Mental health challenges can be difficult for anyone to deal with, but they can be especially difficult for family members trying to support loved ones. You may feel like you are alone in your struggles. It can be helpful to note that many people throughout history faced similar challenges, including several biblical persons you may be familiar with. Below you will find four such persons. Each experienced mental health challenges that seemed, at times, too great for them to carry. Their stories can provide inspiration and hope when we find ourselves in similar circumstances today.

King David: While known for his bravery and leadership, David also struggled with deep sadness and despair. In Psalm 42, he writes;

“As a deer longs for flowing streams,

   so my soul longs for you, O God.

My soul thirsts for God,

   for the living God.

When shall I come and behold

   the face of God?

My tears have been my food

   day and night,

while people say to me continually,

   ‘Where is your God?’”

David describes a soul in profound, visceral despair and shares the deep longing in his heart for a God who seems distant but who he knows he has encountered before.  Likewise, in Psalm 143, he talks shares the experience of overwhelm and powerlessness that accompanies depression;

“the enemy has pursued me,

   crushing my life to the ground,

   making me sit in darkness like those long dead.

Therefore my spirit faints within me;

   my heart within me is appalled.”

Whatever the root cause, it is clear that the chronic nature of this ‘thorn’ was a source of ongoing suffering and a profound indication, to Paul, of his own human weakness and lack of capacity to overcome his sufferings by force of will alone. For Paul, this was not an occasion for despair but an ongoing reminder of God’s constant grace and mercy.

Despite these challenges, David continued to trust in God and found hope in his faith. His recollections of how God has intervened in his life in the past provide a solid grounding in the expectation of God’s loving intervention now and in the future.

“Why are you cast down, O my soul,

   and why are you disquieted within me?

Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,

   my help and my God.”

Elijah: Elijah was a prophet who faced intense loneliness and despair. In 1 Kings 19, when his efforts to do the right thing resulted in him having to flee for his life, he runs into the wilderness to hide alone;

“A day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a solitary broom tree. He asked that he might die: ‘It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors.’ Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. ” (1 Kings 19:4-5)

How often depression, especially in the face of feeling as though we have done all the “right” things, leaves us to self-isolation and that desire to “sleep it all away.”  God enters into Elijah’s depression as a friend, offering some words of comfort (though not a solution), a bit of food, and an invitation to rest for a bit.  God’s angelic messenger gave him strength and renewed his purpose, showing Elijah he was not alone.

Job: Job is perhaps the most well-known example of someone who faced mental health challenges in the Bible. After losing everything, including his family and health, Job struggled with grief, despair, and anger. He cries out in his frustration and despair, giving voice to all those whose suffering seems senseless and undeserved;

“Why did I not perish at birth and die as I came from the womb? Why were there knees to receive me and breasts that I might be nursed..?  I have no peace, no quietness; I have no rest, but only turmoil.” (Job 3:11-26)

Yet, he continued to, some might say obstinately, trust in God and wrestle with the complexity of carrying hope in the midst of seeming hopelessness;

“My days are past, my plans are broken off,

   The desires of my heart,

they make night into day;

   “The light”, they say, “is near to the darkness.” (Job 17:11-12)

Paul: Although Paul is often viewed as a spiritual giant, he also may have faced significant mental health challenges. In 2 Corinthians 12, he talks about a “thorn in the flesh” that tormented him and caused him great distress.

Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, but he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.’ So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Cor 12:8-10)

Theories abound regarding what this ‘thorn in the flesh’ might refer to. It may have been physical, perhaps a lingering sight issue or even blindness. It may have been the sufferings he endured through persecution. It may even have been a more spiritual issue or some particular sin. Whatever the root cause, it is clear that the chronic nature of this ‘thorn’ was a source of ongoing suffering and a profound indication, to Paul, of his own human weakness and lack of capacity to overcome his sufferings by force of will alone. For Paul, this was not an occasion for despair but an ongoing reminder of God’s constant grace and mercy. Paul’s ongoing relationship with the risen Jesus and appreciation of the power of the new life offered through the suffering, death, and resurrection of Christ gave him a solid foundation of hope in which he rooted all his strength.

If you or a loved one is struggling with mental health challenges, seeking help from a qualified professional is important. However, recognizing that these historical biblical persons often shared similar struggles can be a source of comfort for us. Our Catholic belief in the Communion of Saints reminds us that we are not alone in our struggles and that we have powerful intercessors who have walked these same paths and know our challenges. In their stories, we discover a renewed hope in knowing that God is as present for us now as He was for David, Job, and Paul. Their stories echo through the ages with the words of another Psalm of David, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (PS 34)

Peace and God Bless,

Deacon Eric Gurash