Mental Health Myths

For years now, I’ve had the honor of getting to counsel people in my office at the Renewing Life Center. I have had hundreds of people talk to me about their mental health and I’ve noticed something. There are a lot of myths out there about mental health, and a lot of people believe them.

I think it’s important that we destroy these myths. So, see if you have any of these.

Myth 1: I’m the only one with these issues.

So many keep their struggle a secret because of a belief that “I’m the only one who’s like this; other people wouldn’t understand.” No. For instance, did you know it’s estimated that 37 million Americans now take anti-depressants.[1] That’s over 10% of the people in our country. And many with depression won’t seek the help they need. And those numbers are only for depression. There’s so many more who are struggling with so many other mental health issues.

You are not alone.

Myth 2: Mental health issues are not issues if you love God.

Some people believe true believers don’t have mental health issues, but that’s simply not true.

Read through the pages of the Bible and you see that true believers like Elijah, David, Isaiah, and Jeremiah walked through despair, depression and discouragement.

Just because we’re Christians does not mean that we are healthy. We need to stop assuming mental health and start pursuing mental health.

Myth 3: Your faith is broken if you have these issues.

No. It’s not. Struggling with mental health issues does not mean you don’t have enough faith, or your faith is broken. It means you’re human. In fact, I mentioned heroes of the Bible who struggled. We also see it in heroes of the faith since the Bible was written. People you’ve probably heard of, like Martin Luther, Charles Spurgeon, Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King and many respected pastors today.

If you struggle with mental health issues, God is not shocked. He’s not dismayed or disgusted. He loves you. He can still use you.

Myth 4: Your faith can fix these issues.

Faith is so important, but faith does not fix everything. We know that. If you break a bone, the answer is not faith. You need a surgeon to mend what’s broken. And if you have mental health issues, being a Christian – alone – does not fix it.

Myth 5: God doesn’t care about these issues.

Yes, He does. Of course, He does, because He cares about you. He loves you. And so, He cares about your struggles. He cares about mental health issues. That’s why He made sure they are in the Bible. For instance, Psalms is the biggest book in the Bible. Psalms were the prayers and songs of God’s people. Some have themes of praise and thanksgiving. But even more they describe feelings of anguish, anxiety, anger, despondency, depression. And the Psalms were inspired by God. They are God-breathed. God wanted each of them in the Bible. Why? Because He loves us and wants us to know that to be human is to struggle, and that He cares.

Myth 6: God doesn’t understand these issues.

You might think, Well, He may care, but He doesn’t understand.

Actually, He does. He does because He became human. We read in Hebrews 4:15-16, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

Jesus went through the kinds of things we go through. He understood emotions. In fact, some Bible scholars estimate we see – in the gospels – Jesus experience 39 different emotions. We see Jesus deal with frustration, fear, disgust, distress, empathy, joy, anxiety, anger.

It means God understands and we see in those verses in Hebrews that He’s inviting us to come close we can approach Him with confidence to receive mercy and help.

Myth 7: God can’t help me with these issues.

You may be cynical. Maybe God understands, but He can’t help. But He can. There’s another verse in Hebrews that says of Jesus, “Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested” (Hebrews 2:17-18).

God can help. So many people have experienced that. In fact, I have. That’s why I’m a counselor today. And through counseling, I get to see others experience the life-changing help of God every day.

There is hope.

God is hope.

He can help you, if you want it. Jesus once asked a suffering man, “Do you want to get well?” (John 5:6).

If you want to get well, God can help you find healing so you can experience mental health.

And remember, we at the Renewing Life Center are always here for you to walk with you in that direction. Call if you want to learn more or set up an appointment: 702-434-7290.

Jennifer Antonucci, M.A., LMFT, LCADC

[1] https://journalnow.com/more-than-37-million-americans-take-antidepressants-authors-say/article_36f2f74b-e268-5731-bdc0-d92a036d2cd4.html