I was contacted by my dear sister in Christ, by profession a psychiatric nurse, who would like to share her thoughts based on her work with so-called mentally ill patients. Please read carefully and consider what she described below. Please, remember, there is one God who has all power over all things. If you do not believe in Him, ask for revelation of Christ and showing you the truth. However, I do not advise you to stop taking medications suddenly if you are already taking them. They are serious medications and cannot just be stopped one day. There are several side effects if you do, so consider it and always do it gradually with the approval of your doctor if you really feel you are free from your problems. I am not taking any responsibility for your decision, please remember that. May God of all comfort guide you in your steps.

Concerning the use/dependence of psychotropic drugs/antidepressants vs. dependence upon God.

Out of a sincere concern for the spiritual well-being of others, I want to share some of my ideas and personal experiences concerning this subject. I understand that I am strongly opinionated on this issue, however, I also feel that my opinions have been formed over many years and are based upon factual and verifiable information. Please take the ideas which I am about to share and use them to make informed decisions for yourself in this area.

I would like to start this with a short briefing on my background, as I feel it is pertinent to help understand some of the things which I am about to write. After completing some schooling in the area of nursing, I went into the work-field as a very medically–minded person. I have held to the typical ideologies that most doctors and nurses hold to concerning health and wellness and for the most part, I still do. However, in 2004 I became a Christian and the Lord radically changed my perspective on the issue of Mental Health.

Undoubtedly, psychological and emotional distresses are a very real problem for many people. The DSM contains hundreds of definitions for a mental health diagnosis. These diagnoses can range from depression to anxiety, to behavior disorders, to complete insanity. We have been told that an imbalance of the brain chemicals serotonin and dopamine are responsible for these types of issues. We are told that by taking various pharmaceutical drugs these imbalances can be corrected, yet, most of the time what we find in the individuals who take these types of prescriptions, are that these issues become far more problematic for people rather than healing. There have been absolutely no studies completed showing that a chemical imbalance is to blame for these types of symptoms. Nor is there any form of testing available to verify any type of imbalance or to demonstrate any type of improvement when using these medications. In fact, it is actually well-documented that the instances of death by suicide in these individuals increases dramatically along with a whole list of other debilitating side effects. Some of which include but are not limited to, nausea/vomiting, loss of appetite, changes in mood or mental state, hearing voices, hallucinations, nightmares, feelings of dullness/disconnected. All of these side effects along with others can be found listed on the package inserts that come with these drugs.

In my early days as a Christian, I was working at a behavioral health medical center. Most of my patients arrived at the facility with a 72-hour court hold for a psychiatric evaluation. Some were discharged after a few days, while others were there for several weeks or even months in some cases. After working there for only a short time, it became very obvious to me that many of my patients seemed to have a strange spiritual connection with God and spoke of Him often. I just assumed that this was the Lord’s way of letting the mentally incompetent know that there indeed was a God. Little did I know at the time, that what they were saying about God was actually quite blasphemous and foul. As a new Christian, I had started to read my Bible daily. I started to read things about how people were demon-possessed, and how Jesus and the apostles had cast out evil spirits from many people. I had never personally seen anybody who was demon-possessed and if you would have told me that there was such a thing that existed in our day, I surely would have laughed in your face and thought you were the one who belonged locked up in a mental institution. Yet, as time went on, and I continued reading my Bible, I started reading about many of the different characteristics that the demon-possessed people of the Bible had. (cutting/harming themselves, being mute, permanently hunched over, people who were simply uncontrollable just to name a few).

The Bible also included examples of individuals who possessed a strength that went far beyond any human capacity to contain. One such example given was that of a man that was so strong and out of control, they had to chain him up among the tombs and leave him cut off from the rest of society. In the psychiatric ward that I was working in, I have seen multiple individuals who seemed to possess this unnatural strength in which it took multiple medical professionals to pin these individuals down and give them medications by injection as the only means whereby to calm them down and keep them from harming themselves or somebody else. They were considered a danger to themselves and/or others. Part of my job role was to question my patients, asking them if they were hearing voices or if they were seeing things that others couldn’t. Most of the time they were. For documentation purposes, I was to ask them what the voices were saying to them. I was shocked to find that in ALL of their responses, every individual was either suicidal or homicidal.

Little by little I started connecting the dots so to speak from what I was seeing in reality versus the details I was reading in the scriptures. The Bible describes Satan as an enemy who comes to steal, kill, and destroy men’s lives and ultimately their souls. The Bible gives many examples of individuals who physically harmed themselves in various ways, everything from cutting themselves to committing suicide. In each one of these examples, it is also noted that there was a satanic/demonic influence upon these people. Even Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus and hung himself, was noted as having had Satan enter him beforehand. The Bible says that Satan tempted Jesus in this way, trying to persuade Him to throw Himself off of a pinnacle of the temple (an estimated 350 ft. height above the valley floor).

The final convincing factor for me in determining whether or not we see demon possessed people in our day, was when I had a middle-aged lady tell me that she was hearing voices one morning. She appeared very calm and friendly as we talked until I asked her what the voices were saying to her. It is hard to explain exactly what happened, but her face changed, her voice changed, and taking on very masculine characteristics and explicit language, she indicated to me that the voices were telling her to kill me.

What I seen right there, was not that lady but an evil spirit manifesting inside of her. On another occasion an 18-year-old young man was brought in for an assessment. He admitted to using methamphetamine for his first time and then stated, “From that point on, every time I look into the mirror, I do not see my own eyes looking back at me, but the eyes of a demon.” These words came out of his own mouth. As they do with so many others, including many rock-musicians who have stated in many interviews, as well their own song lyrics indicating their own personal belief of a strong demonic influence in their lives. The stories go on and on and always seem to go right along with what the Bible describes as being a characteristic of demonic influence. (https://www.goodfight.org/theater-main/they-sold-their-souls-for-rock-n-roll/)

With many of the world’s top psychiatrists admitting that most psychiatric patients have what is referred to as drug/substance-induced psychosis. (Mental health issues directly relating to drug and/or alcohol use.) It seems to me, that when scripture equates drug use with witchcraft (using the Greek word pharmakia/sorcery in Rev. 9:21 which is where we get our word pharmacy in English) It is a clear warning to us, that using drugs can open us up to the demonic influence in the spiritual realm, in the same manner as partaking in witchcraft would. This is not a new phenomena, so why does the idea of demonic influence seem so strange and unaccepted in our day?

I think that most people, would all agree, that street drugs are dangerous. Especially those of us who have worked in the medical profession and have seen firsthand the detrimental effects that these substances are having on the individuals who use them. But has anyone ever considered the possibility that the medical drugs we are using to treat these issues could be just as detrimental?

It is clear that based upon the side effects alone, there are certainly some unfavorable outcomes on the physical well-being. But has anyone ever considered the unfavorable outcome associated with the use of these drugs on our spiritual well-being? As I mentioned above, some of the side effects associated with these drugs are listed as hallucinations, hearing voices, seeing things that aren’t really there, and perhaps one of the most alarming effects, the increase of suicides and suicidal/homicidal thoughts?

I have had many patients tell me, that the voices they are hearing are so persistent and relentless, that they feel as though they cannot get any sleep or rest until they give in and obey the voices that they are hearing. Keeping these things in mind, I think that it is fair to at least consider, and ask the question, as to whether or not these medications may pose more significant problems then we now recognize. I can’t help but wonder.

I have spoken directly with people who claim that they started hearing voices only after they started taking prescription drugs for a mental health related issue. One of the most concerning aspects to this was the fact that representatives from the major pharmaceutical companies would come into the various health care facilities where I have worked. They would make regular visits and each time they would buy all of the medical staff lunch and do a short presentation as to why they felt that their company’s drug was the ‘best’ and why our physicians should prescribe it to their patients. They would leave us with boxes full of samples of these medications and we would pass them out to our patients like candy. All a patient had to do was say they felt a little bummed out sometimes and they would be sent home with handfuls of medication samples and a prescription for these various drugs. In my personal opinion, life is often times full of grievances and disappointments. This is a normal part of life and getting a little down sometimes is natural. There is no such thing as a pill that makes the difficulties in life not hurt.

A few questions I think are fair to ask…

What is the history of psychotropic drugs? Where did they originate? With what substances are they made? Who is responsible for the production of such drugs? Who determines the safety of these drugs? If people are going ‘insane’ after using things like heroin, fentanyl, amphetamines, spice, and psychedelic mushrooms, why are so many of these same drugs being used in our hospitals as ‘medications’ for the treatment of mental illnesses? Fentanyl is being used to treat pain, amphetamines are used to treat things like anxiety and ADHD, the FDA has been researching and finding “promising” results in the use of psychedelic mushrooms for treating major depressive disorder. Marijuana and CBD are being promoted as healthy and safe treatments when there are studies showing a significant increase in the instances of psychosis in patients who use these as a form of treatment? Why do these studies seem to be almost completely ignored?

WHY? WHY? WHY?

If the people who are using these substances in the streets are experiencing detrimental side effects from them (which are being acknowledged by medical professionals) then why are we using them as medications and claiming that they are safe?

Could it be at all possible that when the Bible says that the whole world lies under the sway of the evil one (Satan), it really is true? Has his ideas infiltrated the world’s way of thinking?

Dear reader, I plead with you, do some research and find the answers to these questions for yourself before you decide to use these ‘medications’ as a treatment for any illness. For those of you who are already taking them, let me caution you with a severe warning, do NOT stop taking these medications abruptly as very serious side effects may occur including a high rate of suicide.. talk to your doctor about a safe way to wean off of them.

I know so many of you are in such desperate situations, but please know that there is hope found in Christ Jesus the Lord! He came that all people everywhere will know the truth, and that the truth will set them free! Christ Jesus, God in the flesh, died for our sins according to the scriptures, he was buried, and rose again the 3rd day according to the scriptures, he was then seen by the apostles and over 500 eyewitnesses declaring that He indeed rose from the dead. He now commands all men everywhere to repent of their sins and believe the gospel. Jesus came to save His people from their sins. Set them free from the bondage that has ensnared them to various lusts and all manner of evil. Sin separates us from God. Sin is the problem. God says there is no peace for the wicked. If you are experiencing any of these mental health issues please examine your life and identify any areas in which you may have given Satan a stronghold through the occult, witchcraft, psychics, drug use, alcoholism, bitterness, unforgiveness, etc.

“ God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” James 4:6-10

To be continued…