Mental health, Psychology and the Bible (Part C)

In part B, I have written a little on the Bible and depression. The other theme in Part A was self-harm, which I would like to say a little more on now.

Self-harm is usually a form of OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.) It’s a repetitive thought pattern often triggered with Clinical Depression.

It’s a very destructive and poor coping mechanism to give relief from difficult feelings. Those suffering with this, feel compelled to try and release psychological pain, through inflicting physical pain, as this results in endogenous opioids being released in the brain and Central Nervous System.

In therapy this is addressed by talking about the difficult, unbearable feelings, where techniques can be developed to avoid the compulsion, and exploring where these feelings come from. This is done by using the neuroplasticity to create new thought processes, and to relinquish the old ones, so their synaptic connections shrivel.

The difficult feelings are usually linked to ACEs (as described in Part B) and are part of trauma work (please see my video on this website.)

The techniques to relinquish compulsive actions, involve distraction and mindfulness, coupled with the gentle encouragements found in Scripture and prayer.

However, its often the underlying feelings of shame that holds people back from this work. Shame induced in childhood, which is never the child’s fault, is erroneously owned and believed by the individual to form part of their identity.

This, in therapy can be addressed by recognising and experiencing that our identity is in Christ, we are his children.  

“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” John 1.12.


All Bible quotations are from the NIV.
Copyright © 2024 Susie Scott Kydd.