Page 129 - Biblical Counseling II-Textbook

Study Section 18: Mental Illness
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke
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upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for
your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
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18.1 Connect

Read the following three different examples of mental illness:

When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. “Lord, have
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mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the
fire or into the water. I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.” “You unbelieving
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and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with
you? Bring the boy here to me.” Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was
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healed at that moment. Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive
it out?” He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a
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mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be
impossible for you.” Matthew 17:14-20.

Depression: “I know what it’s like to be laying on the bathroom floor, eyes swollen, tears streaming
down my face, certain that the pain will never end,” Ostermann explains. “Not able to see the light at
the end of the tunnel—to be sad for no reason other than not being able to help it.”

Anxiety: “I didn’t want to be seen as a ‘crazy person,’ so I suffered in silence for years,” says 31-year-old
NYC resident Stephanie Morris, who recalls initially denying her anxiety symptoms when they first
appeared in her early twenties. “I would wake up daily with anxiety attacks,” she says. “My mind would
race, and I would often be paralyzed.” Her symptoms also included regular meltdowns in her work
bathroom as well as a host of others like dizziness, shakiness, shortness of breath, fatigue, and rashes.

18.2 Objectives

1. Students should be able to explain what characterizes a mental illness.

2. Students should be able to summarize mental disorders from section.

3. Students should be able to describe how the church can help those with mental
Illness.

18.3 Mental Illness

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) There are many different mental disorders,
with different presentations or appearances. They are generally characterized by a
combination of abnormal thoughts, perceptions, emotions, behavior and relationships with
others.

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