Posts Tagged ‘mental illness’
Should those with mental illness be treated as shut-ins?
Question: Dear Sir, Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ! Sometimes, people with clinically diagnosed mental illnesses, like MDD, anxiety disorders, bipolar, etc., have episodes. They don’t want to go to church because they feel judged and misunderstood. Sadly, some of them don’t feel safe while in the church because some of their triggers happen…
Read MoreIs mental illness a spiritual or physical condition?
Question: Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ! I am very grateful to God for having found your site, and I have been learning a lot. What I like most is that your answers are teachings from the Bible and not just your own opinion. May God continually bless you, guide you, and give you…
Read MoreDoes God save people who develop Alzheimer’s?
Question: Dear Brother Hamilton, My sister has a friend who has been a lesbian all her adult life. This friend now has Alzheimer’s. Will she now be saved because she can no longer decide to follow Christ? I’m wondering who qualifies as the mentally ill who will be saved. Answer: You are ignoring the fact…
Read MoreGenetic Link Between Marijuana Use and Psychiatric Disorders
Source: “Shared Genetics for Cannabis Use and Psychiatric Disorders,” Neuroscience News, 21 May 2023. “Researchers discovered shared genetic underpinnings for cannabis use and psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.” “Some genetic variants can have opposing effects – increasing risk of cannabis use while decreasing the risk of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.” “These findings may…
Read MoreInsecurity
by Matthew W. Bassford The other night, I dreamed about my high-school crush. This was strange; I haven’t had any contact with her for a quarter century. Perhaps my life is passing before my eyes in slow motion. It did remind me, though, of the way things went with her. She was interested in me…
Read MoreCan a narcissist make it to heaven?
Question: Can a narcissist make it to heaven after they die? I read that they lack the empathy and love that God expects from us. It’s also proven to be a mental illness for which there is no cure, therefore no true repentance can take place. But God says all sins are forgiven except for…
Read MoreIs the Bible not recommended for mental health?
Question: Greetings, I was told by a psychologist the Word of God (the Bible) is not recommended for mental health. If this is not true, may I please have some biblical evidence please? Answer: “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according…
Read MoreThe Link Between Depression and Serotonin Questioned
Source: Joanna Moncrieff and Mark Horowitz, “Depression is probably not caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain – new study,” The Conversation, 20 July 2022. [I’m posting this to demonstrate that even in areas where people have been certain of the answers, they find that things are not always as they seem to be -…
Read MoreWould God throw me away because I’m mentally disabled?
Question: I am disabled (Autism, SchizoAffective, and BiPolar Type 2) and on disability. Does that mean God isn’t pleased with me? I know the verse “He who doesn’t work ought not eat”. I’ve been mulling this over a lot. My attitude toward it has been even though I don’t work to earn money if anyone…
Read MoreHow do we know for sure that the mentally disabled don’t need to be baptized?
Question: Hello, I have a question. How do we know for sure that the mentally disabled don’t need to be baptized? Nowhere in the Bible does it talk about them being baptized nor not being. A lot of people use the Scriptures and of the disciples not letting the children come to see him, and…
Read MoreHow can I go to church when I have a schizoaffective disorder?
Question: I found your website recently and have been uplifted by your responses to the questions under the mental health topic. So I decided to ask you one too. I have been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. I’ve had severe symptoms for over ten years, starting at the age of 40. At the time that I…
Read MoreI suffer from mental illness. Was my baptism legitimate?
Question: Much love to the Brethren at La Vista and to you brother. You heard from me a few years ago. My situation is much better than before, but I still have struggles and questions. I suffer from Autism, SchizoAffective, and BiPolar Type 2. Recently, I was rebaptized as I felt like it was needed…
Read MoreHow do I help a mentally ill parent?
Question: Hello, Thank you for all of the work that you do to inform people about what the Bible has to say about various matters. I need some help trying to understand my role in a situation dealing with my mother. I have a 70-year-old mother who is physically disabled (she has all of her…
Read MoreDo I have to keep vows that I make because of my compulsive disorder?
Question: Hi, I would first like to mention that I often struggle with compulsive or intrusive thoughts. An issue that I’ve particularly been dealing with is a compulsion to condemn myself by making “deals” with God. These thoughts would often range from “If I do (random activity), then God please to that”. Recently I was…
Read MoreI feel like I’m supposed to marry this guy, but I don’t want to
Question: Hello. I am a girl who has been having anxieties and no freedom in my mind. There is a guy at church who I don’t want to marry, but it seems like he likes me and I don’t. I am not attracted to him at all. It’s been a battle in me where I…
Read MoreIs Satan behind mental illnesses?
Questions: Hello, I was flipping through the pages of a small book filled with handwritten verses loved ones made for me when I was in the psychiatric hospital. I still read through it from time to time, and tonight I found a small piece of paper tucked in a hard-to-notice spot. It’s in my mom’s…
Read MoreInconsistent Treatment of Transgenderism
Source: Michelle Cretella, “I’m a Pediatrician. Here’s What I Did When a Little Boy Patient Said He Was a Girl.” The Daily Signal, 11 December 2017. “Biological sex is not assigned. Sex is determined at conception by our DNA and is stamped into every cell of our bodies. Human sexuality is binary. You either have a…
Read MoreI put a lot of pressure on myself
Question: I put a lot of pressure on myself to do things right. I sometimes think of rules that sound plausible, and because they sound plausible I follow them. As an example the “Bible says to be responsible with money, so you can’t buy anything that’s unnecessary.” This causes a lot of anxiety and makes…
Read MoreGod doesn’t want me
Question: Hello, I had romantic feelings for a woman who goes to the same church as I do. She used to work where I do and I talked to her every day. But then she got fired and she moved away for several months. Recently, she moved back. I wrote her a letter expressing…
Read MoreShould I see a doctor about my OCD?
Question: Hello, This whole year has been quite a nightmare. At the beginning of this year, I started to realize how I wasn’t living the right way. I wanted to start making changes in my life and be a better Christian. In hindsight, I went about it the wrong way. I was trying to “be…
Read MoreDoes my anxiety mean I don’t have a relationship with Jesus?
Question: I have been diagnosed with clinical anxiety. I have been anxious all my life but recently it became extreme to the point of shaking and freezing. I am always asking the question “What if and what will thus be the result of it.” I am very involved in several activities at the Lord’s church…
Read MoreThank you for your compassion, wisdom, and biblical guidance
Question: I thank you for your compassion, wisdom, and biblical guidance in regards to a person suffering from intrusive thoughts they feared were vows. Answer: You’re welcome.
Read MoreI’m so lonely that I look at pornography at times
Question: Hi! You have a great site. I’ve used it many times over the years, and I’ve listened to the sermons. Two questions: I have a problem. I don’t feel lust, but I end up looking at women on sites — usually those with clothes on. I think it comes from loneliness and wanting to…
Read MoreHow do I stop compulsive handwashing?
Question: I am suffering from a problem of excessive hand washing. I wash my hands for hours after using the toilet or touching private parts. I fear touching things which I touched earlier with dirty hands and wash and rub my body again and again after having sex. I’m not bothered about about germs, but I…
Read MoreOvercoming Emotional Problems
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/OvercomingEmotionalProblems.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Philippians 4:4-9 I. It is a simple idea; so simple, you probably think it is obvious. Yet, the ramifications are far reaching. A. How we think influences our emotions 1. It is profound because the world sees it the other way around. 2. In the world emotions dictates behavior and thought. B. Anxiety…
Read MoreMarijuana and Mental Illness
Source: Alex Berenson, “Marijuana, Mental Illness, and Violence,” Imprimis, vol. 48, no. 1, Jan 2019 “They’ve told you marijuana has many different medical uses. In reality marijuana and THC, its active ingredient, have been shown to work only in a few narrow conditions. They are most commonly prescribed for pain relief. But they are rarely tested…
Read MoreWhy doesn’t God give me my sanity back?
Question: I became a member of the Lord’s church back when I was 14, and I was faithful until mental illness struck me when I was 16. I tried to live faithfully, but I started feeling that I was never good enough for God. At times I would purposefully do the wrong things because I…
Read MoreCan I treat promises I fear as void and non-binding?
Question: Hello again! I’ve been wondering: since I suffer from OCD, then are all my promises, which I’m struggling to avoid, nullified the very moment I make them? The problem is that I’m having trouble knowing when my OCD mind is playing games with me or when it’s really me making these promises. I’ve read…
Read MoreI find your article on why suicide is a sin to be completely unsympathetic and untrue
Question: I feel compelled by God to send you these words of enlightenment. As a Christian person who suffers from deep depression (on medication and under a doctor’s care), I find your article to be completely unsympathetic and untrue. There are many, many other Christian writings out there that contradict what you have written. To me,…
Read MoreI’ve suffered from OCD too
Question: I was searching for answers to my mental condition, and I came across your site. I read the story of a person who was worried about a certain problem. I’ve suffered the same thing since 2007. I’ve been on medication since then. The medication does help, but it’s not a cure for OCD thoughts,…
Read MoreI have had guilt since I let an escort do oral sex on me
Question: Hello, The other day I spent the night with an escort but did not have sex. I am still a virgin in my 30’s. I did, however, receive protected oral sex for several minutes. Since then I have had immense guilt over it. I have had depression since I was a teenager and have…
Read MoreI compulsively wash my hands
Question: Hi, I am a very strong believer in Christ. He has my whole heart and soul. I have very strong faith in Him. I have seen miracles that He performs. I have severe OCD. It happens when I read the Bible, take communion, fast, and prayer. I get all these twisted thoughts in my…
Read MoreHow do I make good choices when I am bipolar?
Question: Hi, I do try to be a Christian, but I slip up a lot. My fellow brothers and sisters know I’ve been battling alcohol for a while and battling bipolar too. I don’t want to sin, but I slip up drinking, thinking it would help me with my bipolar. I get tired of my…
Read MoreIs God telling me to kill everyone around me?
Question: I am really struggling with worry. My biggest worry in life is ending up in hell. I read lots of questions and answers on your site, and it makes me more worried than ever. I wish I knew what the to-do list was for each day. So as long as somebody follows the to-do…
Read MoreI’m not sure if my thoughts are sin
Question: I saw a website that makes going to heaven seem really difficult. I have religious OCD and I get blasphemous thoughts constantly and repent all day long. Some of the thoughts feel like I want them. What should I do? If I’m not sure if my thoughts are really sins, so I ignore them,…
Read MoreI don’t know if these thoughts are God’s or not
Question: I need an answer. I’m bipolar, and I have all kinds of thoughts and feelings. I don’t know if it’s God or not. I argue with my husband a lot about this. Answer: “”For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD” (Isaiah 55:8). Just because you…
Read MoreShould I take medication for my bipolar disorder?
Question: Greetings Brother, I have been reading your site for some months since I was investigating the church of Christ, and I was baptized about six months ago. Your articles on marijuana and drinking have been a great encouragement to me and have helped me walk my thoughts through the Scriptures in making some decisions.…
Read MoreAre vows made because of OCD compulsions to be kept?
Question: Hello, I have a question about OCD and the Bible. I have been a member of the church of Christ for about five years. I have been diagnosed with OCD and most of my issues revolve around my faith. I went for a few years undiagnosed and untreated because I didn’t know what was…
Read MoreThank you for your article on religious obsessive-compulsive disorders
Question: Hello, I would just like to thank you for your article on religious obsessive-compulsive disorders that I just stumbled upon. For years I have been suffering from this condition without realizing that it was a real condition, and thinking that I was the only person who had some of the thoughts you listed. I couldn’t…
Read MoreI had a relapse of my schizoaffective disorder and I fear I did something wrong
Question: Hello, I have schizoaffective disorder. I have had a recent relapse. I encountered many disturbing occurrences of racing thoughts and hallucinations from the enemy, and I did not do well. I rebuked and prayed, but I feel broken and lost like I did something wrong. I have been a Christian for many years, but…
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