[dramatic music] It has stood the test of time. 00:00:06.17\00:00:17.95 God's book, the Bible. Still relevant in today's 00:00:17.95\00:00:23.82 complex world. It Is Written, sharing hope 00:00:23.82\00:00:30.89 around the globe. 00:00:30.89\00:00:34.83 This is It Is Written. I'm John Bradshaw, thanks 00:00:42.84\00:00:45.81 for joining me today. And today we're joined by our 00:00:45.81\00:00:48.91 guest, Dr. Neil Nedley, the president of Nedley 00:00:48.91\00:00:52.08 Health Solutions. Dr. Nedley, thanks for joining 00:00:52.08\00:00:54.62 me today on It Is Written. Thank you. 00:00:54.62\00:00:56.55 Great to be here, as always. We've touched on these 00:00:56.55\00:00:58.69 subjects before. Today we're going to do it again 00:00:58.69\00:01:01.06 and go a little further and a little deeper. 00:01:01.06\00:01:03.16 This is a subject that really affects everybody. 00:01:03.16\00:01:06.83 The Bible says we are fearfully and wonderfully made. 00:01:06.83\00:01:09.36 We were made in the image of God, in fact. 00:01:09.36\00:01:12.03 God created us physical beings with a brain. 00:01:12.03\00:01:16.60 All of us have experienced illness at some stage. 00:01:16.60\00:01:19.27 We've had colds, we've caught the flu; 00:01:19.27\00:01:21.58 some have had heart stuff and back pain and cancer 00:01:21.58\00:01:24.71 and other things. A large number of people today 00:01:24.71\00:01:27.32 are battling something that doesn't get spoken of very 00:01:27.32\00:01:31.19 openly and carries a bit of a stigma. 00:01:31.19\00:01:34.26 Affects so many people we need to deal with. 00:01:34.26\00:01:37.19 And that's the subject of mental illness. 00:01:37.19\00:01:39.03 Yes. How big a problem is 00:01:39.03\00:01:41.06 mental illness today? Over 26 percent of Americans 00:01:41.06\00:01:43.83 today have a diagnosable mental illness, as we're 00:01:43.83\00:01:47.67 speaking here. More than one in four. 00:01:47.67\00:01:49.97 And that's a significant illness. 00:01:49.97\00:01:51.94 You know, like major depression or anxiety, bipolar, 00:01:51.94\00:01:55.54 schizophrenia. It's not talking about the minor 00:01:55.54\00:01:58.48 mental illnesses like minor depression 00:01:58.48\00:02:01.28 or lack of concentration or those sorts of things. 00:02:01.28\00:02:04.15 I don't know if you have figures but if you added those minor 00:02:04.15\00:02:06.76 mental illnesses in, it would rise from 26 percent to about 00:02:06.76\00:02:09.52 what -- To over 50 percent. So it's fair to say that over 00:02:09.52\00:02:12.93 half of the people in the United States today 00:02:12.93\00:02:14.93 are dealing with a mental health issue. 00:02:14.93\00:02:16.97 It's so common that you either know someone else with a mental 00:02:16.97\00:02:22.00 illness or you have one yourself. 00:02:22.00\00:02:24.74 The one thing between us and God that all communication 00:02:24.74\00:02:29.01 flows through is your brain. Is our brain. 00:02:29.01\00:02:31.81 Yeah. Absolutely. 00:02:31.81\00:02:33.38 And so, clearly we want to be functioning optimally so that we 00:02:33.38\00:02:36.02 can have an optimal relationship with God. 00:02:36.02\00:02:37.72 Exactly. That's right. 00:02:37.72\00:02:39.15 Well, what do these mental illnesses look like? 00:02:39.15\00:02:41.76 Common symptoms are deep sadness or a sense of emptiness. 00:02:41.76\00:02:44.03 Apathy. If you wake up in the morning, 00:02:44.03\00:02:46.13 you're not real excited or interested about the day, 00:02:46.13\00:02:48.83 that might be normal once in a while, 00:02:48.83\00:02:51.57 but if it's happening a majority of the time, 00:02:51.57\00:02:53.34 that's a problem. Deep sadness? 00:02:53.34\00:02:55.54 I mean, don't we get sad? We do, but we shouldn't be sad 00:02:55.54\00:02:58.37 the majority of the time. You know, unless there's been 00:02:58.37\00:03:01.14 some sort of emotional loss in the last few weeks. 00:03:01.14\00:03:03.55 But as far as normal everyday living, if we're having crying 00:03:03.55\00:03:07.05 spells, if we're having that sense of emptiness, 00:03:07.05\00:03:09.78 that's a problem. Okay, so what are some of 00:03:09.78\00:03:11.72 the other symptoms? Lack of concentration. 00:03:11.72\00:03:13.86 Where the individual just has trouble focusing and has trouble 00:03:13.86\00:03:18.56 remembering at the bottom of the page what they read at 00:03:18.56\00:03:21.90 the top of the page. That is a common symptom. 00:03:21.90\00:03:24.67 Increased agitation or irritability. 00:03:24.67\00:03:27.40 Actually, sleep disturbances are very common in mentl illness, 00:03:27.40\00:03:31.04 either hypersomnia or insomnia or early morning awakening, 00:03:31.04\00:03:35.01 where you go to sleep but you wake up too early, can't 00:03:35.01\00:03:38.35 get back to sleep. That's very common. 00:03:38.35\00:03:40.82 Weight or appetite changes, it can occur either way. 00:03:40.82\00:03:43.89 A lot of the obesity epidemic that we're seeing in our country 00:03:43.89\00:03:47.36 today has an association with mental illness, 'cause people 00:03:47.36\00:03:50.63 have a tendency to self-medicate with food to try to feel better. 00:03:50.63\00:03:54.20 Feelings of worthlessness, morbid thoughts where it's 00:03:54.20\00:03:57.57 preoccupation with death or symbols of death. 00:03:57.57\00:04:00.24 Or just lack of energy. Fatigue is actually one of the 00:04:00.24\00:04:03.71 symptoms where you run out of energy too early 00:04:03.71\00:04:05.74 or you don't have energy even as the day begins. 00:04:05.74\00:04:09.68 So, it's not just one of those symptoms it's mental illness, 00:04:09.68\00:04:12.75 but if you have a combination of them, then you're going 00:04:12.75\00:04:15.42 to have a diagnosable mental illness. 00:04:15.42\00:04:17.55 What I don't want someone to do is - they'll be watching us 00:04:17.55\00:04:19.95 right now and say "Well, I get tired, and yeah, 00:04:19.95\00:04:22.96 I woke up that one morning." That doesn't mean you're 00:04:22.96\00:04:25.56 mentally unwell. That's right. 00:04:25.56\00:04:27.83 But when these symptoms start piling up on top of each other. 00:04:27.83\00:04:30.23 And when they're happening the majority of the time. 00:04:30.23\00:04:33.30 The great tragedy too is that there's a very strong link 00:04:33.30\00:04:36.77 between mental illness and suicide. 00:04:36.77\00:04:39.27 Yes. This can become a matter 00:04:39.27\00:04:41.81 of life and death. It's the number one cause 00:04:41.81\00:04:43.75 of suicide actually, is mental illness. 00:04:43.75\00:04:45.71 What should somebody do if they fear they have a significant 00:04:45.71\00:04:47.92 mental health issue and they need help? 00:04:47.92\00:04:49.72 Where should they turn? Well, they really need to seek 00:04:49.72\00:04:52.22 help from professionals that can help them, 00:04:52.22\00:04:54.42 but what I would encourage them to do is try to find the cause. 00:04:54.42\00:04:57.43 Don't just treat the symptoms. The effects of mental illness. 00:04:57.43\00:05:01.96 What are some of those? Well, not only does it cause the 00:05:01.96\00:05:05.60 symptoms that we mentioned earlier, but it actually 00:05:05.60\00:05:08.37 increases the risk of death in more ways than just suicide. 00:05:08.37\00:05:11.84 For instance, it increases the risk of heart disease; 00:05:11.84\00:05:14.58 increase the risk of death from cancer, if you do have 00:05:14.58\00:05:17.91 cancer and a mental illness; it actually suppresses 00:05:17.91\00:05:21.32 the immune system so you're likely to even die from 00:05:21.32\00:05:24.32 pneumonia, if you get pneumonia. And then, it causes a lot of 00:05:24.32\00:05:28.59 symptoms that are not so deadly but decrease the quality 00:05:28.59\00:05:32.36 of your life. Headaches in mental illness 00:05:32.36\00:05:34.86 are very closely associated. I would say, in our program with 00:05:34.86\00:05:38.80 depression and anxiety recovery, 80 percent of individuals 00:05:38.80\00:05:42.07 will have headaches. Asthma can actually come about 00:05:42.07\00:05:46.34 as a result of mental illness. And then, a decrease in ability 00:05:46.34\00:05:50.85 to actually physically function. Whether you end up in a nursing 00:05:50.85\00:05:54.32 home or not, as you age, has actually more to do with 00:05:54.32\00:05:56.85 your mental health than your physical health. 00:05:56.85\00:05:59.15 And then, there are other consequences like a decrease 00:05:59.15\00:06:02.86 in memory. The longer the bout of mental 00:06:02.86\00:06:05.49 illness, the more adverse the memory becomes. 00:06:05.49\00:06:08.76 And people can even think they're starting to experience 00:06:08.76\00:06:11.57 a dementia, when it's not dementia at all. 00:06:11.57\00:06:14.27 It's a reversible mental illness. 00:06:14.27\00:06:16.44 And then, on top of it, it actually adversely affects 00:06:16.44\00:06:21.74 relationships, and so a lot of relationship problems are 00:06:21.74\00:06:25.58 actually due to mental health issues, and often 00:06:25.58\00:06:29.05 are overlooked as such. If this is an issue in 00:06:29.05\00:06:31.49 somebody's life, we really want to get 00:06:31.49\00:06:33.72 this addressed. We want to get it addressed. 00:06:33.72\00:06:35.79 And, fortunately it can be reversed. 00:06:35.79\00:06:37.96 It can be treated and people don't have to exist with 00:06:37.96\00:06:40.93 mental illness. If we take care of the 00:06:40.93\00:06:43.00 underlying causes and reverse those that are 00:06:43.00\00:06:45.40 causing the mental illness, we will get a cure. 00:06:45.40\00:06:48.47 And that happens the vast majority of the time. 00:06:48.47\00:06:51.01 That's magnificent. There is hope for anybody 00:06:51.01\00:06:54.18 grappling with mental illness. And, in just a moment, we'll 00:06:54.18\00:06:57.55 begin to talk about how a person can indeed experience cure and 00:06:57.55\00:07:04.02 reversal from mental illness. Don't go away, 00:07:04.02\00:07:07.36 we'll be right back. 00:07:07.36\00:07:09.66 [Music] If you could just go back in 00:07:11.06\00:07:20.04 time and do things differently. Perhaps you've struggled 00:07:20.04\00:07:23.91 with regret and the added weight of guilt. 00:07:23.91\00:07:26.44 And while there's no way to undo the past, 00:07:26.44\00:07:28.68 God offers us a forgiveness so complete that it comes 00:07:28.68\00:07:31.88 with a promise of a life that will never end. 00:07:31.88\00:07:35.22 Sound too good to be true? Well, see what the Bible says. 00:07:35.22\00:07:38.39 Our booklet, "Hope for a Planet in Crisis," 00:07:38.39\00:07:40.92 will walk you through the Bible's teachings about 00:07:40.92\00:07:43.53 sin and forgiveness and show you how a new start 00:07:43.53\00:07:46.26 can be yours. Just call 00:07:46.26\00:07:48.63 (800) 253-3000 and request your free copy of 00:07:48.63\00:07:53.10 "Hope for a Planet in Crisis." If the line's busy please do 00:07:53.10\00:07:56.81 keep on trying, or write to It Is Written, P.O. Box 6, 00:07:56.81\00:08:01.14 Chattanooga, TN 37401. We'll mail a free copy to your 00:08:01.14\00:08:06.01 address in North America. Again, our toll-free number is 00:08:06.01\00:08:10.02 (800) 253-3000, and our web address is 00:08:10.02\00:08:14.09 ItIsWritten.com. 00:08:14.09\00:08:17.33 This is It Is Written. I'm John Bradshaw. 00:08:18.83\00:08:20.70 Thank you for joining me today. I'm joined by my guest, 00:08:20.70\00:08:23.47 Dr. Neil Nedley, who is the president of Nedley 00:08:23.47\00:08:26.67 Health Solutions. And, as we discuss mental 00:08:26.67\00:08:29.17 illness today, this is something that you're very, very involved 00:08:29.17\00:08:31.77 with, with depression and anxiety recovery programs 00:08:31.77\00:08:34.91 that you run. So you're speaking to this, 00:08:34.91\00:08:37.58 firsthand. Right. 00:08:37.58\00:08:39.95 I imagine it impacts people financially. 00:08:39.95\00:08:42.22 Absolutely. How's that? 00:08:42.22\00:08:44.19 Yeah. In fact, most people that come 00:08:44.19\00:08:46.52 to our program have no money to come to our program. 00:08:46.52\00:08:48.89 Now, why is that? They just happen to have someone 00:08:48.89\00:08:51.13 who believes in them and believes in the program, 00:08:51.13\00:08:54.83 and so as a result, family members or churches 00:08:54.83\00:08:59.10 will raise money for them. And after they're through with 00:08:59.10\00:09:02.74 the program, they will not only be employable but they'll 00:09:02.74\00:09:06.27 actually be employed soon at a higher level than what would 00:09:06.27\00:09:10.48 have happened had they never experienced depression 00:09:10.48\00:09:13.01 and anxiety. And it's simply due to 00:09:13.01\00:09:15.12 the financial figures. This has been well described. 00:09:15.12\00:09:17.12 The average person with depression, who actually 00:09:17.12\00:09:19.49 does work, earns $10,400 less per year. 00:09:19.49\00:09:23.16 And the total effect on their family, if they don't take care 00:09:23.16\00:09:26.19 of the depression and anxiety, the total financial impact over 00:09:26.19\00:09:29.86 their lifetime, for their family, is $300,000. 00:09:29.86\00:09:33.50 That's the ripple effect as well occurring, but it's 00:09:33.50\00:09:37.44 also occurring because of the decrease in productivity, 00:09:37.44\00:09:40.51 because of more medical bills, more physical issues that 00:09:40.51\00:09:44.41 have to be solved. And, one study that looked at 00:09:44.41\00:09:48.25 a small group actually concluded this: This small group, when you 00:09:48.25\00:09:52.75 add up $300,000 family per family, it was 2.1 trillion 00:09:52.75\00:09:57.03 dollars over the lifetime. And what they concluded was 00:09:57.03\00:10:00.90 this: If depression and anxiety would be reversed and cured, 00:10:00.90\00:10:06.10 we would actually not have a national debt in this country. 00:10:06.10\00:10:10.44 Now, the most common way people with mental illness are treated 00:10:10.44\00:10:16.51 is through drugs. Now, you're a doctor. 00:10:16.51\00:10:19.28 You prescribe drugs in your medical profession. 00:10:19.28\00:10:21.68 Should people battling mental illness, grappling with 00:10:21.68\00:10:26.05 mental illness, be treated with drugs? 00:10:26.05\00:10:28.66 Is that the best way to deal with this problem? 00:10:28.66\00:10:32.09 It's not the best way. Drugs can help some of 00:10:32.09\00:10:35.06 the symptoms. They do not cure the disease. 00:10:35.06\00:10:38.37 But everybody's given drugs for mental illness. 00:10:38.37\00:10:40.87 Everybody is given drugs, and it's, and it really has to do 00:10:40.87\00:10:43.34 with a need for a paradigm shift in the way mental illness is 00:10:43.34\00:10:47.48 treated in this country. Now, let's be clear: 00:10:47.48\00:10:49.78 You're not against drugs. No, I'm a doctor. 00:10:49.78\00:10:52.21 I prescribe them. Okay, so we've cleared that up. 00:10:52.21\00:10:55.05 How effective--and I expect there's documentation for 00:10:55.05\00:10:58.89 this--how effective is medication. 00:10:58.89\00:11:02.99 And I hope you can give me some numbers here--when it comes 00:11:02.99\00:11:06.59 to mental illness? Well, the best case 00:11:06.59\00:11:08.83 scenario--and this is drug company data--best case scenario 00:11:08.83\00:11:12.03 is 70 percent of the people will improve somewhat, a little 00:11:12.03\00:11:18.41 to maybe a lot, in taking the medicine. 00:11:18.41\00:11:22.91 Thirty percent won't respond at all. 00:11:22.91\00:11:24.98 Isn't that good? Isn't 70 percent good? 00:11:24.98\00:11:27.28 Well, 70 percent is good for the short term, but there's 00:11:27.28\00:11:30.65 some other data, too. Only 20 percent no longer 00:11:30.65\00:11:33.76 qualify as having a mental illness when taking the drugs. 00:11:33.76\00:11:37.13 In other words, they still are significantly inhibited. 00:11:37.13\00:11:40.23 And that is that data at three and six months after starting 00:11:40.23\00:11:44.73 the drugs. One year out, they're actually 00:11:44.73\00:11:48.34 worse than if they would have never been on medicine. 00:11:48.34\00:11:52.44 So, the medicine helps short term, but as 00:11:52.44\00:11:55.18 it's continued long term, it actually seems to exacerbate 00:11:55.18\00:11:59.31 and make worse the condition that it was supposed to treat. 00:11:59.31\00:12:04.29 That's when it comes to depression and anxiety. 00:12:04.29\00:12:06.39 Well, let's come back. Seventy percent of people 00:12:06.39\00:12:08.29 are helped somewhat. Now, if this was headaches 00:12:08.29\00:12:12.63 and there was a pill that said 70 percent of people 00:12:12.63\00:12:14.73 are helped somewhat, I don't think we'd say 00:12:14.73\00:12:17.37 that was very effective. I think we'd want to do a little 00:12:17.37\00:12:20.34 bit better than that, right? And help "somewhat" can mean 00:12:20.34\00:12:22.67 just about anything. Exactly. 00:12:22.67\00:12:24.61 Yeah, that's right. And what is very clear-- 00:12:24.61\00:12:26.64 and the pharmaceutical industry will agree with this-- 00:12:26.64\00:12:29.28 medications have their limitations. 00:12:29.28\00:12:32.01 Significant limitations. This is not a cure. 00:12:32.01\00:12:35.22 There is no medicine that cures depression or anxiety 00:12:35.22\00:12:39.79 or albeit any other mental illness, for that matter. 00:12:39.79\00:12:43.29 In order to get to the cure, we have to find the cause 00:12:43.29\00:12:47.23 and reverse the cause. Now, let me ask you 00:12:47.23\00:12:49.63 about side effects. I wish I could recall 00:12:49.63\00:12:52.03 the case--you may know. It was decided that one 00:12:52.03\00:12:56.87 particular drug should no longer be prescribed for young people 00:12:56.87\00:13:00.88 because of the spike in suicide among people who were 00:13:00.88\00:13:04.75 receiving this medication. Now, that's a very dramatic 00:13:04.75\00:13:06.85 side effect. What are generally side effects 00:13:06.85\00:13:10.75 as a result of taking these-- let's call them antidepressants. 00:13:10.75\00:13:15.72 One of them you touched on: increased impulsivity. 00:13:15.72\00:13:19.06 Impulsivity goes up with antidepressants before 00:13:19.06\00:13:22.16 the depression gets better. And suicide is often 00:13:22.16\00:13:25.30 an impulsive act. A lot of people 00:13:25.30\00:13:27.80 don't realize that, but often it's feelings of 00:13:27.80\00:13:29.97 hopelessness and then impulsivity combined. 00:13:29.97\00:13:32.57 That's why they all have black-box warnings, 00:13:32.57\00:13:35.34 saying they can actually increase the risk of suicide 00:13:35.34\00:13:38.51 before they improve the depression. 00:13:38.51\00:13:40.92 Well, that's a tough side effect to look at it. 00:13:40.92\00:13:44.52 Yes, it is. But the other one that's 00:13:44.52\00:13:46.59 very common is it causes-- even if you do improve-- 00:13:46.59\00:13:49.09 it causes an 'I don't care' attitude. 00:13:49.09\00:13:52.19 And so, what the studies have shown is, 00:13:52.19\00:13:54.63 if you have depression and you're taking 00:13:54.63\00:13:56.67 an antidepressant, even though your depression 00:13:56.67\00:13:58.93 will improve, you're actually more likely to miss work. 00:13:58.93\00:14:01.74 Because if you're not feeling the greatest and you have an 00:14:01.74\00:14:04.74 'I don't care' drug on board, you're saying 00:14:04.74\00:14:07.04 "Who cares. I'm just not going to show up today." 00:14:07.04\00:14:09.44 And they're not even able, with a loving spouse, 00:14:09.44\00:14:12.31 to cry at the funeral of the loving spouse. 00:14:12.31\00:14:15.82 They know they should, but the 'I don't care' 00:14:15.82\00:14:18.72 attitude prevails. And sometimes the 'I don't care' 00:14:18.72\00:14:22.42 attitude gets in the way of them actually doing something about 00:14:22.42\00:14:27.10 a problem in their life. A problem will come up. 00:14:27.10\00:14:30.27 Normally they'd try to solve it, but when the 'I don't care' 00:14:30.27\00:14:32.60 attitude comes up they don't try to solve it. 00:14:32.60\00:14:34.94 And that's one of the reasons why financially they have 00:14:34.94\00:14:37.41 more trouble, is because of this 'I don't care' attitude. 00:14:37.41\00:14:40.78 So we're not saying that nobody should ever take drugs for this, 00:14:40.78\00:14:43.08 but we are saying that the data shows that drugs for 00:14:43.08\00:14:48.78 mental illnesses are pretty ineffective. 00:14:48.78\00:14:51.19 We should utilize them, really in most cases, 00:14:51.19\00:14:53.49 only short term, meaning within a few months. 00:14:53.49\00:14:55.99 What you're also saying is that when we get to the root cause 00:14:55.99\00:14:58.76 of depression and mental illness and treat that, 00:14:58.76\00:15:00.96 people can be cured. And they don't need the drugs. 00:15:00.96\00:15:03.47 Fantastic. We're going to find out more 00:15:03.47\00:15:05.33 about that and how a person can experience that, 00:15:05.33\00:15:07.47 how it can become an absolute reality. 00:15:07.47\00:15:09.57 We'll deal with that in just a moment. 00:15:09.57\00:15:11.77 "Every Word" is a one-minute, Bible-based daily devotional 00:15:11.77\00:15:16.48 presented by Pastor John Bradshaw, 00:15:16.48\00:15:18.38 and designed especially for busy people like you. 00:15:18.38\00:15:21.52 Look for "Every Word" on selected networks 00:15:21.52\00:15:24.12 or watch it online every day on our website, ItIsWritten.com. 00:15:24.12\00:15:30.23 [Music] This story really struck me. 00:15:30.23\00:15:39.60 When a music producer took his own life in New York City, 00:15:39.60\00:15:42.44 people were surprised. One of the man's associates 00:15:42.44\00:15:44.91 said, "The shock comes because of the way he carried himself. 00:15:44.91\00:15:47.68 He was a strong man." I'll tell you this: 00:15:47.68\00:15:51.01 Satan isn't impressed by strong. You can be as strong as you 00:15:51.01\00:15:53.88 like, but there's only one place you're going to find 00:15:53.88\00:15:56.82 the strength you really need to deal with the difficulties 00:15:56.82\00:15:59.02 of this world and the challenges presented by sin. 00:15:59.02\00:16:02.16 David prayed in 1 Chronicles 29:12, and said, 00:16:02.16\00:16:05.23 "In your hand is power and might. 00:16:05.23\00:16:07.73 In your hand it is to make great 00:16:07.73\00:16:09.90 and to give strength to all." Strength for our journey in this 00:16:09.90\00:16:12.80 world is found in Jesus. Lean on Him today. 00:16:12.80\00:16:15.50 Trust Him. And by the way, 00:16:15.50\00:16:17.61 if you're struggling with the issues like the one 00:16:17.61\00:16:19.71 I just mentioned, please, get help. 00:16:19.71\00:16:23.51 I'm John Bradshaw for It Is Written. 00:16:23.51\00:16:25.48 Let's live today by every word. 00:16:25.48\00:16:28.08 [Music] It Is Written is a ministry 00:16:31.12\00:16:33.39 dedicated to sharing the Gospel around the world. 00:16:33.39\00:16:35.76 God is using It Is Written to impact the world. 00:16:35.76\00:16:38.69 Our television program is only one aspect of how we 00:16:38.69\00:16:41.40 accomplish that goal. To discover more about 00:16:41.40\00:16:43.93 It Is Written, visit our website, 00:16:43.93\00:16:46.23 ItIsWritten.com. Browse the dozens of pages that 00:16:46.23\00:16:49.24 describe what we do and how we're doing it. 00:16:49.24\00:16:51.94 You'll find an archive of past television programs 00:16:51.94\00:16:54.21 in script form, and as streaming video 00:16:54.21\00:16:56.34 and audio files, along with many other helpful, 00:16:56.34\00:16:59.05 inspirational resources. Let's get to know 00:16:59.05\00:17:02.22 each other better. Visit our website, 00:17:02.22\00:17:04.05 ItIsWritten.com, today and follow us online on 00:17:04.05\00:17:08.22 Facebook and Twitter. 00:17:08.22\00:17:11.16 This is It Is Written. I'm John Bradshaw. 00:17:12.83\00:17:14.86 My guest today is Dr. Neil Nedley. 00:17:14.86\00:17:17.00 We're discussing mental illness. If you are thriving mentally 00:17:17.00\00:17:20.57 and emotionally, then clearly you can do far better 00:17:20.57\00:17:23.27 in your relationship with God. Many, many people in the 00:17:23.27\00:17:26.88 United States and around the world today, 00:17:26.88\00:17:28.94 statistically the numbers are very, very high, are 00:17:28.94\00:17:31.91 grappling with mental illnesses. And then, clearly, one cannot 00:17:31.91\00:17:36.15 have the kind of relationship with God one wants, 00:17:36.15\00:17:39.09 or indeed that God wants to have with His children. 00:17:39.09\00:17:42.86 Dr. Nedley, a moment ago we were discussing the limitations of 00:17:42.86\00:17:45.66 medication, drugs, when it comes to treating 00:17:45.66\00:17:48.56 mental illnesses. What are some better choices? 00:17:48.56\00:17:52.67 Well, getting at the root of the problem. 00:17:52.67\00:17:55.54 So, there may be a nutritional issue. 00:17:55.54\00:17:57.74 A lot of people don't realize what we eat does get turned in 00:17:57.74\00:18:00.64 to neurons, neurotransmitters, and so changing the diet can 00:18:00.64\00:18:06.31 often produce wonderful results. Getting on a physical 00:18:06.31\00:18:10.45 exercise program. Studies have shown, 00:18:10.45\00:18:12.45 if you get on a 16-week program for fitness, 00:18:12.45\00:18:15.06 it's far better than any antidepressant on the planet. 00:18:15.06\00:18:17.86 Studies show that. Yes. 00:18:17.86\00:18:19.86 Yeah, studies show it and the equivalency base. 00:18:19.86\00:18:21.93 Light therapy. Light therapy is actually as 00:18:21.93\00:18:24.90 effective as Prozac, but without the relapse 00:18:24.90\00:18:27.90 that Prozac will often induce. Light therapy. 00:18:27.90\00:18:31.84 Can you briefly explain what that is? 00:18:31.84\00:18:33.54 Light therapy is getting bright light. 00:18:33.54\00:18:35.71 Sometimes in the wintertime we'll actually use a 00:18:35.71\00:18:38.05 medical-grade light box, where they wake up 00:18:38.05\00:18:40.05 with the light. It's best to get it first 00:18:40.05\00:18:42.35 thing in the morning. It helps set your body clock, 00:18:42.35\00:18:44.35 helps you to sleep better. Those are simple things. 00:18:44.35\00:18:46.72 Then, what we call cognitive behavioral therapy, 00:18:46.72\00:18:49.16 where we teach the individual how to recognize distortions 00:18:49.16\00:18:52.26 in their thought. We all have a tendency 00:18:52.26\00:18:54.36 for distortions but people with mental illness have 00:18:54.36\00:18:56.63 a much greater prevalence of distorted thoughts, 00:18:56.63\00:18:59.13 and it's very important for them to recognize and 00:18:59.13\00:19:01.17 correct those. And then, also enhancing 00:19:01.17\00:19:04.21 the frontal lobe of the brain. The front lobe of the brain is 00:19:04.21\00:19:07.71 always down in a depressed or anxious individual. 00:19:07.71\00:19:10.85 One of the ways of enhancing that, since that's the center 00:19:10.85\00:19:14.75 of spirituality, morality and the will, is actually 00:19:14.75\00:19:18.95 utilizing the Bible as a therapeutic tool. 00:19:18.95\00:19:22.42 Okay, let's talk about this. There's that book, the Bible. 00:19:22.42\00:19:25.33 How does the Bible. Or let me ask this, 00:19:25.33\00:19:30.07 because you treat people with depression 00:19:30.07\00:19:32.90 and anxiety issues, and in some people 00:19:32.90\00:19:34.97 very, very severe issues. How do you use the Bible 00:19:34.97\00:19:39.27 to treat people grappling with mental illness? 00:19:39.27\00:19:43.91 Well, one of the ways in which we utilize it is actually 00:19:43.91\00:19:46.82 the first six chapters in Daniel. 00:19:46.82\00:19:50.12 Every chapter in Daniel starts out with a tremendous 00:19:50.12\00:19:53.56 disappointment. In fact, all 12 chapters do. 00:19:53.56\00:19:56.26 But it starts out with a tremendous disappointment and 00:19:56.26\00:19:59.36 then goes into an appointment. And there is a spiritual key 00:19:59.36\00:20:03.63 that transforms the tremendous disappointment-- 00:20:03.63\00:20:07.34 which is mental illness effects --into an appointment. 00:20:07.34\00:20:11.74 And those spiritual keys build on each other. 00:20:11.74\00:20:14.44 And then, there are cases in the Bible, right in Daniel. 00:20:14.44\00:20:17.58 For instance, Nebuchadnezzar suffered from rage. 00:20:17.58\00:20:21.18 He suffered from significant anger issues. 00:20:21.18\00:20:24.25 And you see other characters in the Bible that had jealousy, 00:20:24.25\00:20:27.86 right there in Daniel. And you see all of these 00:20:27.86\00:20:30.66 distorted thoughts. And then you have an example of 00:20:30.66\00:20:33.26 someone who actually obtained physical health and 00:20:33.26\00:20:38.40 then mental health. And despite a lot of adverse 00:20:38.40\00:20:41.00 consequences was able to stay mentally healthy and actually 00:20:41.00\00:20:45.01 transform the nation of Babylon. His name was Daniel. 00:20:45.01\00:20:48.01 And so there's a lot of different little case studies 00:20:48.01\00:20:50.55 that you can through that with. And I tell you, depressed people 00:20:50.55\00:20:53.75 love it. Most people are not familiar 00:20:53.75\00:20:55.75 with the stories, but as they embrace the spiritual keys that 00:20:55.75\00:21:00.82 help Daniel, they themselves will also improve. 00:21:00.82\00:21:04.36 I'm thinking of the issue of King Nebuchadnezzar. 00:21:04.36\00:21:07.30 I mean, he had, I'm not quite sure what it's called. 00:21:07.30\00:21:10.70 Was it insanity? He was certainly severely 00:21:10.70\00:21:15.80 mentally ill. And then, by the time 00:21:15.80\00:21:18.61 Daniel chapter 4 is over, Nebuchadnezzar is in a saving 00:21:18.61\00:21:23.68 relationship with God. Yeah, he actually is 00:21:23.68\00:21:25.98 a converted individual. Became a humble man, 00:21:25.98\00:21:28.88 a converted individual, as the ruler of 00:21:28.88\00:21:31.62 the world empire. As a result of Daniel. 00:21:31.62\00:21:35.22 And so, that also tells us that if we obtain the mental health 00:21:35.22\00:21:39.59 the Lord would want us to have, we can be transformative agents 00:21:39.59\00:21:43.50 even to kings and queens around us. 00:21:43.50\00:21:46.07 Fantastic. Let's talk about some of 00:21:46.07\00:21:47.94 the principles we see in the Bible, 00:21:47.94\00:21:50.14 how the Bible promises peace of mind. 00:21:50.14\00:21:52.51 I'm thinking, in Psalm 119: "great peace have they which 00:21:52.51\00:21:57.25 love thy law and nothing shall offend them, or they shall have 00:21:57.25\00:21:59.91 no stumbling block." When we learn to esteem 00:21:59.91\00:22:02.32 the Word of God, the Bible promises us great peace. 00:22:02.32\00:22:07.22 Yes. Perhaps mental illness has 00:22:07.22\00:22:09.69 a lot to do with how we think. It does. 00:22:09.69\00:22:13.13 How we choose to think. If a person recognizes, 00:22:13.13\00:22:16.06 wait a minute! I am a child of God! 00:22:16.06\00:22:19.70 Isn't that going to turn a gray day into a sunny day? 00:22:19.70\00:22:22.94 Exactly. One day soon I'm getting out of 00:22:22.94\00:22:27.11 here, and I'm going to live in a place where the streets 00:22:27.11\00:22:29.74 are paved with gold. And then I'm going to live in 00:22:29.74\00:22:32.01 a recreated Earth, without the presence of sin. 00:22:32.01\00:22:34.72 Hey, these are joyful thoughts, aren't they? 00:22:34.72\00:22:38.32 Yes. Hopeful. 00:22:38.32\00:22:40.26 And hope is one of the things that helps with mental illness. 00:22:40.26\00:22:43.43 How do you show somebody, from a biblical perspective, 00:22:43.43\00:22:45.76 that they're worth something? Well, what I often tell them-- 00:22:45.76\00:22:48.46 if they are a Christian, of course it helps with this 00:22:48.46\00:22:51.20 perspective-- but, I'll ask them, 00:22:51.20\00:22:53.87 "Who is Jesus Christ?" And they'll tell me, 00:22:53.87\00:22:57.81 "the Son of God." And I'll say, 00:22:57.81\00:22:59.64 "How much is He worth?" And they'll think and often 00:22:59.64\00:23:02.24 they'll say, "priceless." And I've said, 00:23:02.24\00:23:05.25 "Did He or did He not die for you?" 00:23:05.25\00:23:09.38 "Well, yes, He did die for me." "So then, how much 00:23:09.38\00:23:12.42 are you worth?" And that's not just words. 00:23:12.42\00:23:17.39 That is actual evidence. It did happen, and He would 00:23:17.39\00:23:23.60 have died for just one soul. So, infinity is not greater 00:23:23.60\00:23:27.77 than infinity. And because He would have died 00:23:27.77\00:23:31.44 for one soul, that's the worth that He puts on us. 00:23:31.44\00:23:34.91 Now, that doesn't mean that we're worth more than someone 00:23:34.91\00:23:37.61 next to us. That's when we get into egotism 00:23:37.61\00:23:40.02 and we get into arrogance. Let's try to make this 00:23:40.02\00:23:42.82 practical. I don't want to encourage 00:23:42.82\00:23:44.95 anybody to get off their sofa, run to the medicine cabinet and 00:23:44.95\00:23:47.82 flush the Prozac down the toilet. 00:23:47.82\00:23:50.79 That might not be the way to go. They need to get on the program 00:23:50.79\00:23:54.36 to take care of their problem, and then they need a doctor who 00:23:54.36\00:23:57.20 is well versed on how to take people off of these medicines. 00:23:57.20\00:24:00.90 It can be dangerous to actually stop them abruptly. 00:24:00.90\00:24:03.27 If somebody learns to eat for their mental health; 00:24:03.27\00:24:07.31 if people learn to put into their minds the right 00:24:07.31\00:24:10.91 sort of things that promote good mental health; 00:24:10.91\00:24:14.25 start perhaps exercising; do something about the people 00:24:14.25\00:24:19.35 with whom they associate; take on board the principles 00:24:19.35\00:24:23.99 of the Bible and find hope in Christ Jesus, 00:24:23.99\00:24:26.86 then people can expect to experience a dramatic 00:24:26.86\00:24:31.87 turnaround in their state of mental health. 00:24:31.87\00:24:34.77 'Transformed', that's what we call it. 00:24:34.77\00:24:37.47 I mean, it is transformation. It would be great to have 00:24:37.47\00:24:42.31 anybody come at the end of our 10-day program with depression 00:24:42.31\00:24:45.01 and anxiety. There is not a dry eye in 00:24:45.01\00:24:47.28 the place as these people talk about what has happened 00:24:47.28\00:24:49.92 to them in 10 days. And their relatives come 00:24:49.92\00:24:52.42 pick them up and ask, "What did you do?" 00:24:52.42\00:24:54.62 This individual is back, and they thought they were 00:24:54.62\00:24:58.26 hopeless cases, often. And they thought, themselves, 00:24:58.26\00:25:00.96 that they were hopeless. I mean, the big thing we hear in 00:25:00.96\00:25:03.33 the first three or four days is "We know that nothing is going 00:25:03.33\00:25:06.37 to help me, I'm so bad that I myself am never going to be able 00:25:06.37\00:25:10.37 to get better, right? I'm worse than anyone you've 00:25:10.37\00:25:12.84 ever seen." And they try to convince me 00:25:12.84\00:25:15.44 of that, and in 10 days, what a transformation 00:25:15.44\00:25:19.28 can take place. God's in the business 00:25:19.28\00:25:22.08 of transformation. We've been sharing with you 00:25:22.08\00:25:25.49 information. When you take this to God and 00:25:25.49\00:25:29.89 start to work this into your life, you can expect to see 00:25:29.89\00:25:33.36 information lead to the type of transformation God wishes for 00:25:33.36\00:25:39.30 all of His children. [Music] 00:25:39.30\00:25:48.54 Our booklet, "Hope for a Planet in Crisis," 00:25:48.54\00:25:52.15 will walk you through the Bible's teachings about 00:25:52.15\00:25:54.35 sin and forgiveness and show you how a new start 00:25:54.35\00:25:57.22 can be yours. Just call 00:25:57.22\00:25:59.62 (800) 253-3000 and request your free copy of 00:25:59.62\00:26:04.23 "Hope for a Planet in Crisis." If the line's busy please 00:26:04.23\00:26:07.83 do keep on trying, or write to It Is Written, P.O. Box 6, 00:26:07.83\00:26:12.40 Chattanooga, TN 37401. We'll mail a free copy to your 00:26:12.40\00:26:17.14 address in North America. It Is Written is a faith-based 00:26:17.14\00:26:20.91 ministry, and your support makes it possible for us to share 00:26:20.91\00:26:24.18 God's good news with the world. Your tax deductible gift can be 00:26:24.18\00:26:28.38 sent to the address on your screen, or through our website 00:26:28.38\00:26:31.12 at ItIsWritten.com. Thank you for your continued 00:26:31.12\00:26:34.46 prayerful support. Again, our toll-free number is 00:26:34.46\00:26:38.06 (800) 253-3000, and our web address is 00:26:38.06\00:26:41.96 ItIsWritten.com. Dr. Nedley, this has been 00:26:41.96\00:26:48.64 hopeful and helpful. Thanks for joining me today. 00:26:48.64\00:26:54.01 Thank you. Let's pray together. 00:26:54.01\00:26:57.05 Our Father in heaven, I thank You that that we 00:26:57.05\00:26:59.81 are worth so much that You thought it was a good deal 00:26:59.81\00:27:04.45 to allow Your Son Jesus to come to this world 00:27:04.45\00:27:07.36 to die, that we might live. You value us so highly. 00:27:07.36\00:27:10.99 And I thank You today that there is hope even for those who feel 00:27:10.99\00:27:14.86 they are hopeless. I thank you that our minds can 00:27:14.86\00:27:18.77 be transformed and renewed. Please do that work in us, and 00:27:18.77\00:27:24.17 let us find our hope in Christ. Give us faith and an experience 00:27:24.17\00:27:29.71 of faith that attests to the fact that 00:27:29.71\00:27:33.35 You are a good and a saving God. 00:27:33.35\00:27:35.92 We thank You today. In Jesus' name, amen. 00:27:35.92\00:27:41.92 [Music] Thank you for joining me today. 00:27:41.92\00:27:57.91 I'm looking forward to seeing you again next time. 00:27:57.91\00:28:00.31 Until then remember, it is written: 00:28:00.31\00:28:03.04 Man shall not live by bread alone 00:28:03.04\00:28:05.65 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. 00:28:05.65\00:28:12.29