Part 1: From Victimhood to Warrior – Christian mental health after trauma.

Important notice: Publishing this article series will take some time and is ongoing. The first four chapters were uploaded in August 2024, and the next chapters will most likely be up sometime during September.

Article series.

Introduction:

Society loves to put people in boxes. Usually, the “boxes” do not fit, and so the invention of new mental diagnoses is ever-growing. They want people to not think there is a norm or a “right,” yet at the same time, the many names for mental conditions say the opposite. It reflects the idea of a behavior that is normal and another that is considered abnormal. Strangely, it is like trying to accept something they don’t accept. Rarely can they heal the broken; they can only lessen the symptoms. Instead of finding fault with how things are viewed, they will claim they are unfixable, which is why they can’t fix them.

Modern society pushes people to identify as their sins, to identify as their wounds, and to identify as their coping mechanisms during and after trauma. A mental diagnosis can give the illusion of peace because it gives temporary relief in how to explain themselves to others. The diagnosis becomes an excuse for not fitting in and not mastering life as others do. Feeling that their chaotic inner stress has a name and that they cannot help it. Accepting their fate and their condition can help ease the struggle for acceptance. A diagnosis can, therefore, reduce some of the stress. Many in these situations accept medications to relieve excessive stress. A Christian who struggles with mental health issues can end up stuck between a rock and a hard place. Irreligious mental health workers often give advice that contradicts Biblical advice. The Bible sites hard judgment upon those who trade with “pharmacies”, and drug medicines, and the Bible urges us to stay away from stimulants that keep us from being sober and spiritually awake (Rev. 18:23; 1. Pet.5:81; Thess.5:6-8, Eph.5:18; 1.Cor. 6:19-20; Gal.5:20).
Using drugs to cure mental health issues is for many Christians not an option. Alternative medicine is regularly rejected by accepted society, and thus it is hard for many Christians to know what to do. The Bible is very open and clear about human hurt, but it does not give people different mental diagnoses. Yet, many of the biblical characters suffer from what today would be called deep depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, and even madness. They suffered many types of abuse. Many had their freedom taken from them and were suppressed or oppressed. Many suffered great traumatic experiences, and part of the Bible stories is how they dealt with them.
The Bible might appear simple in explaining mental health crises and the consequences that come with them because it does not lock people into an incurable diagnosis. Rather, it says that even if someone has struggled from birth or believes they are “born this way”, they can be “born again,” figuratively speaking. If there is life, there is hope. (Joh.3:3)
God powerfully demonstrated this when Abraham’s wife Sarah was too old to bear children when her womb no longer could produce life. God waited until it was thought to be impossible, and then He gave Sarah her son. The son was named Isaac, which, translated, means “laughter”. Sarah went from grief and stress to laughter because of the miracle God performed inside her.

For someone who does not believe in God, a higher power with the ability to help humans is nonsensical, and they will treat it as such. Those who do believe and have experienced God do not have to accept that their case is lost. A lot of mental health issues involve sin, and Christ claims He can deliver us from our sins. That He can set us free (John 8:34–36). The Bible says there is hope for everyone, and instead of telling people to identify as their issue, it explains we are something more than what happened to us, we are not what happened to us. We are more than the sin we have committed. We are not our sin, we are not our coping mechanisms, and we are not our defense mechanisms. Furthermore, we are something greater; we have potential that we have yet to unravel, and our true identity is suppressed by sin and harm, God wants to free the real us from the cobweb we are stuck in. In God’s eyes, we are an undetonated bomb of potential. He knows what we can be and become if we are not held back.
Did God do something so extreme that He commissioned a woman who had been said to have been possessed by demons with the task of being the first to tell people the good news about His resurrection? (Luk.8:2; Mark 16:9; Mat.28:7). He did. What a powerful move. She, just like death, seemed impossible to turn over. Yet, Christ did both. Did Jesus assign a former madman to preach the gospel to his family and town? (Luke 8:39) The last one anyone would listen to, God sent to preach to the well-functioning others.
God is not afraid of those who suffer from mental health issues; He does not hide them or tell them to be quiet. Rather, He untangles them from their mental prison and gives them trust, love, and responsibilities. God believes in us, and He asks us to believe in Him and each other.

This book is meant to show how the Bible deals with mental health, the Biblical solution, and how to practically find healing through faith. To most people in the academic world, this is a dangerous approach, as the Bible is viewed as questionable and God non-existent. Yet, the intention behind this book is not to tell people not to seek professional help; rather, it is a supplement to help Christians navigate the many emotions they go through. Many Christians struggle with mental health and understanding why God allows it and how to view it. This book might help answer some of those questions.

• What does the Bible say the way out is? Is there one?
• Is it possible to be mentally ill and a true Christian at the same time?
• Why is there so much stigma among Christians regarding mental health?
• Why do many seem to get worse when seeking help from church members?
• Why do so many feel trapped and abused all over again after joining a church?
• What are the misunderstandings many Christians often have regarding mental health?
• Are there practical ways the Bible says can help us on the path to recovery? How can we help ourselves?

These are the topics that we will investigate, and hopefully, it will help bring hope to the wounded or those trying to help the wounded. The book will not focus on diagnosis terminology but will concentrate on explaining human hurt and recovery within a biblical framework. The book is mostly directed at Christians struggling with childhood trauma or long-term trauma as adults. To help someone stuck in victimhood, to help someone who is struggling with mental health and their faith, or to help someone who wishes to understand those who struggle and how to help them in a better way. In no way does this book contain all issues and problems, but it does address the Biblical solution to hurt people no matter the reason they are hurt.

Disclaimer:
The book is not meant to compete with treatments provided by professional health workers. The take is from a biblical view and not from a mental health professional academic view. If someone is unable to sort out their mental health on their own, it is strongly advised to seek help.

NEXT CHAPTER —-> The World Is A Battlefield