Friday, July 8, 2011

Does Christianity fail the clinically depressed?

I attended a pentacostal church regularly in Australia for about 10 years and suffered from depression and severe social anxiety stemming I think from developmental dyspraxia at birth. From my earliest memories I was uncoordinated (couldnt catch a ball to save myself) and socially hopeless (couldnt mix with other kids). Dyspraxia can affect connections in the unborn childs brain leading to the areas affected not functioning properly - hence my problems. This was compounded by the normal growing up process as these 'faults' caused me to feel very inferior and ashamed - and that led to bullying and trauma. So by the time I was an adult I had a lot of difficulties coping with life - but was very 'judged' for it - I learnt not to mention it at all for fear of a very ugly reaction from others. After a breakdown in my early 20s I was very 'ground down' & found my way through a friend to that church. I hoped to be loved for myself not judged on externals as I was 'outside' but I found I was marginalised and largelly unapreciated. I found a small handful of parishioners actually knew what love was. God never let me down. But it was cliquey based on confidence and externals. I felt that a self congratulating attitude existed that ignored vast swathes of the Bible - things like not judging, loving your neighbour. When years later I finally was able to try and discuss my problems with my Christian friends I was devasted to find they were interpreted in much the same way as in Greg Evans article. It was all my fault - I had the wrong attitude - I 'bore no fruit'. Some of these attitudes towards the mentally ill belong back in the witch burning era - for the sake of many who come to church in Australia they need to be reassessed in light of what the Bible actually says - and enough of the 'i'm perfect - it must be your fault' attitude.

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