bear? No one is spared from the problems of life.  When we face these problems, we doubt God’s promises and feel as though we are failures. Christ promises us abundant life, satisfaction, wholeness and wellbeing. However, when we look around us, in our families, communities, and churches, we still see people struggle with health issues, including mental health concerns.

If we look around us there’s evidence of mental illness. This excludes the emotional crisis we experience in daily life or conflict in interpersonal relationships.  Mental health issues such as depression, are as prevalent as malaria, and we Christians are not exempt from them.

What is Mental Health?

The World Health Organization defines mental health as” a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to contribute to his or her community”. According to them, mental health is more than the absence of mental disorders. It exists on a complex continuum, which is experienced differently from one person to the next, with varying degrees of difficulty and distress and potentially very different social and clinical outcomes.

The realm of mental health deals with the way we experience and respond to stresses of life, our joys, pain, sorrows, hurts, losses, anxieties, and relational difficulties. Mental health is wholeness and wellbeing experienced at a deep level, in our souls. In his book, No Longer Alone, John Toews lists the personal qualities that make up mental health such as resilience, adaptability, the ability to tolerate difficulties and face the challenges of life.

The book of Galatians chapter 5:22 lists the fruits of the Holy Spirit as love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. A Christian who is filled with these qualities will maintain good mental health.

If we are filled with the Holy Spirit does that mean we won’t have problems? Christians will have problems and mental health issues, but health is maintained when we sustain these welfare emotions that come from being at peace with God, ourselves and others.

How does Mental Health relate to Mental Illness?

Mental illness refers to identifiable mental diseases that can be diagnosed for most people, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual diagnosis (Mood, Anxiety, Sexual, Eating, Substance). People struggling with mental illness are incapacitated and need professional help and support from family members to maintain and sustain their mental health. Thus, it is possible to live with a good degree of mental health even when people experience mental disorders.

People with mental ill health or poor mental health do not have mental disorders. They have problems with their personality and attitude and do not handle their stresses in constructive ways. These people lack the quality of mental wellness. Instead of responding to stresses and challenges they fight, moan, avoid, rage and just become unpleasant to relate with.

Mental health is not a worry-free, stress-free, happy, and rosy life with no pains. Health is not the absence of disease or infirmity. Therefore, mental health is more than the absence of mental disorders.  Mental health includes both the capacity to feel negative emotions like sorrow, anger, disappointment, as well as positive emotions such as empathy, joy, happiness. It is the way we deal with the daily stresses of our lives. It is developing qualities such as resilience, adaptability, distress, tolerance and facing challenges of life, while maintaining a growing relationship with God.

Our faith, that is our relationship with God, is an indispensable part of our mental health. Wholeness in relationship with God, ourselves, others, and our ability to cope with the demands of life helps our mental wellbeing.

For Further Reading

1. Clinebell, J. H. (1972). The Mental Health Ministry of the Local Church. Abingdon Press
2. Toews, J & Lederach, N. (1995). No Longer Alone: Mental Health and the Church. Herald Press
3. World Health Organisation. (2022). Https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/theme-details/GHO/mental-health