Session 15: How Should I Deal With Anxiety and Depression?

(Intro Music starts with first slide - read intro and move forward)

Welcome to Apologetics and the Gospel. My name is Pastor Jonathan White, and I am the Lead Pastor at CrossPointe Family Church in Winfield, WV as well as a practicing Emergency Medicine Physician.

Question for Today: How Should I Deal with Anxiety and Depression?

Today’s question is a relevant one for us today. The prevalence of anxiety and depression in our culture has been skyrocketing. Sadly, many in the church have been silent on the issue. In fact, Lifeway research found that almost 50% of pastors rarely or never speak about mental illness to their congregation (1). Today we want to address this topic as we always do - we want to look at the science and the Word of God.

So first off…

What is anxiety and depression?

These two diagnoses are very closely linked. Most people do not have isolated depression on anxiety. One seems to commonly lead to the other. And as we will see in a moment, there are some overlaps in symptom presentation.

I have broken these two down into the two major diagnoses

GAD - or generalized anxiety disorder (and)

MDD - or major depressive disorder.

These two overarching diagnoses have many of the symptoms that are common to most common mental health conditions. There are many subtypes of anxiety and depression such as phobias, PTSD, OCD, agoraphobia, panic disorder, dysthymia, and many others. But we will keep this presentation more simple because the heart of our question is how do we deal with these conditions.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Excessive worry

Anxious thoughts that are pervasive

Muscle tension

Concentration difficulty

Irritability

Energy loss

Restlessness

Sleep problems

Depression

Sleep problems

Little to no interest in doing pleasurable things

Unreasonable amounts of guilt

Decreased energy mentally and physically

Concentration difficulties

Appetite changes

Psychomotor agitation or retardation

Suicidal thoughts, plans, or behaviors

Now that we have a good understanding of what these two diagnoses are, let’s look at some epidemiology of these conditions.

Prevalence of Anxiety and Depression in the US

Per the NIH, an estimated 19.1% of U.S. adults have had an anxiety disorder over the past year (2021 data). The prevalence is almost twice that in females than males. 31% of adults experience an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives (2).

Also per the NIH, an estimated 8.3% of adults had at least one major depressive episode in the past year. This prevalence is also almost twice that in females compared to males (3).

Is Mental Health an Issue in the Church?

Absolutely. According to Lifeway Research, mental health is not only an issue in the church, but actually 23% of pastors acknowledge that they have personally struggled with a mental illness. (1)

How is the Church Doing in Supporting Persons with Mental Health Conditions?

53% of churchgoers with mental illness say the church has been supportive. (1)

We obviously have a way to go on this particular issue.

Now that we have an idea of how big of a problem this is, what should we recommend as treatment for anxiety and depression?

Medical Treatment for Anxiety and Depression

Modern medicine treats all mental health as an illness. Patients are often treated with medication and counseling is strongly encouraged.

Has Modern Medicine Missed the Mark?

There is great debate on this amongst conservative evangelicals. There are two camps that dig their heels in fairly deeply. There is the pro-medicine group that entirely agrees with modern medicine and sees all mental health as a disease process. Then there is the anti-medicine group that believes all mental health is a result of spiritual conditions and that medication is not warranted.

Which One is Right?

This topic is a loaded topic for both sides. Those who are pro-medicine and anti-medicine have very strong opinions on this issue. Yet, a scientific and Biblical study of this issue leaves us with an uncomfortable tension that makes it difficult to remain in either of the two camps.

Is Medicine the Only Answer to Cure This Problem?

According the NIH, the mind is a powerful thing. 20-40 out of 100 persons taking a placebo showed improvement of their depressive symptoms within 6-8 weeks. Compare this with 40-60 out of 100 persons taking an antidepressant noted improvement within 6-8 weeks. Although there is a trend towards improvement, there is a slight overlap there as well. This definitely shows that the medications are not as effective as they might be advertised.

I think it is obvious that medicine isn’t the only answer here. Most studies do tend to show that there is an effectiveness in certain people, but it also shows that there are other factors at play here as well.

Let’s see what the Word of God says about this topic.

1 Peter 5:7 ESV

casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

Proverbs 12:25 ESV

Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.

We see in these two verses that anxiety and depression are common experiences of people both ancient and modern. This isn’t a new phenomenon. People have been struggling with mental health for centuries.

We also see that God cares about us as we suffer and struggle:

Psalm 34:18 ESV

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

He responds with grace and mercy to those who struggle with mental health conditions. He is not far off - He is near.

The most important thing for us to address in regard to this particular issue first and foremost is answer the following question before going any further.

Do I Have Unconfessed Sin?

Proverbs 28:13 ESV

Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.

We will suffer if we do not repent of our sins - this means turn away from them. Once we have believed in Jesus Christ for salvation and repented of our sins, we stand uncondemned before Christ.

Romans 8:1 ESV

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Only after we are right with God and confessed our sins before Him can we truly answer this question. There are many people who are anxious, but it is because they have reason to be. If you are living in unrepentant sin then you will feel the weight of this.

Numbers 32:23 ESV

But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the Lord, and be sure your sin will find you out.

You will not be free when the chains of sins constrict your heart. But if you confess your sins…

1 John 1:9 ESV

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

After being sure you have dealt with your sin completely, then we must address the particular issue of anxiety and depression.

After the fall of man in the Garden seen in Genesis 3, sin entered the world and started ravaging our bodies. Cancer, diabetes, hypertension and other ailments began to befall mankind. It would be unwise to not understand that the sin of the world has effects on the brain chemistry of fallen mankind as well. Some of us have a shorter fuse than others. Some struggle with more addictive-like personalities. We are born into sin and this sin has negative effects on the whole of mankind.

In light of this truth, we must not ignore the fact that some people may very well benefit from medications. This should be done with wisdom and discernment and in situations in which other treatments have been attempted as well.

For the sake of clarity, I am going to put forth three pastoral recommendations regarding dealing with mental health conditions.

Pastoral Recommendations in Dealing with Mental Health Conditions:

1. You should first be in prayer and be sure to have confessed any unrepentant sin. Be sure that you are daily in the Word of God and prayer. Be sure that you are plugged into a local church and are fellowshipping with other believers. We are made to be a community of believers and we are called to encourage one another (Hebrews 10:25).

2. Biblical counseling is the next step. Find a Christian counselor who is all about the Word of God. There are some modern counseling techniques that have efficacy, but the most effective way of dealing with mental health is using the Bible. The Bible helps us renew our mind and fix our thinking that is out of line (Romans 12:1-2). The Bible also helps us learn to take captive thoughts that might lead us into darker places (2 Corinthians 10:5).

3. After praying and seeking the Holy Spirit, if there are still struggles that persist after fully investing much time in the first two steps, consider medication and be sure to have accountability partners to watch how it affects you. Avoid medications that are overly sedating as much as possible. Most people who fall into the category of needing medication have a family history of mental health conditions. Some who have persistent issues may have them because of life situations that are difficult. Some of these situations can be remedied and some cannot. Be sure that you have discussed these situations well with a Biblical counselor.

I hope that today’s session has been encouraging for you. I pray that we always address every topic with wisdom and discernment. We need to stand firm on the Word of God, but we also must avoid legalism and extra-Biblical biases.

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This presentation has been put together to strengthen the faith of believers and to challenge the unbelief of others. I pray that you have found this presentation helpful.

Also, please note that this 10-15 minute presentation cannot exhaustively address most issues. My prayer is that it stimulates you to personally research further, and I am assured that you will find the Word of God proven time and time again.

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Feel free to email any ideas you would like to see addressed by emailing me at [e-mail]. There are slides prepared for each of these presentations which can be accessed at our church website at crosspointefamily.church and select ATG. God bless and have a blessed week.