Descriptions and Prescriptions: A Biblical Perspective on Psychiatric Diagnoses and Medications by Michael R. Emlet, MD

OCD, ADHD, PTSD, Bipolar Disorder . . . these are no longer just technical terms and medical diagnoses, they are part of our common vocabulary and culture. As Christians, we shouldn’t isolate ourselves from this discussion or dismiss these important issues. But we also should be careful not to accept the entire secular psychiatric diagnostic and treatment enterprise without question. What we need is a balanced, biblically (and scientifically) informed approach that neither blindly accepts nor harshly dismisses psychiatric labels, diagnoses, and medicines that are prescribed to help those who are suffering.

As both a Biblical counselor and medical doctor, Michael R. Emlet, MD, gives readers a Christ-centered approach to psychiatry and guides both lay and professional helpers through the thicket of mental health labels and treatments with a biblical lens. In a clear and thoughtful way that puts the person experiencing mental health issues at the forefront, Emlet uses Scripture to show how the Bible engages in the discussion of psychiatric labels and the medications that are often recommended based on those labels. The first book in the “Helping the Helper” series, Descriptions and Prescriptions will give readers a biblical, gospel-formed perspective to help them understand and minister to those struggling with mental health issues.

• Written by Michael R. Emlet, MD, who worked for twelve years as a family physician before becoming a counselor and faculty member at the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF)
• Provides a biblical but balanced approach to psychiatric diagnoses and treatment that neither dismisses labels and treatments nor blindly accepts them
• Uses both scripture and current medical literature to discuss both the limitations and benefits of diagnostic terminology and psychoactive medications in the care of those with mental suffering
• Keeps a pastoral perspective that puts the person struggling with mental health at the front and center of all discussions about diagnosis and treatment
• Short, focused chapters that will benefit both lay and professional helpers ministering to those struggling with mental health issues.