Will Medicine Stop the Pain?: Finding God's Healing for Depression, Anxiety, and Other Troubling Emotions Paperback – May 1, 2006

I opened this book with the wild hope that is could actually help me out of the black hole that fear had trapped me in. What I found was exactly what I needed. I found my life accurately yet sensitively described in the pages of the chapter on anxiety. The authors make clear the relationship between the mind and the body and how they affect each other, clarifying for me why I suffered mentally and physically the way I did. They go on to show the reader how they can finally be free of such agony. The authors are careful to exhort biblically, using God's word to confront, correct, and heal.I found the earlier chapters most helpful for my own struggles. The later chapters will be helpful if I ever find myself in any of the physical conditions which they address, or if I am in a position to counsel someone else in such a condition.It's no easy thing to battle depression, anxiety, or other such emotions, and the authors never present it that way. They clearly understand the pain and the struggle, and they are loving and gentle in their approach. I highly recommend this book to both women and men who struggle this way. I have purchased several copies already and am giving them out to people as I have opportunity.

I highly recommend buying this book if you are on any type of medication for anxiety, depression, etc. I have read many, many books on depression over the years. This book is different, in that it shows us from a biblical perspective why medication is not always the answer. I have been on medications for 13 years. I have been on every known medication for depression, anxiety, and mood. I have been on every combination of these medications. Nothing every seemed to help. If it did, it was very short lived. This book to me was a lifesaver. It showed me that my problem was not a chemical imbalance, but a "Sin" or "Heart" problem in the way that I deal with things. Instead of covering up the pain with medication, this book shows how we need to fix the problem. It is chock full of bible verses to back everything up. I never thought I would be able to come off of my medications. I searched long and hard for the right medication, but all they managed to do was cause more side effects and over 100 pounds of weight gain. After reading this book and hearing other people's stories, I have hope for the first time in years. Read this with an open mind. You too just might find the answer you are looking for.

I appreciated the truth about the anti-depressants and their information to inform us of how these have adversely affected people because the doctors do not tell you how dangerous these can be. It threw my granddaughter's husband into depression and then, just as the book shares, the doctor gave him two or three other meds to offset the effects of the first and second med- etc. Their marriage suffered becasue of how the drugs affected his mind even though at first they thought it made him get over his blues. They separated because he lost interest in the responsibility of life. People need to be educated about the effects of these meds. They mess with the mind just like illegal drugs do. They change the way a person thinks. And it keeps them from learning how to deal with the problems of life that we all have to learn how to deal with. Unless the person has a physical problem that is causing the emotional problems it is better to try for good counseling from a Biblical perspective. .

There is a heavy emphasis that, generally speaking, taking medications for psychiatric issues is almost always leaning toward sin or at least poor judgment but the “Important Publisher Notice” immediately before the table of contents interestingly notes “All medications identified in this book by brand-name or by generic name can play an appropriate role when expertly matched to a particular mental disease or serious emotional crisis.“. Hmmm. And there are contradictions in the book, for example, on page 124 the author dogmatically writes without exception “your panic began…because you’ve entertained fearful thoughts...”, but by page 126 the author notes that some panics attacks are “physiological in origin, you’ll need to see your doctor if you’ve begun having panic attacks, just to ensure that you were not experiencing these feelings because of some undiagnosed disease.” Overall not a very helpful book - very meandering - and there are much better, precise and detailed books out there.

I'm so glad I read this book. I'd wanted to try getting off anti-depressants for over a year. My doctors thought they were necessary given that the side effect of my Fibromyalgia medicine was depression. My psychiatrist, who monitored my meds, didn't seem interested in helping me get off the meds or deal with any root issues. Through this book I have been able to address root emotional and spiritual issues and find the words to talk with my doc about reducing meds. I am now free from anti-depressants and did so gradually with no rebound affects! I am also gradually reducing a med I take fo sleeplessness. I have more energy during the day, get more done and feel like my thoughts are clearer. Moreover, I have a deeper relationship with God and rely more upon Him to understand and address my emotions.

excellent book about looking at your "take" on life and it's challenges before (and hopefully instead of) just taking a prescription to relieve the sadness or stress. I have been on antidepressants twice in my life and mainly they helped me sleep during really strenuous times but I realized they didn't solve my problems. Helping me sleep, though, did help me not oversize my problems and helped me see God as good so meds can have a part to play. Expecting meds to make life rosey will never deliver, though.

This book was used for one of my counselor college courses. It has been the best christian psychologist book I have ever read. It really tells you the truth on why some people should take medic and why some people should not take medication because in some cases people's illness are caused by a mineral/ vitamin deficiency.

Real. Liberating. More than superficial. Life changing. Healing. Not just about meds. Very wise and yes highly recommended. Thank you.