Let’s stop talking foolishly about ADHD and mental health

Sometimes, the most pastoral thing you can do is say, “That is not my area of expertise.” I wish more pastors would remember that, especially when dealing with questions they are ill-equipped to address. At a recent conference, a celebrity pastor was asked for his take on mental illness. The question was motivated by concerns over the seeming increase in diagnoses among younger people and children. His response was there is no such thing as conditions such as PTSD, OCD, ADHD, and the like. They are all part of the “noble lie” of mental illness, one created by pharmaceutical companies to make money by medicating people, especially children.

Normally, when someone is wrong on the internet, I try to ignore it. This is especially true when an individual has a documented history of talking nonsense. But this time, I couldn’t. I have a personal stake in this particular one. See, I have ADHD. So do my wife and two of our children. All five of us are also on the autism spectrum (and all are comfortable with me sharing this, so I am not violating their privacy by sharing this).

I have not written or spoken much about this publicly. In fact, outside of a relatively small group of people, I’ve largely kept it a secret. But I’ve been convicted against continuing to do so. While this article isn’t the place where I’ll be sharing my particular experiences, I needed to say something now to make it clear: I am not offering this criticism in order to jump on any kind of bandwagon. I’m offering it because it is a deeply personal issue for me—and the way we address these issues speaks volumes about our concern for other people.

The problem of psychological language

Before I get to the core of my disagreement, I do believe psychological language is being overused in Western society as a whole. This is a serious problem. This is probably the only area where this celebrity pastor and I would agree, although for different reasons. Where this pastor denies such things exist, I believe overusing terms cheapens them and causes more harm to people who experience these issues. Not all pain is trauma, nor is every lie gaslighting, and not every selfish such-and-such is a narcissist, for example. Words matter. They have meaning. And that meaning ought to be protected.

These conditions are real, too. So are the people who experience them. And they ought to be protected as well.

The danger of foolish talk

And that brings me back to the heart of my disagreement. What does it say to a person who has ADHD or suffers from PTSD or struggles with ongoing anxiety or any other very real condition you can think of when another person—especially a pastor—says what they walk through on a daily basis isn’t real?

It heaps guilt and shame on people already struggling

Many people who have ADHD struggle to see themselves in light of the way Scripture describes them. I don’t just mean as people made in the image of God, although this is certainly the case. Christians who have ADHD often struggle to believe that if we are in Christ, we are God’s beloved children with whom he is well pleased (Ephesians 5:1–2). But why?

People with ADHD and those who have mental health issues experience the brokenness that sin has brought into the world in a more distinct way than some others might. Many of us (though not all) struggle with a sense of being “less than”—of being less valuable because of the way we experience the world. We might feel guilt and shame because things that are natural to “normal” people are incredibly difficult for us. And it’s not just that we can’t do certain things without great effort or at all—it’s that we’re bad people because of it. Calling these conditions lies only stokes the fire of despair.

It is an embarrassment to the cause of Christ

Augustine cautioned against Christians “talking nonsense” on topics where there is room for disagreement, not to avoid embarrassment for ourselves but for the sake of those outside the faith for whose “salvation we toil.”¹ Basically, arrogantly speaking about things we do not know or understand doesn’t just make us look foolish, it is an embarrassment to Jesus. It creates unnecessary barriers between people and faith in Christ.

Augustine’s caution speaks well to this issue. Denying the reality of mental health issues is unwise and pastorally irresponsible. Categorizing developmental disorders like ADHD and autism with psychological conditions such as PTSD means we’ve not tried to understand the differences between them. This, too, is foolishness.

And while the gospel might be foolishness to those who are perishing (1 Corinthians 1:18), we do not need to look like fools by speaking ignorantly about things we know little or nothing about.

A plea for common sense compassion

Look, I know that this particular pastor isn’t going to see this article. Even if he did, it likely would not change his mind. But I also know that he’s not alone in his views. Many evangelical Christians tend to look skeptically at neurological and mental health issues. They are concerned about the potential for over-diagnosis or for people being unnecessarily medicated. Some see much of it as a cover for excusing sin. Perhaps you’re one of them.

And if so, please know that I get that. I’m even sympathetic to a degree. But here is what I would encourage you to do: talk to someone who lives with these issues. Ask questions about their world and look for ways that you can support them. It won’t always be easy but try to do what you can. And know this: as you seek to love your brothers and sisters who live with these conditions, as you love them the way the gospel calls you to love them (Matthew 22:39; John 13:34–35; Philippians 2:3–5), you will help them see the beauty of the gospel. You will give them—us—hope. And that’s what we all need, isn’t it?

Photo by Robina Weermeijer on Unsplash

1. Augustine, The Literal Meaning of Genesis, Book 1, Chapter 19, Paragraph 39. ↩︎