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Will Medicine Stop the Pain?: Finding God's Healing for Depression, Anxiety, and other Troubling Emotions
Twice as many women as men will experience depression sometime in their lifetime, and episodes for women are likely to start at earlier ages, last longer, and recur more frequently, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. Many women are given medication to treat the disease, but medication alone does not always address the underlying emotions which trouble the mind and spirit. Counselor Elyse Fitzpatrick and Dr. Laura Hendrickson provide biblical guidance on how to balance medical intervention with biblical encouragement.
240 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2006
17 people are currently reading
234 people want to read
About the author
Elyse M. Fitzpatrick
55 books474 followersAuthor of 20+ books on the Christian life and the gospel's impact on everyday living, Elyse is a frequent speaker at women's conferences nationally and internationally.
Elyse's ministry is summed up in these simple words: No fluff, No bricks, just the good news of a crucified and risen Christ.
In 1971 she married her sweetheart Phil and together they raised three children and are enjoying six really adorable grandchildren.
Together they attend Valley Center Community Church in the hills of the North County of San Diego where Phil is an elder.
Elyse's ministry is summed up in these simple words: No fluff, No bricks, just the good news of a crucified and risen Christ.
In 1971 she married her sweetheart Phil and together they raised three children and are enjoying six really adorable grandchildren.
Together they attend Valley Center Community Church in the hills of the North County of San Diego where Phil is an elder.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
December 8, 2020
I got this book from a footnote in another counseling book thinking it was to a general audience about medicine for areas of spiritual struggle and the sufficiency of Christ. However, it is specifically directed at women on that theme. I am glad I read it because it will be a resource that I will recommend.
The authors appropriately and biblically counsel women on depression, anxiety, and other troubling emotions in a way that leans on the sufficiency of Christ without denying the validity of medications for verified physical issues and/or situations where the only way to prevent a person from harming themselves or others is through medication. There are appropriate warnings about coming off of a medication without physician assistance even if someone comes to the conclusion that they were proscribed medication for a spiritual issue.
They write with tact, care, and biblical courage to those in the church who are increasingly being swept away by our culture's rejection of our immaterial part existing or having anything to do with struggles in this life.
The authors appropriately and biblically counsel women on depression, anxiety, and other troubling emotions in a way that leans on the sufficiency of Christ without denying the validity of medications for verified physical issues and/or situations where the only way to prevent a person from harming themselves or others is through medication. There are appropriate warnings about coming off of a medication without physician assistance even if someone comes to the conclusion that they were proscribed medication for a spiritual issue.
They write with tact, care, and biblical courage to those in the church who are increasingly being swept away by our culture's rejection of our immaterial part existing or having anything to do with struggles in this life.
May 23, 2011
Will Medicine Stop the Pain? was written by women for women. However, for those of us in the counseling end of ministry it was very revealing and eye opening. The parts about the medicine were very good. Many questions were raised for me that I had not thought of before. For example, when under normal circumstances a woman mentions that she has been a bit depressed, doctors usually give them a test or a battery of tests to see if their hormones are out of balance. If they are, they are given the appropriate hormone or treatment to bring them back into balance.
But if the women has just given birth and becomes depressed, they automatically have what is called postpartum depression. When this is the diagnosis, the doctors immediately whisk the woman off to a psychologist or psychiatrist for treatment for the depression. They say that the problem is hormones being out of balance because of having just had a baby. But instead of testing for hormone imbalances, they automatically give depression medication. There are never any tests at all. Why is this?
I have also come to think that we don't know enough about what is going on inside people's bodies to automatically say that if they come to Christ, and stop their sin, their bodies will automatically get better. Even if the body is reacting to a sinful life, stopping the sin may not restore the body. In this case the person will have to learn to trust God with the physical ailment. The most we can say, in many instances, is that "you may have to live with the consequences of sin in your life."
Another idea that I remembered as I read this book is that the man born blind in John 9 had not sinned nor had his parents, yet he was blind. Not everyone is physically sick because of sin in their lives. Usually, they are, but we need to remember that unless you can point to the sin, a person might just need to learn to live with the pain "before the face of God."
Even if a person doesn't agree with the author's take on medication, they will find a wealth of information regarding depression, anxiety, moods, and actual brain damage.
But if the women has just given birth and becomes depressed, they automatically have what is called postpartum depression. When this is the diagnosis, the doctors immediately whisk the woman off to a psychologist or psychiatrist for treatment for the depression. They say that the problem is hormones being out of balance because of having just had a baby. But instead of testing for hormone imbalances, they automatically give depression medication. There are never any tests at all. Why is this?
I have also come to think that we don't know enough about what is going on inside people's bodies to automatically say that if they come to Christ, and stop their sin, their bodies will automatically get better. Even if the body is reacting to a sinful life, stopping the sin may not restore the body. In this case the person will have to learn to trust God with the physical ailment. The most we can say, in many instances, is that "you may have to live with the consequences of sin in your life."
Another idea that I remembered as I read this book is that the man born blind in John 9 had not sinned nor had his parents, yet he was blind. Not everyone is physically sick because of sin in their lives. Usually, they are, but we need to remember that unless you can point to the sin, a person might just need to learn to live with the pain "before the face of God."
Even if a person doesn't agree with the author's take on medication, they will find a wealth of information regarding depression, anxiety, moods, and actual brain damage.
March 4, 2014
Most of us have been confronted at some time with Emotion-Altering drugs, from antidepressants to amphetamines, and if you haven't, brace yourself- because you will. This book offers a balanced, biblical perspective on this highly controversial and confusing topic. Fitzpatrick points out that (like so many other areas) the foundation of American Medicine is rotten in evolutionary thinking. Instead of viewing people as both physical and spiritual beings, with an outer and inner man, with a brain and a soul, modern American medicine sees man as merely a nice looking chemical accident. So, when dealing with emotional issues like depression, the problem is a chemical imbalance or misfiring of the brain and the solution is to find the right chemical balance by experimenting with various drugs (starting with the company that brought lunch to the office that day). And the result? More depression and a sky- rocketing suicide rate. To hear the Christian argument and solution, you will just have to get this book. I highly recommend it! The chapters "Lord, Why Do You Let Me Hurt?" and "Why Did You Hurt Your Son?" were especially helpful.
October 10, 2016
Fitzpatrick and Hendrickson have written a clear, well-balanced approach to medication and sanctification. Too often biblical counselors can be typecast as being anti-medication reductionists who reject science in favor of a simple hope that prayer and reading the Bible will change people. This book makes clear that painting biblical counselors in this manner is nothing more than a straw-man.
The authors begin by describing the different foundations that modern pharmacology and the church are often built upon. Mood-altering medication is often seen as a solution because of an assumption that human beings are material beings only. This presupposition is incompatible with Christian doctrine. Instead, our physical bodies are only one half of the equation. As an MD, Hendrickson provides valuable insight into what is genuinely science and what is merely pseudoscience posturing for greater acceptance than is warranted.
This book is not an academic textbook, but is easily accessible for any reader. I highly recommend it to anyone who is on or interested in mood-altering medication.
The authors begin by describing the different foundations that modern pharmacology and the church are often built upon. Mood-altering medication is often seen as a solution because of an assumption that human beings are material beings only. This presupposition is incompatible with Christian doctrine. Instead, our physical bodies are only one half of the equation. As an MD, Hendrickson provides valuable insight into what is genuinely science and what is merely pseudoscience posturing for greater acceptance than is warranted.
This book is not an academic textbook, but is easily accessible for any reader. I highly recommend it to anyone who is on or interested in mood-altering medication.
June 7, 2022
Fascinating book.
To preface: I’m not anti-SSRIs, but I know so little about them, I’ve been wanting to dig in and learn more. The rising number of Americans getting prescribed SSRIs makes me a little wary, as all medication has side effects, and I don’t feel there’s good discussion around what the side effects ARE.
This book is very much about that, and obviously the question in the title of the book.
I didn’t enjoy how the book was geared tward women only. I felt it unnecessarily removed half the population from the discussion, and I wish it had been written for Christian’s in general instead of only Christian women.
This book takes a hard look at how Americans view emotional pain vs how the Bible talks about emotional pain. Our American desire to flee all bad feelings, grief, sadness and fear, etc. is shockingly different from the Bible. “Count it all joy my brethren when you experience trials of various kinds.”
I think this book is worth the time, no matter what your feelings on SSRIs are. The authors are not condemning the use of them universally, but they are asking some hard questions about our motivation behind altering our feelings and brain chemistry, and they are highlighting the very real side effects of these medications that is a conversation very much worth having.
To preface: I’m not anti-SSRIs, but I know so little about them, I’ve been wanting to dig in and learn more. The rising number of Americans getting prescribed SSRIs makes me a little wary, as all medication has side effects, and I don’t feel there’s good discussion around what the side effects ARE.
This book is very much about that, and obviously the question in the title of the book.
I didn’t enjoy how the book was geared tward women only. I felt it unnecessarily removed half the population from the discussion, and I wish it had been written for Christian’s in general instead of only Christian women.
This book takes a hard look at how Americans view emotional pain vs how the Bible talks about emotional pain. Our American desire to flee all bad feelings, grief, sadness and fear, etc. is shockingly different from the Bible. “Count it all joy my brethren when you experience trials of various kinds.”
I think this book is worth the time, no matter what your feelings on SSRIs are. The authors are not condemning the use of them universally, but they are asking some hard questions about our motivation behind altering our feelings and brain chemistry, and they are highlighting the very real side effects of these medications that is a conversation very much worth having.
June 23, 2011
I read this book recently as part of our church's Reading Roundabout scheme (ie not because I felt the need to read a book on Anxiety and Depression).
While I wouldn't like to give this book to someone who is in the depths of despair, I think it is a very beneficial book for Christian ladies (or men, although it is written for ladies) who feel the need to take medication to help with painful emotions they experience.
Please note the authors of this book do NOT recommend just giving up medication altogether.
You can read a comprehensive review here.
http://www.discerningreader.com/book-...
This is certainly a book I am glad I have read to be able to offer advice to those struggling with Depression related symptoms or to consider it's contents during low periods of life.
While I wouldn't like to give this book to someone who is in the depths of despair, I think it is a very beneficial book for Christian ladies (or men, although it is written for ladies) who feel the need to take medication to help with painful emotions they experience.
Please note the authors of this book do NOT recommend just giving up medication altogether.
You can read a comprehensive review here.
http://www.discerningreader.com/book-...
This is certainly a book I am glad I have read to be able to offer advice to those struggling with Depression related symptoms or to consider it's contents during low periods of life.
February 1, 2018
As counseling student, and someone who has read a lot of counseling books, the first half of the book was a lot of overview that I didn't personally need. I found myself tempted to skim much of it, but the second half of the book really picked up, which is why I rated it four stars. The authors do a good job of addressing physical issues related to the body and how that affects the soul (heart/mind). While acknowledging the interplay between both body and soul, they never back down from addressing the hope we have from depending on the gospel of Jesus and His Word. That doesn't mean people with real mental and physical issues don't need medicine or physical care, but that the end of such care ought to minimize the effects of the body on the heart so that a person can be fully alive to the emotional and spiritual realities that sets a person truly free.
April 24, 2015
THE best book on emotional disorders I have ever read! Gives true Biblical answers to the highly controversial topic of antidepressants, giving hope to women who have struggled with their emotions for years. Highly recommended for any and all women who are on antidepressants or are being recommended to start using them. God's grace is enough for all of us!
December 4, 2014
An excellent, thorough, and Biblical look at this topic. The authors carefully examine current thinking on emotional issues and compare it to Scripture, revealing a sharp contrast. There is much practical help and hope in these pages for those struggling and those walking alongside them.
July 6, 2012
Very good for women battling with psychotropic drugs and needing help.
April 20, 2015
A good book, I would recommend reading it all, including the Appendices!
October 7, 2017
Belo, simples e profundo.
April 19, 2023
This is an excellent resource to have on hand that breaks down the two world views to facing and handling depression/anxiety. It's not in any way judgmental, I feel, but it does ask practical questions such as: What will this antidepressant do for my reality once it wears off? Does this just cover up a feeling God wants to use to draw me closer to Him? Can my depression be dealt with by first capturing every thought and renewing my mind with scripture? Etc.
They use many testimonials of women in different walks of life. This book also covers the different types of antidepressants, side effects, and withdrawal symptoms (which are labeled as discontinuation syndrome on the medicine).
Written to women, I think it is timely in a world where sad feelings are taboo and health is labeled anything that makes us happy. This isn't a get off your medicine and then we can help type of book, but rather a look at why women gravitate toward depression medicines/mood stabilizers and helping you think logically through the choice to take them while offering a God honoring alternative to dealing with emotions.
They use many testimonials of women in different walks of life. This book also covers the different types of antidepressants, side effects, and withdrawal symptoms (which are labeled as discontinuation syndrome on the medicine).
Written to women, I think it is timely in a world where sad feelings are taboo and health is labeled anything that makes us happy. This isn't a get off your medicine and then we can help type of book, but rather a look at why women gravitate toward depression medicines/mood stabilizers and helping you think logically through the choice to take them while offering a God honoring alternative to dealing with emotions.
September 17, 2025
While Untangling Emotions does a better job of explaining how emotions work and how we should respond to them, this book's value is the way it simply describes the problems that can arise from the use of certain medications. I've seen many of these problems first-hand over the years, and it can be truly tragic. In my opinion this book is more of a resource for counselors than for the depressed/anxious person herself. It can help the counselor to understand what may be going on in their medicated counselees, discern when medication may indeed be necessary, and bolster her commitment to helping counselees avoid the medical approach when possible.
March 31, 2025
This was very good; my only issue with it is the assertion that schizophrenia and bipolar I are actual physical diseases. The book was written in 2006 when this was being tossed around as fact, but almost 20 years later, top psychiatrists still deny it and say the causes have not been found.
June 13, 2019
Dr. Laura Hendrickson, a psychiatrist and biblical counselor, provides helpful delineation of physiologically based vs spiritual based causation of afflictions such as depression and bipolar II.
November 15, 2021
A must read!
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews