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Exposing Psychology, Exalting Christ |
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| Can Psych Drugs "Even Out" Your Brain's Chemistry?Question: I was looking at the latest [July] newsletter and followed the link to pastor Cole's website. I think his answers to all of the 13 common questions were great...with the exception of the one regarding psych drugs. I realize in the paragraphs that follow.. he gives cautions and conditions... but one comment he made bugs me. I know you aren't responsible for his opinions... but you did link to his page so that gives you some responsibility... I'm not ragging... I just was taken back because the rest of the page was so good... and then he wrote "There are some situations where medication can even out a person’s brain chemistry so that they become more "normal" or rational. In such cases, we should gratefully use modern medicine, just as we take antibiotics to get over infections." I have a problem with that statement... as I think you do as well. In your chapter in your book about whether or not we can trust psych as a science or not... you rightfully point out that there is no quantifiable way to diagnose mental illness... unless you want to say simply that because a person exhibits certain behaviors that he/she has a certain disorder (which I know you don't agree with). The article you reference from pastor Cole was written over 10 years ago... and even now with our most up to date studies and information... there is no evidence that a person has a chemical imbalance that can be shown medically or scientifically.... only behaviorally. Therefore, pastor Cole's statement that psych drugs can even out our brain chemistry is not true or provable and brain chemistry can only be measured by change in behavior. Which is not a valid reason for a Christian to take drugs. If I smoke pot... I will be easier to get along with and much more mellow ... give me Percocet and I'm sure you'd like me better and I might like myself better ... but that doesn't make it okay! Not to mention, that psych drugs ... like other drugs ... may impair our ability to communicate with God for several reasons that I don't have time to elaborate on here. --KB, Pastor, Internet Answer: Thank you for your email and for pointing out Pastor Cole's statement about psych drugs in his 13-questions web page included in last month's newsletter. You are correct in that while his questions and answers about psychotherapy were right-on biblically, the answer in question #11 leaves the door open for Christians to take psych drugs to "even out a person's brain chemistry." We believe a Christian should never take psych drugs, considering the research on psychotropics from books written by ethical psychiatrists and Lisa's experiences working in psych wards. As you have noted, no evidence exists today that chemical imbalances in the brain cause mental disorders. What is worse, no testing is done at prescription showing a chemical imbalance, and there is no assurance that the drugs will help but plenty of cases where the drugs have done great harm (see http://www.drugawareness.org/Archives/Survivors/survivor_index.html). Our position on psych drugs and depression-related problems is best summarized in the following response we sent to a reader recently who was suffering from depression and taking psychotropics: It sounds like you've been through some difficult times in your bouts with depression. But we think it's important to stick to the facts about these drugs. You have no doubt read chapter 10 of our book, where we quote bold and compassionate psychiatrists who are admitting that psychotropic drugs are treating a chemical imbalance in the brain that has NEVER been shown to exist. The psych drug push in this culture is not based on science, but profits. When your doctor prescribed this drug to you, he had no idea what that drug would do to your brain. His only source of information was from a drug company salesperson who is using in-house test data, which is frequently skewed to pass FDA testing. This corrupt practice has been exposed in some occasions. In fact you could have committed suicide from taking the drug - the FDA now admits this and is forcing all major drug manufacturers to place a warning label to that effect. The doctor you mentioned who struggled with depression, stopped taking medication, and tragically committed suicide months later, very likely did so because a common withdrawal symptom of antidepressants is suicide. It wasn't the depression that caused the suicide, but the drug itself. This is because the drug permanently alters your brain chemistry. When the drug is abruptly taken away, the brain malfunctions and suicide, homicide and permanent psychosis can result. No one knows for sure what these drugs do to the brain (only rat testing is allowed), so millions of Americans are guinea pigs playing Russian Roulette with their very lives. Fortunately, by God's grace, the drug did nothing more than numb you to the feelings of depression you once had. If your doctor were to have shown you test results of what chemical you were lacking, how much of it you were lacking, and where in the brain you were lacking it, then by all means take a drug if it is a legitimate physical problem. But no testing exists like this today. The psych industry has turned a once purely mental problem into a physical one (after they realized the ineffectiveness of pure talk therapies), and is getting away with it without a shred of proof that physical problems are the culprit. So bottom line, if depression has not been proven to be chemical/physiological, and therefore is only mental/spiritual, then if it doesn't have to do with something practical (diet, exercise, sleep, etc.), it falls under the Holy Spirit's jurisdiction. 2 Peter 1:3 says that God's divine power has given us ALL things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who has called us by His own glory and virtue. We know that means God is enough - we don't need psych drugs to handle mental/spiritual problems. Getting back to your situation, did you ever consider your depression could have been from other reasons, such as lack of exercise, bad diet, not enough sleep, spiritual warfare, sadness over a sinful world, temptation, etc.? Sorry if we are asking dumb questions here. But these are very valid reasons for depression. A dark cloud hanging over you sounds a lot like spiritual oppression. If you love God's Word and are preaching the gospel and saving and sanctifying souls, this kind of oppression should be expected. I (Ryan) feel this kind of oppression at times, and I know it's from the enemy and it's normal for those in ministry. In my opinion, taking psych drugs will only open me up and allow Satan to have more influence upon me. Let us ask another question that may seem insensitive: who says depression is always bad? In our happy-all-the-time, pleasure-seeking U.S. culture, we tend to think depression is to be avoided at all costs. But God may allow us to enter times of depression for a season to show Himself strong in our weakness. This could have been a valley in your spiritual life that God could have allowed to prepare you for the next spiritual mountaintop in your ministry. It's so easy for us to listen to our feelings instead of our faith. I'm sure Paul got depressed over all the hardships he faced in life (2 Cor. 11:23-29) and the thorn in his side (2 Cor. 12:7-8), but the Lord's grace was sufficient for him (2 Cor. 12:9). His conclusion? "Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Cor. 12:10). What about all the martyrs throughout history and in the 10/40 window today who are dying for their faith, and whose family members are being kidnapped, raped and killed before their eyes, just because they are Christians? Isn't God's grace sufficient for them? Or do they now need psych drugs too?
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