“Isn’t going to a psychologist a sign of lack of faith in God?”
As we noted last week, there are parallels to this that don’t make sense:
- Isn’t going to a medical doctor a sign of lack of faith in God?
- Isn’t going to a personal trainer to lose weight a sign of lack of faith in God?
- Isn’t going to a math tutor a sign of lack of faith in God?
Perhaps the question underlying these is what needs to be addressed:
“Aren’t psychological problems spiritual in nature, and not ‘real’? Therefore, my focus should be on prayer and living a ‘Christian life’ as opposed to seeking psychological help.”
There’s a few statements in there that need to unpacked that actually need some explanation:
- What are psychological problems?
- Is it ok to pray for psychological problems?
- What’s the role of ‘living right’ in my psychological health?
What are psychological problems?
This is a general, catch-all phrase for many issues. This would include autism spectrum disorders, thought disorders (most commonly known being schizophrenia, marked by delusions, e.g., paranoia, and hallucinations, seeing things others don’t), obsessive-compulsive disorders, PTSD, sexual dysfunctions, and learning disabilities such as ADHD. This isn’t even a complete list, but you get the feel that it’s not just feeling a little sad or worried.
One good divide is whether the issue is a counseling or clinical psychological issue.
- Counseling issues typically are marked by:
o Situational issues, such as a job change, death of a loved one, marriage or divorce.
o Mild to moderate inference in one’s life
o Tend to be transitory
- Clinical issues typically are marked by:
o Chronic, long lasting issues, such as depression for several years
o Significant interference and/or distress in one’s life
In general, the question is how much a problem has this become in one’s life (e.g.,,Can I get to school or work, or is my problem so incapacitating that I can’t leave home, or get out of bed?).
Is it ok to pray for psychological problems?
Absolutely yes! In the same way that it’s good to pray for medical issues, there is no reason not to pray for psychological issues. There should not be assumption, thought, that just by prayer the problem will resolve. While God could heal completely, more often than not we don’t see that happening.
What’s the role of ‘living right’ in my psychological health?
Again, using medical issues as a parallel, trying to follow God’s commandments does not in of itself help with a medical issue. In the office, sometimes patients state that they need to ‘live better’ or ‘not sin as much’ as ways of getting rid of their psychological problems. While these are good goals, from a Christian perspective I believe the first goal would be to grow my relationship with God, with the result of wanting to live better and not sin as much. It’s also important to understand the separation between one’s faith and one’s mental health. While these are related, it’s important to remember that both areas should be addressed appropriately based on experts tell us is useful for each area, as opposed to just how we feel about them.