Helping those struggling with mental health issues

By: Scott Morton

The Body of Christ often struggles helping those who struggle with mental health issues. Some of this comes from a lack of understanding of the issues. There are those who believe the issues are either all made up by the individual who is struggling with them or think the whole idea of mental health issues is something made up by the philosophy of man and is not something which we should be worrying about. These ideas are not accurate and have led to some individuals having increased struggles because of our lack of ability to be able to help. The following statistics are from 2022 and show how significant of a problem this is:

23.1% of adults in the United States experienced a mental health condition in 2022

6% of U.S. adults experienced a serious mental health condition in 2022, which is often defined as a psychotic disorder, bipolar disorder or a severe anxiety or eating disorder that significantly impairs functioning.

The prevalence of any mental health disorder was higher among women (27.2%) than men (18.1%) in 2021

Young adults ages 18 to 25 in the US experience the highest rates of mental illness (36.2%), followed by ages 26 to 49 (29.4%), and adults ages 50 and over (13.9%)

Anxiety disorders such as generalized anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, and panic disorder are some of the most commonly diagnosed mental health conditions in the U.S., affecting 42.5 million adults

21 million U.S. adults are living with depression, while 3.7 million people ages 12 to 17 experience major depression and 2.5 million people ages 12 to 17 experience severe depression

There are 12 million adults living in the U.S. dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

3.3 million U.S. adults experience bipolar disorder

Around 1.5 million U.S. adults have been diagnosed with schizophrenia

An estimated 2 million times each year, people with serious mental health conditions are jailed or imprisoned in the U.S. Women are disproportionately impacted at twice the rate of men

Severe mental health conditions cost the U.S. economy $193.2 billion in lost revenue each year

These statistics show this is not something that is made up or exaggerated. These are real conditions that many people experience, individuals we encounter all throughout our daily life. We need to have an idea of how it is to help individuals, which means we need to have an understanding of them.

God created us in a manner where we are exactly the way God intended for us to be:

Genesis 1:26-28

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. [27] So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. [28] And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

Psalm 139:14

I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

These verses show how God created man in His image. There were changes which happened as a result of the fall. while man had initially been created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-28), we see that Seth is in the image of Adam (Genesis 5:3), showing the change which happened as a result of the fall. The curse upon man introduced issues of where there would be suffering, physical and mental health issues, and a general groaning of the creation until the new heaven and new earth are in place.

There is a real connection between the mind and the body. The Apostle Paul explains to us in 1 Thessalonians 5:23 about how we are made up of a spirit (mind), a soul (emotions), and a body (the flesh we walk around in, our senses). The Bible explains the connection these three part of us have:

Proverbs 4:22-23

For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. [23] Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

Proverbs 23:7

For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.

Proverbs 14:30

A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.

Proverbs 15:30

The light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart: and a good report maketh the bones fat.

Proverbs 16:24

Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.

Proverbs 17:22

A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

These passages from the book of Proverbs show the connection between the parts of who we are. As one part of who we are is impacted, whether this is good or bad, we see the other parts are impacted in the same way. This is something very easy to understand. If we have been having health issues for a period of time it can start to have an impact on how we are feeling and the way we are thinking. In order to be functioning properly the way God intends, we have to be doing well in all three areas.

Man has an understanding of this concept. There is something which was developed called the biopsychosocial model to look at how to help individuals deal with their problems. The idea is that all three areas need to be looked at and addressed in order to help fix the problems.

When we look at the issue of mental health problems, we know there are some things the Bible tells us which indicate there are going to be issues:

Ecclesiastes 3:4

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

Solomon indicates there are going to be times when emotions are in a good place (laugh and dance) and times when they are not going to be (weep and mourn). This is a natural part of the human experience, as we have good things happen in our lives and we have bad things happen in our lives. The main issue is how we are dealing with them and are we allowing these to have significant impacts on how we are going about our lives on a daily basis.

1 Corinthians 10:13

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

Paul speaks here about temptations which come upon an individual and how God will not allow someone to be tempted above what they are able to deal with. He is going to provide a way to be able to deal with it, not always provide a way to escape whatever it is.

When we look at something like this from the perspective of mental health issues, we can see that there are going to be things which are going to come up that some individuals are going to have to deal with. These are being identified as being common to man, meaning this is something which is a natural part of the experience of individuals and is not some of the ideas we looked at in the beginning of this article.

There are also different causes to mental health issues. Sometimes there is a genetic predisposition to these conditions, which is a direct result of the fall of Adam and the curse which has been put on the creation because of it. There are issues which come up as a result of the way someone has been raised as a child, as certain factors can exacerbate problems. There are some things which are triggered by the use of alcohol and drugs, especially in someone's early years as their mind and body are still developing. Traumatic events can also play a role in the development of mental health issues. These causes all lead to situations where someone is dealing with mental health symptoms and will need help to be able to successfully deal with them.

There are many different examples of individuals who dealt with mental health issues in the Bible. Here are some of these:

David

1 Samuel 30:6

And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.

2 Samuel 12:16-17

David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth. [17] And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them.

Psalm 6:6

I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears.

Psalm 13:1-6

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me? [2] How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me? [3] Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death; [4] Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved. [5] But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. [6] I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.

David was identified by God as being a man after His own heart. We see from these four passages the extreme depression David faced throughout his life. Some of this was because of his own actions (adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah) and others were not. This started to create many problems for him, as he indicates in these passages. We do see how we how was able to press through these things, as he speaks of continuing to praise God throughout this as he can see the blessings which had been given unto him. This shows the ability to be able to effectively function throughout the time of dealing with these issues.

Elijah

1 Kings 19:1-10

And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. [2] Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time. [3] And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there. [4] But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers. [5] And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat. [6] And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again. [7] And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee. [8] And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God. [9] And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah? [10] And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.

We can see the impact on Elijah here. He has been dealing with the opposition to what God is doing all by himself, or so he thinks. Because he feels he has been doing this, he starts to feel a significant impact on his life. This leads him to even wish for his own death, demonstrating suicidal tendencies. It is only God who provides an answer to him and shows how he has not been alone in this.

Moses

Numbers 11:10-15

Then Moses heard the people weep throughout their families, every man in the door of his tent: and the anger of the LORD was kindled greatly; Moses also was displeased. [11] And Moses said unto the LORD, Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant? and wherefore have I not found favour in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me? [12] Have I conceived all this people? have I begotten them, that thou shouldest say unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth the sucking child, unto the land which thou swarest unto their fathers? [13] Whence should I have flesh to give unto all this people? for they weep unto me, saying, Give us flesh, that we may eat. [14] I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me. [15] And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favour in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness.

Here we have Moses who was chosen by God to deliver Israel out of Egypt and has been speaking directly with Moses, showing him signs and wonders, and demonstrating these through Moses. Even with all of these things, Moses is starting to have problems in his life. The people have been complaining ever since they left Egypt, have transgressed the things which have been commanded of them by God, and have created numerous problems. This has come to a point where Moses is despairing of his life and does not want to continue. He is saying this has been too much for him to bear. God answers this and provides for him so he can continue.

Jeremiah

Jeremiah 15:10

Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have neither lent on usury, nor men have lent to me on usury; yet every one of them doth curse me.

Jeremiah 15:17-21

I sat not in the assembly of the mockers, nor rejoiced; I sat alone because of thy hand: for thou hast filled me with indignation. [18] Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuseth to be healed? wilt thou be altogether unto me as a liar, and as waters that fail? [19] Therefore thus saith the LORD, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me: and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them. [20] And I will make thee unto this people a fenced brasen wall: and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, saith the LORD. [21] And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible.

Jeremiah is often referred to as the weeping prophet. He was in Jerusalem during the captivity and had to witness the horrors that went on as a result. Reading the book of Lamentations shows the things which he had to endure. This is why we can see the statement of woe is me and how he feels throughout this time. It is God who provides the necessary strength to be able to deal with these things.

Jonah

Jonah 4:3-9

Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live. [4] Then said the LORD, Doest thou well to be angry? [5] So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city. [6] And the LORD God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd. [7] But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered. [8] And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live. [9] And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death.

Here we see Jonah dealing with some thoughts of wanting to die after he sees these individuals accept what God was doing. Jonah did not want to go to Nineveh and had thought this was going to be waste of his time. The message was not supposed to be going to them, according to Jonah and when he sees their acceptance, he realizes the condition Israel is in and gets depressed. It is God who has to intervene in order for Jonah to start to feel better about what is going on.

Job

Job 3:1-11

After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day. [2] And Job spake, and said, [3] Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said, There is a man child conceived. [4] Let that day be darkness; let not God regard it from above, neither let the light shine upon it. [5] Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a cloud dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it. [6] As for that night, let darkness seize upon it; let it not be joined unto the days of the year, let it not come into the number of the months. [7] Lo, let that night be solitary, let no joyful voice come therein. [8] Let them curse it that curse the day, who are ready to raise up their mourning. [9] Let the stars of the twilight thereof be dark; let it look for light, but have none; neither let it see the dawning of the day: [10] Because it shut not up the doors of my mother's womb, nor hid sorrow from mine eyes. [11] Why died I not from the womb? why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the belly?

Job 7:16

I loathe it; I would not live alway: let me alone; for my days are vanity.

Job 30:20

I cry unto thee, and thou dost not hear me: I stand up, and thou regardest me not.

Job went through a number of losses after he was identified as being a righteous man in the eyes of God. In this demonstration of the ability of Job to remain faithful, Job loses all of his possessions, his children, and starts to have a number of physical problems come upon him. This is why we see him throughout the book struggling with mental health symptoms. This book also demonstrates how not to be a comfort to others, as his friends do not do a great job in helping him.

Hannah

1 Samuel 1:10-13

And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore. [11] And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head. [12] And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli marked her mouth. [13] Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.

We see from this example the feelings Hannah was going through. She had been unable to have a child and there was a bitterness in her soul because of it. Her medical condition was impacting the way she was living her life and we see her go to God in order to get an answer. Eli, witnessing this, feels she is drunk based on her behavior. He does not attribute it to her emotional state. From continuing in the book we see this all leads to the birth of Samuel.

The Lord Jesus Christ

Matthew 26:36-39

Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. [37] And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. [38] Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. [39] And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

This can be a hard one to grasp for many. The Lord Jesus Christ is unique in that He was fully God and fully man during His time on the earth. This is what in theological terms known as the hypostatic union. Because He is both, there are going to be times where He is reflecting on things as God and reflecting on them as man.

In this passage, He is looking at what is going to happen (the crucifixion) as a man. Even though He knows what will be accomplished by this (being the sacrifice to take care of the issue of sin), He does not want to go through the pain and suffering of this as a man. This is where these feelings are coming from.

The Apostle Paul

2 Corinthians 1:8

For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:

2 Corinthians 2:12-13

Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ's gospel, and a door was opened unto me of the Lord, [13] I had no rest in my spirit, because I found not Titus my brother: but taking my leave of them, I went from thence into Macedonia.

Our Apostle speaks here about some of the struggles he was having in his life. It is interesting to see these, especially in an epistle where he mentions several times the issues of the comfort which comes from God. He starts to speak with them about he despaired even of life. In this epistle he speaks of all of the things which have befallen him by this point in his ministry, which is still relatively early. Based on these situations, he identified how there was a despair of life. There would have been thoughts and feeling about not wanting to go on if they were to continue to have to deal with these things.

Paul then speaks about how there was some struggles because Titus was not there. This was someone who had been ministering with them and he had been relying on for help. Because Titus was not there to provide this help and comfort, Paul expresses the struggles this caused. This shows the importance of being around other members of the Body of Christ who can help, which we will cover later in this study.

Now that we have seen some examples through the Bible and see how these issues are more common than some would think, we need to start talking about how to help deal with mental health issues. This is a struggle for many individuals, as the statistics covered reveal. There needs to be some things done to help individuals deal effectively with these symptoms.

One of the first things to do is to start looking at the mindset/thought process of the individual. This is where we do see the Apostle Paul start to speak of this:

Romans 12:1-2

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. [2] And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

The Apostle Paul speaks here about changing the thought process to line up with what the will of God is. The way we understand the will of God is through our study of the Word, as this is the information we have from God. This is why we are told to study the Word and given specific instructions on how it is we are to study. This is an important concept, as it is going to change who we are and the way we think about everything which is going on around us.

The world system surrounds us in everything. We cannot avoid the things of this world which are controlled by the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2), which is Satan. The things of this world are opposed to the things of God and are described by John as being the lust of the flesh, lust of the eye, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16) and are identified as being not of God.

There is a tendency for individuals to get themselves overly involved in the things of the world, which leads to them being conformed to the world. There is supposed to be a transformation in our thinking, which leads to us being different from the things of this world. In the book of Psalms we see how it is said the Word of God gives light and understanding (Psalm 119:130), which is what we need. This is where the Apostle Paul would have us be.

The world system has some understanding of how the thought process influences who we are and how we function. Many of the common therapies which are used to help treat those with mental health issues are based off of cognitive behavioral therapy, which looks at changing how someone is thinking in order to get them on the right path. We understand this from the perspective of putting the Word of God into you so there can be the change which is needed.

Philippians 4:8

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

This verse speaks of how the thinking patterns of an individual should change. We are to think on the list of items which Paul gives to the assembly at Philippi. We are able to identify these things when we study the Word and it changes who we are. This allows us to be able to identify these things not from the world's ideas, but how God would actually look at them and see them from His perspective. While this has just been made to sound easy, this is not an easy thing. There is a lot of work which is needed in order to have this change start happening. As this process is going on, there will be mistakes which are made and this is okay. The true change which is needed is a lifelong process as we transform ourselves into the image of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 4:31-32

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: [32] And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

We see from these verses the Apostle Paul speaking about putting away some of these emotions which can cause problems for individuals. He speaks of putting away bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking. Putting away means they are no longer part of who you are. This would be part of the renewing of the mind which we have already spoken of that Paul mentions in Romans 12. As the doctrine is coming into us, these things are supposed to be put away and replaced by being kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving. When this happens, we have an improved mental state and can function in a manner where we are living the life we want and that God intended for us.

One of these words is a word we don't often use today. Clamour can be defined as the following, taken from Webster's 1828 Dictionary:

CLAMOR, n.

1. A great outcry; noise; exclamation; vociferation, made by a loud human voice continued or repeated, or by a multitude of voices. It often expresses complaint and urgent demand.

2. Figuratively, loud and continued noise, as of a river or other inanimate things.

CLAMOR, v.t. To stun with noise.

To clamor bells, is to multiply the strokes.

CLAMOR, v.i. To utter loud sounds, or outcries; to talk loud; to utter loud voices repeatedly; to vociferate, as an individual; to utter loud voices, as a multitude; to complain; to make importunate demands.

Those who most loudly clamor for liberty do not most liberally grant it.

Glamor your tongues in Shakespeare, if intended to mean, stop from noise, is not English. Perhaps the word was clam, or intended for a derivative.

We see the issue of clamoring has to do with the complaining which goes on. When you experience someone who has been complaining on a repeated basis, you can see the negative impact it starts to have on them. Their emotions start trending in a manner where they are not functioning well, they are having an impact on other individuals, and it creates problems for many individuals. This is why you see the Apostle Paul speak out about this.

We can also see some verses from Proverbs which speak of the issues of what is inside of an individual and how we should respond:

Proverbs 15:1

A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.

Proverbs 17:22

A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

We see these verses show how we should deal with other individuals as they are being spoken to. Solomon is showing how the language which is being used to speak to someone can either do good things or it can do bad things to them. We do not always think about this, especially when we feel rushed in situations and can say the 'wrong things' to someone. The way we address things can have a negative impact on someone if we are not careful. We can only control what we do and we need to watch how we speak to someone in order to do what is best for them.

2 Corinthians 12:7-10

And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. [8] For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. [9] And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. [10] Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Here we have the Apostle Paul stating he had looked to God to remove something in his life. This thorn in the flesh was causing significant problems for him and he looked to God, as he did in all things. We know in this dispensation God does not intervene in the same way He did with Israel. When He dealt with the people that signs were given to, He would respond in a manner where they would be able to see the things happening and the issue would have been removed immediately (if they had been faithful to the program God laid out). This way, the individuals would have then been able to immediately glorify God in what was going on.

This is not what happens in the dispensation of grace today. We are not promised to be protected from these things. Instead, it is pointed out how the signs have ceased and how we are appointed to suffer for His sake. This is why it is the grace of God which is going to be sufficient to get Paul, and us, through whatever situations we might be in. We can see how Paul identifies they way this works at the beginning of this same epistle:

2 Corinthians 1:3-7

Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; [4] Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. [5] For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. [6] And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. [7] And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.

We see from this passage Paul telling us God is the God of all comfort. No matter what it is we are going through in our lives, God is going to be able to provide comfort to us. This is something which individuals struggle with, especially when they are in the middle of something bad going on in their lives. There is a natural tendency to either turn to other things to try to provide comfort or attempts to blame God for whatever is going on in their lives. We are supposed to be looking to God to provide comfort to us.

When we are looking at things related to mental health, the Word of God provides comfort to those who are dealing with symptoms or the family members/friends who are trying to help someone in the moment. This source of comfort is there for us and also allows for us to be able to share things from the Word with others who need this same comfort so they can experience what God has provided for us.

Romans 8:38-39

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, [39] Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The Apostle Paul identifies here how there is nothing which can separate someone from the love of God when they are part of the Body of Christ. This includes things of the angelic realm, situations we are going through, anything which could possible be coming our lives, or even death. We have the guarantee of being part of the Body of Christ and this means we are always going to be part of the loves of God.

This is important to realize because individuals will start to think God does not love them when they are going through problems, such as experiencing the symptoms of their mental illness. God has made it clear there is nothing which is going to separate us from this. The line of thinking created by the thoughts of being separated creates more problems for the individual and can lead to exacerbating the symptoms someone is dealing with. It is important to realize God has extended love towards man and is not going to break this once they are identified in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Philippians 4:6-7

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. [7] And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

There is a power which is associated with prayer. Paul tells us we should pray about all things in our lives. While some people try to turn this into only spiritual things, we can see from the life of the Apostle Paul he prayed about everything and there are several examples from his epistles where he was praying for physical things. Prayer is important because it provides the peace of God related to things which we are going through. It does not matter what the issue is, we should be turning to God in prayer for the peace to be able to get through the situation.

Philippians 4:11-13

Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. [12] I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. [13] I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Verse 13 is often taken out of the context of what is being said. It is thrown on bumper stickers, t-shirts, coffee mugs, and anything else someone can sell to put this message out there. It is used to try to make it seem that a person can do anything, even things that are truly impossible to do, because the Lord Jesus Christ is giving them the ability to do it.

This is not the reality. The Lord Jesus Christ supplies all our need (Philippians 4:19), which is the strength to be able to get through the things which the Apostle Paul stated in the verses prior. We are able to go through all of these things in our lives because of the strength of the Lord Jesus Christ in us. This is why the Apostle Paul can state godliness with contentment is great gain (1 Timothy 6:6), as we are allowing Him to live through us to be able to get through life.

2 Corinthians 7:5-6

For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears. [6] Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus;

Having seen the position Paul was in when Titus was not there, it is encouraging to see how finally being able to be around him improved his mental state. This is important for us to note, as often individuals will want to withdraw themselves from others when they are feeling these symptoms. While this is the natural things for an individual to want, we need to be trying to do the exact opposite in order to have an improvement of where we are in our lives. This is a big part of why it is important for the members of the Body of Christ to be around each other.

Lastly, there are some things which are important for those who are family members or friends of those who are struggling with mental health issues. There are some things which we can do to help them:

Be there for them, no matter how much they may resist the idea of being around others

Be encouraging

Don't argue with them about the symptoms, downplay their intensity, or try to pretend they do not exist

Encourage the individual to participate in some activity

Pray for them