What No One Tells You About Being a Christian with Depression

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A Christian dealing with depression? Is this an oxymoron, or is this a real thing? Frequently, mental health isn’t generally a cheerful conversation in the Christian community. In the black community, most individuals have been brought up in church and taught to have strength in their faith. But what happens when you’re struggling with depression or even anxiety? What No One Tells You About Being a Christian with Depression in the Black church community is African Americans are 20% more likely to suffer from mental illness than any other known racial group.

This is primarily due to a history of institutionalized racism in America and the resulting health disparities that have plagued African American communities for decades. Unfortunately, Christians struggling with depression are often placed at fault during these conversations and made to feel something is wrong with their walk with God. Even in the African American community.

Why Black Churches Need to Do Better with Mental Health Issues

Depression is a real mental health issue. Depression affects millions of Americans every year. It's not merely a “weakness” in your walk with God or evidence of your lack of faith. 

The thing about depression is that it can cause you to question God, but it can even make you feel distant from Him. When people around you don’t grasp the veracity of depression and the fruit it bears, getting help becomes more difficult. Depression distorts your perception of life or makes you distrust your own judgment. It’s vital you are able to distinguish what is real and what’s not true about depression.

The most respectable, well-meaning people can offer you bad advice as they don’t understand what actual depression is. At Comfort Counseling Center in Houston TX, Boston MA, and Fort Lauderdale FL we are committed to supporting the black Christian community.

Traditionally, mental health issues in the black Christian community were thought of as “an attack of the Devil,” and the only solution was more prayer and stronger faith. While this may be true for some individuals, others must seek counseling from an outside source. This is where professional help plays its role. 

While progress has been made in reducing these gaps, many black Christians still do not seek treatment for their mental health needs. The reasons behind this are complex and cannot be attributed to one factor or another. However, we do know that African Americans have a greater number of Black people reportedly having a more significant amount of undiagnosed mental health disorders than other racial groups. Because of historical and current experiences with established racism in America, African American church leaders, pastors, and their flock have been hesitant to collaborate with mental health groups.

What do you do when faith and prayer do not feel like enough?

As people, we can sometimes find ourselves feeling overwhelmed with stressors from daily life. Entrepreneurs, small business owners, stressful careers, or simply holding a lot of responsibilities can wreak all kinds of havoc on our bodies and brains. But there is also the flip side, feeling lifeless, on autopilot as if you are just present, but someone else is living your life.  

Feeling as if you are worthless, losing interest in the things you love, or even having thoughts of dying or harming yourself are symptoms of depression. What they don’t tell you is that depression can happen to anyone, but it’s how you deal with it that counts. The Church Should Be a Place of Healing, and when issues like these arise with members, sometimes prayer and having faith may not seem like it's working or that it is enough. 

Seeking professional help in the Christian community shouldn’t feel taboo. Black entrepreneurs, church members, and families can get the assistance they need by reaching out to the right people and getting the targeted counseling they need for their unique situations. Whether we like it or not, culture, religion, and social status also play a role in the black community’s willingness to undergo counseling. 

Combating mental health doesn’t equal a lack of faith. 

It is refreshing that leaders in the black church can admit that sometimes prayer isn’t enough. As the body of Christ, we are here to uplift and support in accordance with our faith. Refreshingly, the church's awareness of mental health problems has grown over the past decade. As a result, this topic in our community is being handled with more sensitivity than previously. As attention surrounding mental health as well as mental illness continues to grow, the Christian community is now showing up more frequently in this conversation.

At Comfort Counseling Center, in Houston TX, Boston MA, and Fort Lauderdale FL we hope to provide counseling that suits your needs; whether you’re dealing with depression, need Christian counseling, entrepreneur counseling, or stress management. We will keep pushing to cut out the stigma in Black churches and the community. Furthermore, providing resources that help. We are determined to help Black Christian Professionals and Entrepreneurs who struggle with depression regain hope and feel reconnected. If you are dealing with depression and starting to question your faith, We can help. We are 100 % virtual!

As always, we’d like to be clear that this blog post isn’t intended as professional counseling or clinical advice. If you’re in need of support, please consider speaking to a professional to be evaluated.

If suicidal thoughts are present, call 911 immediately or have someone take you to the nearest emergency room if you are worried about yourself or a loved one taking their own life.