Yet another question

Enilorac

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Hi all!
Can someone tell me where the SDA stands on using psychiatric medications and therapy? Is the SDA part of the "if you prayed more, you wouldn't be depressed/anxious" and "if you have ADHD you're just letting the devil influence you too much" groups?

Yes, I take medication for depression/anxiety and ADHD. I also see a therapist. Because of all this, I am functional, able to enjoy life and be fairly useful. W/o meds, I start thinking about how I can kill myself to end the darkness. I know faith/prayer/bible study can be helpful and it is, but it's not going to magically cure the chemical imbalances and messed up wiring in my brain. I was born with the ADHD, it's hereditary, I can look back 2-3 generations and look forward 2 generations and see it still. The other problems are from living through some seriously traumatic events, and my brain ran out of the chemicals needed to keep me on an even keel.

Thanks
 
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BobRyan

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Hi all!
Can someone tell me where the SDA stands on using psychiatric medications and therapy? Is the SDA part of the "if you prayed more, you wouldn't be depressed/anxious" and "if you have ADHD you're just letting the devil influence you too much" groups?

Yes, I take medication for depression/anxiety and ADHD. I also see a therapist. Because of all this, I am functional, able to enjoy life and be fairly useful. W/o meds, I start thinking about how I can kill myself to end the darkness. I know faith/prayer/bible study can be helpful and it is, but it's not going to magically cure the chemical imbalances and messed up wiring in my brain. I was born with the ADHD, it's hereditary, I can look back 2-3 generations and look forward 2 generations and see it still. The other problems are from living through some seriously traumatic events, and my brain ran out of the chemicals needed to keep me on an even keel.

Thanks

Many folks in the SDA denomination see it different ways. Suffice it to say we do have SDA hospitals, SDA doctors, SDA psychiatrists, SDA nurses, pharmacists etc. We do not view those professions as "anti-SDA". And we provide the training for them to get those degrees.

In general if you look at the 28 Fundamental Beliefs you will see the agreed upon positions pretty much across the denomination (according to the actual SDA Church manual) - but when you get into details outside of that - then you are getting into opinions of this group or that group within the denomination.

We believe in "free will" which means you could run across just about anything in the spectrum - so someone absolutely certain A is good for everyone and someone else convinced that A is no good for anyone.

My suggestion is to go with the 28 FB, and let all the other little things settle for a while before you leap into them. Believe me you will find a lot of widely varying opinions.
 
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AdamjEdgar

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I am an SDA and I personally dont have a problem with it.

Havent really talked with other Adventists about this kind of thing, so not sure what others think.

I do know, our church has lots of doctors in this area of medicine...i think that probably outlines the general church position on it.

If we were to consider Jesus ministry...he seemed to place himself in the midst of a lot of individuals with all sorts of problems and he healed them all. Obviously he could cheat a bit...we have to do it a more down to earth way
 
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Gary K

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Hi all!
Can someone tell me where the SDA stands on using psychiatric medications and therapy? Is the SDA part of the "if you prayed more, you wouldn't be depressed/anxious" and "if you have ADHD you're just letting the devil influence you too much" groups?

Yes, I take medication for depression/anxiety and ADHD. I also see a therapist. Because of all this, I am functional, able to enjoy life and be fairly useful. W/o meds, I start thinking about how I can kill myself to end the darkness. I know faith/prayer/bible study can be helpful and it is, but it's not going to magically cure the chemical imbalances and messed up wiring in my brain. I was born with the ADHD, it's hereditary, I can look back 2-3 generations and look forward 2 generations and see it still. The other problems are from living through some seriously traumatic events, and my brain ran out of the chemicals needed to keep me on an even keel.

Thanks

I don't know how respond to you as my experience with the healing power of God is much, much different than yours. I went through years of suicidal depression. It was related to the devil harassing me. I had once been stupid enough to tell him I was his if he would work out a situation for me. He did and after I was baptized he came after me in both physical and psychological ways. To get past that I had to learn to put implicit faith in the word of God and claim the promises found in the word of God.

Let's look at the life of Jesus. He healed many lepers. He healed those possessed of demons. Does He still have the power to heal today? Does He still love us the same way He did while on earth?

Do you believe the story found in Mark chapter 9 of Jesus throwing the demon out of the possessed boy? What was it Jesus told the boys father about believing and the father's response?

How about the story of the two demoniacs from which Jesus allowed the devils to enter a herd of swine?

How about the stories of Jesus raising the dead? Are those true stories? How is raising the dead, throwing demons out of people, healing lepers, etc, much more difficult than healing a chemical imbalance? That's what I was told was wrong with me too. But I have been depression free for years by learning to implicitly trust both God and His word. It doesn't come naturally in the least. We've been taught to distrust God from day one. I know I have been,

Jesus said that healing comes according to our faith.

Matthew 9:27 ¶And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us.
28 And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord.
29 Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.

Faith is still rewarded today for Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He does not change.

BTW, faith does not come by praying harder. Faith cometh by the word of God for it is there that we learn to know and trust God.
 
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Gary K

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Here is a series of sermons by an SDA pastor from Madagascar. There are six sermons in all that are excellent in helping to understand why we don't see answers to our prayers and greater manifestations of God's power. I know what he says is is true because I've experienced what he says in my life.

His first sermon is titled "No Power, Why?". God's hand is not shortened that He cannot heal or save us. He has not changed in any way. That's why He is absolutely trustworthy.

POWER SPIRITUALITY--The Promises Are Sure!
 
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splish- splash

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There is no illness, that God cannot heal us from. Sometimes though, the Lord will let us manage our conditions with meds, as His Grace will still be sufficient, especially if we are having a hard time in believing that, we can come out.

I would like to think that Mrs White, believed in healing & in God's wonder working power. The only thing that's confusing, is the way Adventists respond in relation to the matter. Some will tell you that healing is for the charismatic churches, then others will even refuse to pray with you as they believe, they are the only true church of God.
 
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Gary K

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There is no illness, that God cannot heal us from. Sometimes though, the Lord will let us manage our conditions with meds, as His Grace will still be sufficient, especially if we are having a hard time in believing that, we can come out.

I would like to think that Mrs White, believed in healing & in God's wonder working power. The only thing that's confusing, is the way Adventists respond in relation to the matter. Some will tell you that healing is for the charismatic churches, then others will even refuse to pray with you as they believe, they are the only true church of God.
Where is your scriptural support for your assertion that God is willing that people should place their trust in man by using pharmaceutical drugs with all of their dangerous side effects rather than trust Him for healing that has zero negative side effects. Psychotropic drugs in particular have multiple dangerous side effects.

I've met with an incredible amount of criticism and hatred just because I'm an Adventist. The prejudice is amazing. There are many members of other churches that don't even consider a SDA a Christian. Many have refused to study with me and pray with me. I'd go so far as to say they hated me for my Biblical stands for truth. I've had people become very angry and yell and scream at me when they could not refute the scripture I used to demonstrate my beliefs.

I've never refused any request for prayer, but I have had my request to pray for members of other churches refused. I have offered to study with members of other churches and been refused as in their minds a SDA is not a Christian.

Oh, and by the way, I've never known in all my years as a SDA an SDA to believe healing is only for charismatics. I would have a much better chance to see such a belief from the inside of the church than you would from the outside. I find that a very bizarre statement to make as all my posts on this thread have been pointing to Jesus as the greatest healer of all. I've also testified as to His willingness to heal us and I've personally experienced His healing.
 
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BobRyan

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Some will tell you that healing is for the charismatic churches, then others will even refuse to pray with you as they believe, they are the only true church of God.

I have never heard of healing only being valid for charismatic churches and I have never heard of "not praying with you because they are the only true church".

Suppose there could be some people out there with that idea -- but I have not found them.
 
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