Mental Health and Faith - Paperback

by Daniel Y. Élida Rota (Author)

It is an illusion to think that simply being Christians makes us immune to mental illness.

This is a crucial book that provides a biblical yet scientific analysis of the relationship between contemporary crises of depression, addiction and anxiety and God's call to Christian experience and ministry.

Mental Health and Faith provides a prevention and treatment plan for those Christians who understand that not all mental health challenges are spiritual in nature, though they undoubtedly affect the spirit of individuals and their environment.

We know that God created the principles and laws that govern our entire being, and science seeks to discover and understand them. God has also revealed many things about human nature in the Scriptures. Therefore, the science of mental health and Christianity should not be seen as antagonistic. The challenge we face today is not choosing between faith and science; rather, we need both.

In this book, we present guidelines for preserving and improving mental health, as well as a set of skills and competencies that are useful in counseling and ministering to Christians who experience mental health disorders. We also describe the boundary between a spiritual issue and a situation that requires psychological or psychiatric help, because treating a person with a mental illness as solely a spiritual or behavioral problem would be a mistake. We debunk prejudices, challenge misconceptions, and explain truths about the experiences of Christians with mental illnesses.