Three reasons why people don’t get the clinical counseling they need …

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Jesus loved the stigmatized.

“Adulterer.”

“Thief.”

“Sinner.”

Unlike the Lord we profess to follow, the church today is often guilty of attaching stigma to people rather than removing it with the love of Christ. That terrible reality is demonstrated in how the church responds to people suffering from mental illness.

There are three primary reasons why people who need clinical counseling don’t get the help they need. Can you guess what the number one reason is?

1. Stigma. Graham Davey, Ph.D., writing for Psychology Today, reports:

    In relation to social stigma, studies have suggested that stigmatizing attitudes towards people with mental health problems are widespread and commonly held (Crisp, Gelder, Rix, Meltzer et al., 2000; Bryne, 1997; Heginbotham, 1998). In a survey of over 1,700 adults in the UK, Crisp et al. (2000) found that (1) the most commonly held belief was that people with mental health problems were dangerous – especially those with schizophrenia, alcoholism, and drug dependence, (2) people believed that some mental health problems such as eating disorders and substance abuse were self inflicted, and (3) respondents believed that people with mental health problems were generally hard to talk to. People tended to hold these negative beliefs regardless of their age, regardless of what knowledge they had of mental health problems, and regardless of whether they knew someone who had a mental health problem. More recent studies of attitudes to individuals with a diagnosis of schizophrenia or major depression convey similar findings. In both cases, a significant proportion of members of the public considered that people with mental health problems such as depression or schizophrenia were unpredictable, dangerous and they would be less likely to employ someone with a mental health problem (Wang & Lai, 2008); Reavley & Jorm, 2011.

is there any wonder, then, why people diagnosed with a mental illness avoid getting the help they need? They don’t want the stigma that so many people — including people in the church — attach to them.

2. Lack of access to competent mental health professionals. It can be difficult — but not impossible — to find a competent clinical therapist. It’s not uncommon for someone to see multiple counselors without gaining any benefit. Such experiences serve as discouragement toward continuing the search until a competent counselor can be found.

3. Can’t afford it. Even when someone has the courage to seek professional help, and competent therapists are available, many (likely a hefty majority) cannot afford the cost of counseling.

Let me briefly address these issues to two different audiences …

First, if you are suffering from a mental illness, let me encourage you to be bold and courageous enough to get the help you need. If you have been unable to find a competent counselor, do not stop your search until you do! If access to services are lacking in your area, you can explore online counseling, which can be just as effective as seeing a therapist in a local office. And do whatever you must do to get access – dip into your savings; seek assistance from family, friends, and your church; look for programs that might help, or ministries that may be able to help you pay for the counseling you need.

Second, to everyone else:

    • Never be guilty of attaching stigma to a person with mental illness. Instead, be like Jesus and embrace them with His love.
    • Church leaders need to make sure to talk about mental health and mental illness with their congregations, and to lead the way in clearly communicating their local church is a welcoming and safe place for all with mental illness.

Everyone can directly contribute to removing the barriers of access AND cost by supporting ministries like Scott Free Clinic, which uses technology to help remove the barrier of access, and we never charge for any of our services. You can become a Care Partner with this ministry today by making a tax deductible donation directly from our website by clicking here.

Scotty