By Anelese Holt, AFA public relations
November-December 2008 – Deck the halls with boughs of holly … . It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Or is it? Every year news features report that the holidays also usher in an increase in the number of cases of major depression and suicide. However, according to many studies, including one from the Mayo Clinic, and according to psychiatrist, psychologist and theologian Dr. Frank Minirth, this is a myth.
Following is AFA Journal’s interview with Dr. Minirth on Christianity and suicide.*
Dr. Minirth is board certified in psychiatry, neurology and forensic medicine. He is one of only 122 U.S. and Canadian doctors certified by the American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology. Dr. Minirth also has his Ph.D. in theology. He is president of the Minirth Clinic in Richardson, Texas, and is a consultant to Minirth Christian Programs in Denton, Texas; El Paso, Texas, and Big Creek Christian Cottage, Arkansas. He and Mary Alice, his wife of 40 years, have five daughters and two granddaughters.
AFA Journal: With the holidays upon us, should we be concerned that we’ll see an increase in depression and suicide?
Frank Minirth: No. According to my experience the suicide rate, and the rate of reported major depression, is actually somewhat lower during the holidays. Studies show that there is often an increase in suicide during the spring.
AFAJ: What words of comfort would you offer people who have lost a loved one due to suicide?
FM: I would just say that Christ loves you and that doesn’t change because the person you loved made a really bad choice. Remember, your loved one was probably very depressed and in a weak moment they made a bad choice. What you need to do is grieve, talk about it, get support and encouragement and by all means get out and about as soon as you feel capable.
AFAJ: In your opinion can someone have truly accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior and still commit suicide?
FM: Absolutely, Christians are not perfect people. We all sin. The only thing that will determine if we will spend an eternity in heaven is whether or not we have accepted Christ as our Savior.
AFAJ: So you don’t believe that suicide is an unforgivable sin, since the person cannot ask for forgiveness?
FM: No, I don’t. I believe that if the person was a Christian they are absolutely in heaven, because salvation is by grace through faith, not by works. Once someone realizes that Jesus died for their sins and they accept Jesus as their Savior, they have asked forgiveness for their sins, and I don’t care if they stand on their heads and risk their lives every day it won’t make any difference, because you can’t earn salvation; it’s by grace. Grace means undeserving favor, we can’t earn grace. That would contradict the definition.
Committing suicide has nothing to do with whether or not they are in heaven, but it has everything to do with them choosing to end the battle they were fighting. Now that they are gone, they can no longer fight, but the loved one who is alive can fight for Christ and that’s what they must do.
AFAJ: How do you help someone through the “why” question or the “if I had only …” statements?
FM: I often tell loved ones who have lost a friend or family member to suicide that you cannot stop time, and you can’t go back. There are many reasons to the “why” question, including depression, medical and even sometimes chemical dependency. To continue to ask why is just running a loop through your mind that will only cause more grief. The same applies for the “if I had only …” statements. I tell them that if they need to think about it, set a time of 10 minutes a day, say from 6:00 until 6:10 p.m., think about it, journal it and then take that thought captive (like Scripture says) and put it aside until the next day. If you do this, then you will begin to heal.
AFAJ: There is such a stigma attached to suicide, especially in Christian circles. What can the Christian community do to help lessen the stigma so we can help the family and friends of those who have lost a loved one to suicide?
FM: First, talk about it. When I first began talking about suicide and depression over 25 years ago on radio, it was really never mentioned because of the stigma attached. But I think over time people have come to realize that we’re all imperfect people that Christ died for, and the brain is just like any other organ. It’s like the heart or the immune system. Under stress, some organ is going to give. In most people it will be the heart first, and then the immune system, with diseases such as cancer second. But ironically the more we learn about the human brain it seems that the same factors that increase heart disease also increase depression.
If handled in an inappropriate way it’s tough on the heart, it’s tough on the brain and they’re usually co-morbid. It is also important for people to understand that we now have tests that show that depression is just as real as heart disease. It’s not just a “state of mind.”
AFAJ: What are the best first steps toward a survivor’s return to some sense of normalcy?
FM: Find a good counselor, get out of the house, and I personally think Scripture memory is huge. As we take in Scripture, it slowly changes our thinking, what we take in changes secondary neurotransmitters and eventually this changes who we are.
We have billions of brain cells, and we have trillions of connections between those cells. As we learn Scripture it literally changes secondary neurotransmitters, it changes memory to some degree, slowly, so it changes who we are. Throughout life, if we work the brain, we will get more connections between the cells. It’s called neuroplasticity. If you memorize Scripture, not only will you get more connections and thereby to some degree get smarter. You’ll also begin to change how you view things. Because there is so much previous recording, we don’t change quickly, but keep memorizing Scripture. It’s the most powerful thing I have ever done in my day-to-day life.
Also, it is important to get medical help quickly, if needed. Getting medication at the right time is very important. One thing we see with depression is the loss of brain cells in the frontal lobe. If treated in time with the right medication, the brain may actually be able to form new brain cells in people who are depressed. Abnormal brain chemistry can actually keep people from being able to get out, be social and do things to improve their health. For those people medication might make the difference between life and death, especially since something in the body will give way, if you don’t do something.
So, for those who are suffering I suggest as a start, Scripture memory, medication for some people, and counseling. Warm, loving, kind counseling is invaluable. Stay busy and stay focused. Those are some of the major steps.
AFAJ: What are your favorite Bible passages to offer patients who are dealing with depression and people who have lost loved ones to suicide?
FM: Nahum 1:7 – “The Lord is good, a Strength and Stronghold in the day of trouble.” Isaiah 43:2 – “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned or scorched, nor will the flame kindle upon you.” Philippians 4:13 – “I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me, I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency.” (Amplified Bible.) 
Common Myths about Suicide
▶ There are always warning signs before someone commits suicide.
▶ If people talk about committing suicide, they won’t really go through with it.
▶ You should never ask someone if she has thought about committing suicide, because that will just give her ideas.
▶ If a person doesn’t succeed in a suicide attempt, he wasn’t really serious about killing himself.
▶ You are being disloyal to your lost loved one when you begin to heal.
▶ Remembering what you loved about the person who committed suicide will just keep you in a state of perpetual grief.
▶ A person who commits suicide thinks: “I’m no longer needed. I’m no longer important; therefore, I’ll commit suicide.”
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Resources for those who have lost loved ones to suicide or who are dealing with depression
▶ The Minirth Clinic 1-888-MINIRTH (646-4784) or 1-888-789-HOPE (4673)
www.minirthclinic.com
▶ Focus on the Family Counseling Department 719-531-3400 (M-F 9-4:30 Mountain Time)
▶ Happiness is a Choice, Happiness is a Lifestyle, and A Brilliant Mind, all by Dr. Frank Minirth
▶ Suicide, Understanding and Intervening by Jeffrey S. Black
▶ Greener Pastures? What God Says About Depression by Riley Buck Phillips
▶ Music for the Soul www.musicforthesoul.org, 877-298-9081
• Chaos of the Heart – A unique musical offering aimed at comforting those in the aftermath of suicide.
• Finding Your Way after the Suicide of Someone You Love by David B.Biebel and Suzanne L. Foster
