Years ago, when we were moving to my first job to train as a psychiatrist, my wife and I were suddenly plunged into big trouble.

Developing an empathetic approach

The illness and death of one of our children, and of another close relative at the same time, involved massive dislocation and left us with lasting distress. Furthermore, listening carefully to many patients with severe mental illnesses was disturbing. After work I did a good deal of weeping and made heavy demands on my wife. It was as though Satan was trying to stop me.

Indeed, he has periodically made it quite clear ever since that he hates what I’m doing. Because of what my wife and I were going through, however, I knew what my patients were talking about. Yet an empathetic approach seemed to conflict with the need to treat diagnosed illness according to the objective scientific psychiatry that I was learning. Nevertheless, I managed to pass my exams, which facilitated necessary future experience.

An empathetic approach seemed to conflict with the need to treat diagnosed illness according to the objective scientific psychiatry that I was learning.

My brother had recommended that I should read The Divided Self, by R D Laing, and the book made a lot of sense. When I went to see Dr Laing he listened with genuine understanding and was encouraging. After a year or two I began to train and work privately with the Philadelphia Association in London (named after the letter to the church in Philadelphia in Revelation Chapter 3).

Community houses

Following the introduction of Largactil, and before the discovery of more sophisticated drugs, we had a window of opportunity for phenomenological inquiry into the nature of mental distress to try to discover what was really going on. Several community houses had been acquired in London for people who would come around a house therapist, whose involvement would effectively hold each community together as people worked through what they needed to.

These houses were places of sanctuary from a world perceived to be going crazy. We did not make diagnoses but rather accepted people just as they were. My wife and I lived with our children in one of the community houses for several years, which gave us space to sort ourselves out and equip us for dealing with this world’s tragedies, deceptions and accusations. Everyone ate an evening meal together twice a week. We had profound discussions and attended poignant seminars. Distress was contained within our personal relationships.

We had profound discussions and attended poignant seminars. Distress was contained within our personal relationships.

God’s hand

Whilst I was interested to develop a Christian understanding, however, my friends and colleagues increasingly pursued humanistic philosophy as well as pagan and occult knowledge, including Dr Laing, with whom I was in supervision.

When we moved to Exeter in 1981 God’s hand was upon us. We joined the Isca Christian Fellowship and I was able to meet regularly for a while with Jack Hardwidge, the senior leader, who generously helped me to make all that psychiatric and psychoanalytic experience right with God. Numerous people in the Philadelphia Association had found a degree of healing, even from severe psychosis, but when Jesus came into it with the Isca Fellowship people were really set free.

Helping those in need

Ever since we lived in that Philadelphia Association household we have agreed amongst ourselves that that is how the future church should be, except that the Bible should be the main textbook for teaching and Jesus should be the constant focus.

Numerous people in the Philadelphia Association had found a degree of healing, even from severe psychosis, but when Jesus came into it with the Isca Fellowship people were really set free.

Division between secularists and disciples of Jesus is worsening these days and we can no longer depend upon the secular state as much as we used to do. No longer can we expect distress to be met with patient acceptance, and with kindly attempts to understand and see the difficulties through to healing. Multi-faith secularism objectifies people, diagnoses problems, and manages difficulties with technological treatments. Secular services may, of course, be necessary even so. However, few psychiatrists and others who do the necessary work of managing disturbed and disturbing people are Christian, and secular facilities are not hospitable to people who want to seek Jesus for real healing.

Christian communities therefore need to develop the courage and generosity to welcome people who may be disturbing and distressing. And it may be worthwhile to ponder upon the hindrances to evangelism posed by the secular welfare state.

Depending on Holy Spirit

Those in whom Holy Spirit dwells will sooner or later find themselves able to discern and meet all the issues that secularists describe as inorganic mental illness. The prayer of Jesus’ disciples is powerfully effective. Humility to look inward in repentance is necessary, and so is the space to be vulnerable and a willingness to be delivered. Knots of deception may take time to disentangle. Wounds will be healed in the presence of Jesus, for where two or three come together into His name He is among them (Matt 18:20) and He does indeed bear our illnesses and carry our pains (Isa 53:4).¹

Christian communities therefore need to develop the courage and generosity to welcome people who may be disturbing and distressing.

I remember a chap who persuaded the ambulance driver to drop him off at the Philadelphia community where we used to live instead of taking him to hospital, insisting that since he had already undergone 99 electric shock treatments he would definitely have no more. People took to him, and he went to bed and remained in bed for two and a half years. Folk really looked after him. Eventually he got up and walked a very long way away; and when he returned he was well. Quite soon he was earning his living without trouble in a good job.

Conclusion

Psychiatrists at University College London have recently come to the conclusion, after a wide review, that depression may have more to do with stressful life events than with chemical imbalances in the brain. It is popular misconception in my opinion that inorganic mental disturbance is caused by chemical imbalances, and I respectfully submit that any chemical imbalances or physiological disturbances are caused by our reactions to events, because the mind is not an organic entity but rather part of the living soul.

True mental health is the business of the Christian Church.

Endnotes
1. My 2019 book ‘Healing Madness’ is available on Amazon.
2. Case report in Cooper et. al. ‘Thresholds between Philosophy and Psychoanalysis’, Free Association Books, London, 1989.
3. Daily Telegraph 20 July 2022.

John Gordon was formerly a GP, a psychiatrist and a psychoanalyst. He is now a licensed minister in The Order of Jacob’s Well.