In the light of all that we have been considering, it becomes obvious that mental illness, whether mild or seriously disabling, is very complicated. There are almost always multiple causes, such as physical, spiritual and circumstantial. It is the presence of these multiple causes together with our limited understanding of mental illness which is, no doubt, responsible for much of the misunderstanding and unbalanced thinking on the subject.
There are those who would reduce every abnormal mental or emotional response to a spiritual problem, while others would say that it is all physical, to do with malfunctioning neurotransmitters and bad chemistry in the brain. We have seen that neither of these is totally wrong, but neither is totally right either. Some would try and relate everything to experiences we had at some earlier time in our lives, while others would say that original sin is the cause of all of these problems. Again, both may be factors in mental illness, but neither explains the whole picture. Rather, in any given situation, multiple factors are likely involved and thus need to be addressed. Genetic, environmental and spiritual factors may all be present, in greater or lesser degrees. The assessment of the different factors in an individual case together with the choice of appropriate therapy presents the greatest challenge for those who treat mental illness.
For the believer, the whole subject should foster humility, when we realize the complexity of man as the highest being in creation — the one who was created in the image and likeness of God! Surely the likeness was lost as a result of the fall of man, but the image remains — he is still the head of creation and thus represents God in this world. We should be humbled, too, when we consider that “by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin” (Romans 5:1212Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (Romans 5:12)). It was man’s sin that introduced into this world not only disorders of the body, but also of the soul and spirit, and all are involved in mental illness. May we always approach the subject with that holy reverence that realizes that “we know in part” (1 Corinthians 13:99For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. (1 Corinthians 13:9)), whether in spiritual or natural things. Let us talk a little now about treatment.