Skam.
Jag har kännt mycket skam över att jag behöver ta antidepressiva....detta trots att jag verkligen försökt att inte känna så...Och trots att jag inte ser ner på andra som tar det. Men ändå. Jag är ju kristen. "Det tomma hålet" är fyllt. Livet har en mening. Min existens är inte slump. Jag har allt jag behöver. Så varför är jag då så "otacksam" att jag inte bara kan slappna av och njuta av det?
Denna artikel som en vän skickade till mig har gett mig en del tröst. Den heter "5 things christians should know about depression and anxiety" och den presenterar sin tes i 5 punkter. Nedan ett kortare sammandrag:
1. Depression isn't what the church sometimes makes it out to be.
"It's not a character defect, a spiritual disorder or an emotional dysfunction. And chief of all, it's not a choice. Such an attitude can dangerously appear in the Church as, “if only you had enough faith.”
2. Mentall illness is not a sin.
"What happens when mental illness is treated as an unconfessed, unaddressed sin is alienation. Viewing depression as a sin in and of itself prevents individuals from seeking treatment."
3. The Bible doesn't provide "easy answers".
"The Word is full of wisdom and encouragement for those suffering from depression and anxiety disorders, but it doesn't come in one-verse doses. “Be anxious for nothing” and “do not worry about your life” can easily be taken out of context, which is problematic."
4. Anxiety and depression doesn't look how we often think.
"Depressed people become really good at hiding their symptoms, even from doctors, because of the stigma attached to the illness"
5. Strong churches don't "fix" depression.
"Most churches probably have the very best intentions when dealing with issues of mental illness. Like the rest of society, however, the Church may misinterpret these clinical conditions and respond to them in ways that exacerbate them—and as a result, demoralize those suffering."
