Being a thought leader is truly examining and researching a topic that
you can contribute to, that ignites you to search for the truth. (E. Spratto,
Foundations of Doctoral Study in Psychology, 2021). As a teen, struggling
with undiagnosed mental health disorders and having a relationship with
God, I've always brainstormed the thought of prayer and deep-rooted faith
being the cure of mental illnesses. I wondered about the relationship
between mental health in the black community and demonic
possession.+While my experiences with poor mental health were
negatively shaped by my environment, I began to look at mental health
from a new perspective. I feel the most led, by the Lord, to dismantle the
stigma attached to mental health within the Black community. The black
community is more likely to seek prayer and support from their church
than to seek professional help (i.e., therapists, counselors, etc.). However,
with the influx of African American people committing suicide, I wonder if
the statistics have changed.+
Although the Bible speaks indirectly about some common disorders
(suicide, anxiety, and depression), I truly believe that is the ending point
to where people get their thoughts about what is true. To begin attaching
the negative stigma to a population, and a profession, it begins with the
environment. The environment unto which you are taught and nurtured.
Parents who were raised within the church and now raise their children
within that same environment have a strong desire to seek support and
prayer from their pastor or spiritual leader, then to inquire about
professional mental health providers. Contrary to that, people tend to
layer the negative stigma based upon their direct or indirect personal
experiences. Those personal experiences may come from the indirect
experiences of others, their experience(s) within the mental health field,
or the denying factor of "I don't need a therapist."
The Bible gives clear instructions on what to do when you are faced with
one of these mental health concerns. The Bible also provides a sense of
commonality and relatability to the issues faced daily by other Believers.
For example, in 1 Kings 19:4, Elijah told the Lord that “It’s too much.”
Elijah then asked the Lord to take his life, suicidal ideation. One can
concur that Elijah was asking the Lord to do the manners, another can
argue that Elijah was asking the Lord to give the means to commit suicide.
This shows that other Believer's battle with suicide, as well. Furthermore,
we see scriptures giving notice to how to deal with anxiety. 1 Peter 5:7
states “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” Philippians
4:6-7 continues with “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every
situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests
to God.” These scriptures are encouraging people to activate their highest
level of faith to get to God’s promises. While doing so, it is neglecting the
biological and physiological state of a human. Using these scriptures as
motivation to overcome your challenges is ideal. However, when we are
solely basing our health on the scriptures and prayers from our leaders,
we tend to find ourselves in a cycle. One may find healing and
deliverance, while another may find themselves with more questions than
they started with. Therapeutic work, with a counselor, therapist, or
psychologist will allow you to process and dissect the root causes of your
issues and obstacles. Therapy will allow you to take charge of your life
and the way you want to live it, by using therapeutic approaches and
theories. If the body of Christ prays for the issues, that does not give us
the cause of that issue. With prayer and mental health, comes healing.
I tend to think that spiritual support and mental health counseling are
great partners. While one is on their healing journey in therapy, they have
their spiritual environment to help carry them through. My thought leader
fire has been ignited.
+
References:
Montgomery, A. (2020, July 20).+Why black churches need to do better
with mental health issues. NAMI. Retrieved October 28, 2021, from
https://www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/July-2020/Why-Black-Churches-
Need-to-Do-Better-with-Mental-Health-Issues.
Spratto, E. (2021).+What is a Ph.D.?++[video file]. Retrieved
from+https://canvas.liberty.edu/courses/122994/pages/watch-what-is-a-ph-
dot-d?module_item_id=17172111
American Bible Society. (2000).+The Holy Bible, containing the old and
new testaments.
