Shatter the StigmaSample

Mental Health is Physical Health, and Good Treatments are Good Treatments

Scripture mentions “demons” or “evil spirits” over 80 times but does not provide an exact definition of what they are. The Greek word for "demon" is daimōn, meaning "supernatural being" or "spirit." This word originates from the Greek verb daiesthai, which means "to divide" or "distribute."

In Matthew 8:16, we read that Jesus cast out many “demon-possessed people” and “healed all the sick.” It’s conceivable that among these demon-possessed individuals were people who, in today’s terms, might be diagnosed with conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or obsessive-compulsive disorder. One thing Scripture makes clear is that the “sick” include those with both physical and mental ailments, and it does not treat these groups differently. All needed the healing power of Jesus, and those He chose to heal were thoroughly restored. The blind saw, the deaf heard, the lame walked, and the demon-possessed were cleansed.

In other words, Jesus treated mental and physical health equally. So why, in our modern culture, do we continue to wrestle with the stigma surrounding mental health?

If you broke your leg, as we referenced in yesterday’s reading, would you hide your injury from friends to maintain an image of “toughness?" Would you mask your pain and force yourself to walk as normally as possible on a fractured leg?

Of course not. You would seek care, and depending on the cause of the injury, you might even share the story with pride. For example, I once broke two ribs body-boarding on an incredible wave, and to this day, I love telling that story.

Now, consider if I had experienced trauma that led to severe anxiety. Would I feel as comfortable sharing that origin story? Probably not.

God invites us to come to Him with all our pain, whether physical or mental. He doesn’t differentiate between the two, so why should we? If our Creator views mental and physical health as equally important, it’s time for us to do the same.