Jill Duggar’s Husband, Derick Dillard, Causes Controversy By Sharing Advice For Dealing With Depression


Jill Duggar and her husband, Derick Dillard, are still in Central America on their long-term mission trip, but they haven’t forgotten about their faithful fans back home. The couple has started dishing out advice to their fans in a blog series titled “Life Matters,” and their most recent post about Major Depressive Disorder is causing a bit of controversy. According to Derick, those suffering from depression should turn to the Bible for help.

Jill Duggar’s husband believes that the answers to many of modern man’s problems can be found in the Bible, even though it was written during a time period when life was dramatically different than it is today. Derick compares the collection of ancient texts to the U.S. Constitution.

“Should the constitution become less relevant simply because of the amount of time that has passed since its origin? Absolutely not,” Derick opines. “How much more then should the Bible, not one iota of which has been proven false, be held to the highest regard for counsel in our lives.”

The Jill & Jessa: Counting On star’s blog post includes a disclaimer saying that he is not giving his fans professional advice and that they should “seek the help of a properly certified Christian counselor” if they are suffering from depression. However, Derick soon contradicts himself by suggesting that there are “no other viable solution besides that which God could provide.”

“People will let you down, but God will never let you down,” Jill Duggar’s husband writes. He concludes his post by reiterating that reading scripture and “seeking God” is the best way to find joy and fulfillment.

“Ultimately, God wants us to be fully reliant upon him.”

Derick Dillard claims that science backs up his views on depression and what he believes the Bible says about it, which is that “a joyful heart really is good medicine.”

“It’s interesting to me that the Bible has always been right regarding various fields of science, and that the progression of scientific discovery has only confirmed the word of God. That is no different when it comes to psychology,” he claims.

What Jill Duggar’s husband does not write about are some of the causes of Major Depressive Disorder and medical professionals’ recommendations for treating the condition. According to Mayo Clinic, some people suffering from severe depression “appear to have physical changes in their brains.” Hormones and changes in brain chemistry are causes of depression, and it can be genetic. There are different types of depression that cause different symptoms, and those suffering from the condition need to be evaluated by a medical professional who can create an individualized treatment plan.

Reading the Bible is not one of the recommendations listed in the American Psychiatric Association’s guidelines for treating Major Depressive Disorder. Treatment options include drug therapy, psychotherapy, electroconvulsive therapy, and (ECT). Some patients will require a combination of these therapies.

Jill Duggar’s parents shared Derick Dillard’s advice for dealing with depression on the Duggar Family Facebook page, and many fans gently criticized the missionary for failing to realize that some forms of depression cannot be treated without medication.

“It may have been wiser to present the rest of your writing as AN option for coping with depression, instead of implying that it is the only TRUE option for treating depression,” Andrea Campo wrote. “I understand that you write from a place of speaking truth in love. However, it’s the same message that Christians with mental illness have been told all our lives. Depression cannot always be solved through a close relationship with Christ. I imagine that you want that to be true, but for a lot of Christians with depression, it doesn’t work that way.”

Other commenters warned Derick that his advice may actually be dangerous. He claims that it’s aimed at sufferers of Major Depressive Disorder, but most the examples he uses to make his point don’t involve the condition. One of these is the Biblical King David, who Derick says caused his depression by committing adultery.

“This article/blog post is poorly researched and possibly harmful to someone suffering from major depressive disorder,” Cedar Faith writes of Derick’s musings about depression caused by “wrong” actions. “Situational depression is different than the actual brain disorder caused by a chemical imbalance.”

Derick Dillard has never said that he’s a follower of the teachings of Bill Gothard, the controversial religious leader who Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar placed Josh Duggar under the guidance of after he sexually molested his younger sisters. However, his views on depression are in line with Gothard’s; according to Recovering Grace, Gothard believes that mental illness is caused by guilt, not chemical imbalances or other factors.

What do you think of Derick Dillard’s blog post? Should he and Jill Duggar stick to evangelizing and leave medical advice to the professionals?

[Image via Derick Dillard/Instagram]

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