解答:苏炳甘牧师 翻译:祝赟一     整理:李小雪


我会得抑郁症,是因为我的信心小吗?是我的罪导致我如此痛苦吗?


Depression is a mental disorder, could be triggered by many factors, including spiritually related reasons, environmental factors, life-stressful events, biological predisposition, chemically induced factor, pregnancy and genetic factors. It is obviously not “just” about faith in God, but God in your “foggy” situations.


抑郁是精神方面的障碍,可能由很多因素诱发:有属灵的、环境的、生活的压力、体质、还有生理因素。由于体内化学物质诱发的,例如怀孕,和基因遗传方面等原因而产生。这个问题显然不仅仅是关乎对上帝的信心,而是在这茫然的处境里要如何经历神。


如何看待抑郁时的罪疚感?


Irrational “Guilt feeling” is a symptom prevalent in a depressed person. Medication and Psychotherapy may help alleviate the sense of guilt feeling from a depressed person. The pressure from friends and family members, especially with “should” and “should not”, could increase the guilt feeling of a person going through a depression. “Be kind to self” is the best way to ease the guilt feeling. When a person has depressive symptoms, the person needs a lot of space to be himself or herself, one may not be able to live up to the expectations of other.


非理性的罪疚感是抑郁患者中普遍常见的。药物治疗和心理疗法可以帮助患者舒缓罪疚感。来自朋友和家人的压力,尤其是“你应该.....”“你不该....." 则会增加一个身处忧郁的人的罪疚感。“对自己好点”是最好的方式来纾解罪疚感。当一个人有抑郁症状,他需要有一定的空间做他自己,而不是去迎合别人的期望。



抑郁得医治是不是单单信心仰望就够了?服用药物或用其他方法就表示信心不够?


Yes, we need to depend on God and God only (Ps. 121:1-2). Whenever we are in needs, we have to believe that prayers and reading Scriptures and getting supports from Christian brothers and sisters are all necessary to demonstrate our trust in the Lord. Therefore, as Christians we only trust that God is the one going to bring healing when we are physically or mentally sick.


The issue is whether we should use medication while we are waiting on God’s help in our depression. Medication use by Christians is not a sign of lacking faith in God. In fact, the Bible encourages Christians to take some wine for certain stomach illness, “Stop drinking only water, but use a little wine for your stomach because of your frequent illnesses.” (1 Timothy5:13)


Medication is like any other physical provision, including food and water, given by God for sustaining our lives on earth. Jesus was led by the Spirit to fast without food for forty days in the wilderness, and He obeyed (Matthew 4:1-11).


By the same token, if God commands us not to take medication, we should obey and trust that He will heal our sickness. However, Jesus never regarded the need of physical means is a sign of lacking faith; including medication. Jesus needed water, and asked from the Samaritan woman (John 4:1-15). Jesus on the cross, he said, “I am thirsty.” (John 19:28) Christians should take medication for depression unless clearly prohibited by God.


是的,我们需要单单仰望神。(诗121:1-2 我要向山举目,我的帮助从何而来?我的帮助从造天地的耶和华而来。)无论何时我们需要帮助,祷告、读经、向弟兄姐妹求助必然显示我们对上帝的信心。因此,当我们身体或精神生病软弱时,我们单单仰望上帝即将带来的医治。



问题是我们在等候上帝的帮助时是否应该使用药物。基督徒使用药物不是缺乏对神的信心。事实上,圣经中有鼓励基督徒喝点酒治疗某种胃病。提前5:23 因你胃口不清,屡次患病,再不要照常喝水,可以稍微用点酒。药物和其他物质供应如水、食物等都是神所赐以维系我们在地球上的生存。耶稣受圣灵引导到旷野禁食四十天然而祂顺服(太4:1-11)。


同样的道理,如果上帝叫我们不要吃药,我们就得顺服并相信祂会医治我们的疾病。然而,耶稣从未视物质的需要为缺乏信心的标志,其中包括药物治疗。耶稣需要水,祂向撒玛利亚妇人要。(约翰福音4:1-15);耶稣钉在十字架上,祂说,“我渴了”(约翰福音19:28)。除非有神明确的禁止,基督徒也应该服用治疗抑郁的药物。


相关见证分享:

《走出抑郁幽谷|我不是被定罪的“小偷”》


作者简介

苏炳甘牧师,美国Liberty University专业协谈哲学博士、Fuller神学院教牧博士,金门浸信会神学院道学硕士,加州州立大学洛杉矶分校理学士。专长心理辅导和心灵创伤医治,执业心理辅导师;曾任美国北加主恩堂、檀香山华人宣道会主任牧师十多年。现任Logos福音神学院实践神学副教授兼实习教育主任。

(文中没有标注的图片均来源于网络)