I just wanted to share with you two wonderful stories of how God heals. I won’t give specifics, but in the past few years I worked with two different individuals who were suffering with severe anxiety and depression. Through counseling and medication both of these people improved significantly, however, there was still a bit of trepidation in both that they were only managing their symptoms, not completely healed. I believe that both assessed their personal situation correctly. I learned a couple of things in my counseling education and through experience:
1. Medicine helps manage the symptoms of depression and anxiety. The goal is to use medication in order to improve enough to work on the core issue causing the symptoms or to work on improving independent coping skills in case a relapse of the symptoms occur. If you only use medicine, and do not get counseling or work on steps to resolve the core issue, there is an approximate 80% relapse rate once you discontinue the medicine. Medicine is only required as an ongoing treatment in infrequent situations where these conditions may be chronic. Therefore you should be able to work on coping skills and problem resolution such that ongoing medication is not required.
2. In many cases we can work on coping skills and/or blocking out our problems in order to improve our functioning. In other words, we bury our problems so we can get back to a place where we can do the things we need to do to survive. Things get better for awhile and then something triggers a relapse. We then go through the cycle again. We can feel better, but the situation/core issue is lying dormant within us.
In both of the cases mentioned above, the individuals had independent God experiences where they were totally healed. They had been praying and praying for healing. They had worked the medicine appropriately and diligently worked through the counseling process. Both made significant progress and were able to progress in their life towards their personal goals. However, they felt that there was still depression and anxiety dormant within them waiting to rear it’s ugly head at the most inopportune times. This occured until God completely answered their prayers and delivered them from the oppression of depression and anxiety.
I wanted to share these stories with you to provide anyone who struggles with depression or anxiety with a sense of HOPE. God’s timing isn’t always our timing. He doesn’t always move upon our first prayer or even in the way that we think He should. But where modern medicine or counseling may fall short, God’s mighty healing hand may complete the process. I became a Christian counselor because I didn’t know how to help people without relying on God and His healing. These two individuals called me to share with me their stories of deliverance and how they know it is a gift from God.
So if you are still struggling with depression or anxiety my friends would advise from their personal experience to:
- keep taking the medication and/or counseling that professionals have advised.
- seek a closer relationship with God and follow His ways.
- keep praying even if it hasn’t worked so far.
- have hope in the knowledge that our God has the power to heal and the mercy to help us.
I want to add a disclaimer as some who read this may be receiving medication and treatments for a variety of different mental health issues. Please continue with any treatment that your professional provider has advised. This post is merely to encourage those who may be suffereing, that God is the ultimate healer and even if His timing hasn’t matched our desire, that we still have personal testimonies and God’s Word that we can still put our HOPE in Him.
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