Got Medication?

I had an interesting conversation with a friend the other day. She's been going through some seriously tough stuff and her therapist suggested antidepressants. She is hesitating to take them and asked me if I felt guilty about being medicated. At first I didn't understand, but then realized after some more talking that she was referring to being a Christian who takes meds.
The thought had never even occurred to me...feel guilty about being a medicated Christian? Why, no! See, I've been around people with mental illness most of my life. I've had dark, dark periods myself when I felt like I couldn't go on. After some extremely disturbing behavior while pregnant with Peanut, when it was suggested that I take Zoloft, I never even hesitated.
So I got to thinking about what my friend was struggling with, and decided to do some research to help her out. Try Googling "Christians on antidepressants". You'll get a boatload of a wide range of opinions. It shocked me to find that there are many people out there who find medication for depression/anxiety/etc. to be a sign of weakness in our faith.  
For myself, I can only say this. My faith in God never wavered....even at my lowest. I never thought He couldn't heal me. I never stopped believing that He could just remove my illness at will. I prayed for it, just as Paul prayed for God to remove the thorn (2 Cor 12). He didn't heal me, but I do believe He gave me researchers and doctors who were able to develop something to help. There are many instances of medications being used in the bible (Luke 10:30-43, 1 Timothy 5:23, Isaiah 38:21). I guess the whole thing boils down to whether or not you think brain meds are the same as other medications. 
The fact is, I refuse to have my family suffer because I am suffering. Without meds, my children and husband wouldn't be treated the way they should be. I wouldn't be able to function on a daily basis. I would still have those thoughts of driving into a brick wall just to end it all. But my God gave me a brain to use and free will to make decisions. As long as I can find nothing in the Bible that states otherwise, I will continue to be medicated. For my own good, and the good of my family. 
Jesus said in Matthew 9 "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice' ". People take medications for all kinds of things. Diabetics take insulin for their entire lives. We don't question their faith or accuse them of using a crutch. God promises that He will give us a way to endure temptation (1 Cor 10:13), so why not illness as well? The drugs don't fix everything in your life....the don't even really help you deal with the problems of daily life. They just help you not drive into that brick wall while trying to work them out. You still have to work out those problems - with prayer and daily reading of The Word and the support of those around you. 

In the end, medications for mental illness cannot make you have faith. You still have to choose between belief and doubt; death and life; faith and fear.