Three Needs Before Medicating Emotions

This is an approach to helping someone who is experiencing emotional symptoms that are debilitating. Emotional symptoms that would, in most cases in our day, lead to the immediate use of mood altering medication. This approach attempts to, in such cases, encourage the assessment of the following three areas of need before medicating with psychotropics: 1) The Spiritual - knowing that we were created by God and for God and designed to function best when our choices and lifestyle are in harmony with His Word and reflect his character; 2) The Physical - knowing we were created with a body that has been designed with basic needs that must be cared for properly: nutrition, sleep, exercise, etc. 3) The Medical - knowing that even in spite of proper care of the body, our body can mysteriously malfunction and tissue become damaged or diseased as a result of all of us being under the effects of death and the curse which was introduced through the fall of Adam.

Let it be clear that this approach does not believe that the use of mood altering drugs is wrong, but often overused and prematurely used. Many times it is necessary to medicate the emotions if the person is a high danger to themselves or others and there is no alternative available that can offer protection. But these cases are rare. Overuse and premature use of mood altering drugs has led to masking real problems such as lack of self control, wrong thinking, secret deviant behavior, poor sleep habits and poor dietary choices. Additionally psychotropic can mask adverse medication and food reactions or the diagnoses of true medical diseases, such as hypothyroidism or endocrine disturbances like decreased testosterone. The approach I would encourage places the use of mood altering drugs secondary to the importance of examining and addressing the more foundation areas for potential need: the spiritual, physical and medical. This is contrary to much of the current culture which often places prescribing drugs as the initial, and sometimes only, treatment paradigm. Once these three initial area are sufficiently assessed, a remedy clarified and pursued (if issues discovered), then the use of psychotropic drugs in medicating the emotions are considered as a possibility.

Assess Area 1: Spiritual Needs
What is the condition of their relationship with the Lord - what do they know and believe about Him and is that being developed into a healthy fear, confident trust and growing love of the Lord resulting in character growth? Are they in appropriate environments tailored for their struggles that are meeting this need? Are changes in these environments needed (i.e. parenting styles, dynamics and methods, school, church, friendships, use of time, counseling, etc.)?

Assess Area 2: Physical Needs
Are their basic needs for nutrition, sleep and exercise being met? Are significant dietary changes warranted? Is help needed to aid in sleeping better from a medical, cognitive, or nightly routine perspective? Is a specific routine of exercise needed?

Assess Area 3: Medical Needs
Do tests reveal a true physical malady or deficiency in the body needing medical treatment? Is more research, testing and treatment needed? Is a medical specialist warranted that can look into a specific area that seems suspect? Are the medicines and treatments being used effective or are some medical changes warranted?

Assess Area 4: Psychotropic Drugs
Has sufficient effort been attempted in the above areas to discover and remedy without signs of significant results on the emotions? Are the emotional symptoms dangerous or debilitating enough to warrant medicating the emotions - knowing emotional symptoms are often signposts to real problems on other levels that have yet been revealed (spiritual, physical, medical)? Remember medicating emotional symptoms can more deeply mask the root issues needing attention. Many times there are answers on the other levels that if applied, will positively affect the troubling emotions, but the reason this often does not occur is: 1) our diagnostic ability to assess the spiritual and physical condition is limited, or 2) the person struggling is not willing to discuss and discover the real issues on the spiritual or physical level or give the necessary effort to consistently apply the things the spiritual counselor or doctor has prescribed.

If indeed psychotropic drugs seem warranted, biblical counseling is encouraged to continue so that the medicating of emotions will not remove due diligence in the pursuit of spiritual relief to the emotional symptoms. Many times a person who is placed on psychotropic medications and yet continues pursuing biblical perspective change will experience in time a change that, under a doctors care, allows them to back off the medications.

May the Lord gives us wisdom as we seek to biblically care for souls who live in earthen vessels.

Tim Bryant
Director of Lowcountry Biblical Counseling Center

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