When You Should Consider Medications For Treatment Of Problematic Emotions

1)  When non-medication approaches such as Biblical Counseling, using Christian Resources, diet and exercise have been tried and have not resulted in the remission of severe symptoms. When those symptoms are so severe that you are significantly impaired in your capacity to function and fulfill your primary roles and responsibilities (parent, spouse, church member, student, employee).

1. 2)  When symptoms are so severe that your capacity to understand, process, and interact with Biblical truth is greatly impaired.

2. 3)  When symptoms are so severe that the functioning of your body is significantly impaired as to keep you from fulfilling your necessary life sustaining responsibilities.
   (sleep, appetite, severe fatigue)

3. 4)  When you are dangerous to yourself or others.

4. 5)  When there is adequate evidence to believe that the symptoms result from organic/medical causes and safer non-medical approaches have not resulted in significant easing of symptoms.

   Clues that suggest a possible physical cause for depression

1. 1)  You are over age forty

2. 2)  There is no history of previous problems with depression

3. 3)  Your circumstances are largely unchanged and yet you are depressed

4. 4)  You are taking prescription drugs

Things to keep in mind when deciding whether or not to use medications

1. 1)  Medications can facilitate cognitive, emotional, and even behavioral changes but they cannot change the human heart.

   Medications can play a role in change but they cannot produce spiritual change.

   Medications cannot produce trust or obedience or confidence in Christ. Even where meds are “working” they are functioning like aspirin – reducing symptoms but not dealing with root causes.

   There is no evidence that anti-depressants treat specific chemical deficiencies that cause depression in people, but there is evidence that these drugs can change some depressive symptoms in some people.

   2)  You should realize that to assume or believe that your problems are fundamentally biologically caused, may unwittingly result in a neglect of discovering other potential causes.

   Purely biological explanations oversimplify mood problems
   and can create a rush to medicine and the neglect of other key contributions to the problem.

   3)  In all cases, you should not view medication as salvific or even curative,
   but view them instead as a common grace of God to reduce symptoms or suffering.
   If medications reduce symptoms one should then work on non-medical means of dealing with the problem

   and then consider reducing or withdrawing from medication. Changes in medications should only be done upon consultation with and direction of a physician.

   4)  In all cases, decisions to take medications or not are wisdom decisions, therefore you should make this decision with a heart subjected to God, prayerfully seeking the wisdom that comes from above and also through consultation with wise pastors, family members,

   and physicians.