Table of Contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS to THE CHRIST CURE: 10 Biblical Ways to Heal from Trauma, Tragedy, and PTSD by Dr. Tim Murphy
INTRODUCTION
Beginning with a deeply personal story of the author’s own humbling fall from grace, this chapter describes how trauma can destroy our lives, defines the three types of trauma and tells how each may lead to deep depression, PTSD and Post Traumatic Stress (PTS). Rather than succumbing to self-destruction, an alternate message of hope and reconciliation is offered as a path to true healing. Although psychiatric treatment provides help for many, millions remain plagued with feeling broken by trauma and continue to search for deeper and more powerful answers. This new method of healing though renewal is outlined.
PART ONE: What Trauma Does to Us
Chapter One: Trauma, Stress and the Perils of Paul lists several major traumas inflicted on him and describes how modern research would predict he was a high risk for PTSD symptoms such as depression, addiction, chronic illness, isolation, and suicide. Although he should have had every symptom why did he not collapse under the pressure? What gave him more strength, courage, hope and faith each day? His life serves as a powerful model not for our own healing.
Chapter Two: How Trauma Hurts and Helps Our Brain and Body: Think of this chapter as an owner’s manual to understand how this great creation of our brain reacts to stress and why recovery from trauma can be so difficult. Jesus instructed us to not let yesterday’s anxieties or tomorrow’s worries hurt us today, but it is difficult. We wrongfully conclude our struggle to improve means we are a shamefully bad person on a hopeless cause. We learn about the human stress response, and why the brain is the only organ in our bodies capable of both destroying and rebuilding itself. Our brain controls our emotions, thoughts and actions and most of the time it is our greatest resource to handle stress. The architecture and function of our brain and body are actually physically changed by stress, and may lead us into a pessimistic death spiral. However, this is not inevitable and not irreversible. Rebuilding requires focused work to change the course of our lives.
PART TWO: Establishing Our Foundation: F.A.S.T.E.R.
Chapter Three: Healthy Fitness: The fight against trauma begins with Paul’s observation that intense physical training, self-discipline and total dedication are the keys to winning. Our physical condition directly effects our ability to heal from stress. When we are grossly overweight, out of shape, lazy, and treat our body like trash we inevitably harm both our physical and mental health. This chapter describes how fitness effects our mood, immune system, susceptibility to chronic illness, thinking skills, memory, resilience to stress, and recovery from trauma. Several specific recommendations are offered to keep the reader focused on this goal.
Chapter Four: Healthy Attitudes: “As a man thinketh in his heart, so he is” Proverbs 23:7. Attitudes are made up of beliefs, feelings and behaviors. Think of the three parts as a triangle, with all fitting together, and difficult to change. They impact our emotional reactions to stress and trauma, how we create destructive/healthy attitudes and why we resist change. Unhealthy beliefs, and irrational thinking leads us deeper into depression. Many contemporary approaches to psychological therapy erroneously assume it is a recent discovery that if we want to change how we feel, we need to change how we think. However, Paul described the foundation of modern psychological counseling in Romans 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” He correctly said we need to make every thought captive. Following his advice, strategies to take control of our attitudes are spelled out.
Chapter Five: Healthy Sleep: Sleep disorders are hyperarousal characteristics of PTSD. They increase the risk for a wide range of physical, mental, behavioral and emotional problems. Restorative sleep is absolutely essential for our physical and psychological health, while poor sleep is linked with higher risk for depression and suicide. Paul described his own “many sleepless nights” (2 Corinthians 11:27), but knew well the importance of rest from Genesis, Psalms, Proverbs, and Jesus. Stress and trauma are the enemies of restorative sleep, but Paul offered methods to help us sleep even in his most challenging times (such as praying while he was in prison). Several specific Do’s and Don’ts are offered to improve our restorative and healing sleep.
Chapter Six: Healthy Training: Trauma tempts us to quit learning. We must push ourselves to stay mentally engaged. Proverbs 25:5, tells us the wise are mightier than the strong. Substantial research backs this up. Mental training physically restores our brain/body, increase our stamina for stress, while sharpening our attention, concentration, memory and problem-solving skills. These are foundational for improving our resilience, resistance and recovery. We need to answer Paul’s call (2 Timothy 2:15) to study in order to present ourselves to God and receive His approval. Paul stayed mentally sharp through his own studies, teaching, debates, sermons, writings and trials. Strengthened by his incessant mental training he learned to give up his childish ways, and to think more like a man. Similarly, the reader is instructed how to maintain mental training, for optimal emotional and spiritual health.
Chapter Seven: Healthy Eating: Eating is not just an energy source for the body. What we eat, what we don’t eat, when we eat, when we don’t eat and how we eat all have a profound effect on the brain’s efficiency, our thinking, our moods, our physical health and our recovery from trauma. First is a lesson from Daniel’s (1:3-16) negotiation to skip the King’s diet and eat only healthier foods. There is much evidence of the typical diet during Paul’s time from the Torah and Mishna about food. And after extensive modern research, we find the very foods Paul ate make up today’s “Mediterranean diet” exactly what is prescribed for our resilience and recovery from stress. Details of a quality diet are offered along with a list of what to avoid. When stressed we must be particularly vigilant to fighting the temptation to eat the junk/comfort foods, directly contributing to weight gain, depression and anxiety. The physical, social and spiritual values of occasional fasting, and eating as a family are also described.
Chapter Eight: Healthy Relaxation, Meditation and Mindfulness: Life’s difficulties maintain their full assault on our brain, body and soul, whether through continuous stress from the outside, or from our internal anxieties. Trauma memories cause our brain and body to continuously react as if we are still under threat. This can disintegrate our healthy brain, and weaken our ability to recover. Our survival improves with our ability to turn the stress off, even if it is just for a few moments. The reader is guided through three remedies: Relaxation to turn off ongoing stressors; Meditation to focus our minds towards positivity while blocking out evil messages of failure, shame and doubt; and Mindfulness to fully appreciate the present moment, while not allowing past anxiety or future worry to tear us down. Paul employed each of these, calling on others to “rest with us” (2Thessalonians1:70,used prayer as the ultimate meditation, and employed mindfulness when he was deeply stressed. How these can be used to directly treat the symptoms of PTS is described.
INTRODUCTIONTO PART THREE: THE FOUR STAGESOF TRAUMA GROWTH: The four stages of growth from trauma are Resilience, Resistance, Recovery and Renewal. Each section challenges the reader to select between two dichotomies. Elijah asked the people to make a choice between worshiping an idol or worshipping the Lord. Similarly, Paul always instructed with clarity of choice. “Whatever one sows, that will he also reap” Galatians 6:7. Paul was in it to win it, totally. “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 1 Corinthians 9:24. You want to change your life? Make your choice and commit.
RESILIENCE: Preparing for the Battle Ahead
Chapter Nine: Strength v Weakness: Resilient strength has four components: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. From the time of his youth, Paul developed all levels of his resilient strength, especially through his study of scripture. An old Testament story from the book of Daniel illustrates the choice of strength (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego), followed by Paul’s observations in Corinth of the strength training required to be a winner. While building strength Paul focused on the payoff, not the pain, just as we must prepare for the traumatic battles ahead.
Chapter Ten: Disciplined v Disorganized: Strength is necessary but not sufficient for resilience. Uncontrolled strength risks being misused to inflict pain or for ruthless power. Discipline, however, controls our strength for the purpose of good. Discipline control is reviewed for our mind, body, emotions, words, fear, and preparedness for crisis. Examples from Ephesians, Corinthians, and Galatians support each.
Chapter Eleven: Solitude v Isolation: Solitude is an intentional, self-controlled, quiet where we process our thoughts, feelings and actions with depth and honesty. The attitude of Solitude includes emotional comfort with ourselves, calming behaviors nurturing health, and thoughts building self-awareness and confidence. Although talking with others is very helpful, it is later, in our quiet moments alone, where we engage in our most constructive personal work within our own mind and spirit. While meditation involves concentrated focus on very specific thoughts, in Solitude we set aside all distractions, turn off all media, and say out loud “I’m listening God. Talk to me.” Then listen. In solitude, we are physically alone but totally comfortable with the company we keep, because in the true presence of God, we are never really alone. Isolation, however, is escaping, giving in to fear, hiding from emotions and thoughts. Isolation is a common, and dangerous, symptom of PTSD. Isolation makes us vulnerable to dark thoughts like Noah’s and Elijah’s pleas to die. Paul sought solitude to listen and learn during his years in Arabia (Galatians 1:7). David also used solitude to listen and learn as in Psalm 32:8. The command from Psalm 46, “Be still and know that I am God”, is our call to stop fighting against the very solution to our own personal wars, and realize how peace through God ends our struggle. Other historical examples of learning in solitude include Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King who used their imprisonments to grow in wisdom and resolve.
Chapter Twelve: Humility v Hubris: The attitude of humility involves honesty, learning ,respect, sacrifice, and gratitude. The arrogant person, however, is boastful, blaming, can’t learn from their own mistakes, takes credit for unearned success, is dishonest, jealous, wallows in self-pity over failures and undermines the success of others. Paul’s life is our role model for commitment to humility and gratitude.
Chapter Thirteen: Goals/Plans v Chaos: Healthy Goals set where we are going. Plans keep us on course through clearly defined, and achievable steps toward the goals. Strategies are specific actions to achieve our plans, adapting as circumstances require. Although we humbly acknowledge the Lord has plans for us. (“I know the plans I have for you...plans to prosper you”, Jeremiah 29:11), we are responsible to take goal directed action. Unfortunately, many approach life in chaos despite the warnings that life will be difficult, or we let depression destroy any chance to stick with our plans. This chapter describes how to make the goals, plans and strategies to prepare us for those dark days.
RESISTANCE: This is what we do during the attack. Trauma hits us twice: once when it first happens, and then again during the replayed memories and accompanying anxieties. In the first wave when trauma hits, fear is very real. In the second wave after the trauma, the new fight is against the anxious memories or imagined worries causing more self-inflicted damage. Instead of viewing this as another attack, think of this as being blessed with a second opportunity to resist trauma.
Chapter Fourteen: Courage v Fear: Fear is our natural response to trauma. Courage is the choice to master fear, rather than allow fear to control us. Trauma victims rehearse their fear response thousands of times in their memories, destroying confidence, exacerbating depression and accelerating anxiety. To “not fear” is mentioned hundreds of times in the Bible, the most famous being the command to “be strong and courageous” (Joshua 1:9) in leadership and obedience. Paul received his own battlefield commission of courage on the road to Damascus. He was commanded to stop persecuting Christians, but then Paul became the persecuted. The Lord told Paul “Take courage!” We should all take heed of the same when threatened. Examples are offered of other courageous leaders from scripture and contemporary figures to illustrate how they chose courage in battle. When we do the same, it provides us a resilient advantage. Several suggestions are made for the reader to build personal courage in our fight against evil and trauma.
Chapter Fifteen: Fight v Quit: Whether in the midst of a threat, or dealing with the anxious memories of the past, we must fight back rather than let our symptoms define us. This chapter describes why we fight, why we quit, and the mental attitudes defining each direction. Quitting emboldens our anxieties for the past and worries of the future. The ultimate “quit” is suicide. Much of our fight is against the forces of evil. Paul made a clear list of the evils we must fight (Galatians 5:19-21). Our best choice is to fight back with a purpose, to endure our suffering, and persist in the battle (to press on), especially resisting self-pity. The “Elijah Syndrome”, is offered as an example of temptation to quit in the face of struggles, as Elijah felt overwhelmed, sought isolation, and ignored all the good he could do. Examples are listed from Paul’s letters, along with other recommendations to build the reader’s endurance and persistence.
Chapter Sixteen: Community V. Alienation: As iron sharpens iron, and a rope of three strands is stronger that one, each of us are better equipped to handle stress when we intentionally seek to be part of a community or team. Alienation is when others abandon us. Trauma, especially self-inflicted trauma, often causes this abandonment, weakening our endurance and persistence. Scientific evidence shows how alienation from others (as with the forgotten, forsaken and bullied) exacerbates the trauma effect and greatly weakens our ability to withstand stress. Paul’s letters counter the effects of alienation reminding us we are never be abandoned by the Lord. Paul also constantly built communities to support the believers in Jesus while others tried to destroy them. Specific examples are offered for the reader to build their own teams through fellowship, and a faith community.
Chapter Seventeen: Vigilant v Vulnerable: Victims of trauma have a heightened fear of vulnerability increasing susceptibility to anxiety and panic even when no threat exists. Created vulnerabilities also exist in the form of temptations meant to destroy our faith and weaken our spirit. If we are aware of our personal vulnerabilities, we can be vigilant, standing guard to prevent evil and self-destructive thoughts from further damaging us. A list of ten “Killer D’s” is offered to show how we delude ourselves into thinking we are effectively handling psychological trauma and chronic stress but, in fact, are actually increasing our risk for harm. Paul was keenly aware of his vulnerabilities, beautifully described in Romans 7:15-20 as his conflicted desire to do the right thing, but inability to do it. He further warned of the consequences of failing to be vigilant, in Corinthians. Jesus advised us to always have our lamps lit, dressed, alert and ready for action. Arming ourselves with vigilance is essential to prevent further harm and is essential for resistance in our fight.
RECOVERY: In the aftermath of the battle our goal is to Recover. Just like the other stages, the work is worth the way. In this stage our choices are to embrace Hope over Despair, Healing over Hurt, Guilt over Shame and Forgiveness over Condemnation. The term “embrace” means we must willingly make these choices for change. Whether the problems occurred long ago, or the dust is still clearing, this is where we reclaim control of our life. However, many are more afraid of this stage than they are of the original traumas and stresses. After all, trauma and stress are often thrust upon us from the outside, while anxiety and worry are emotions we manufacture. Though we may protect ourselves against the outside threats, we cannot escape our own thoughts. Our road of Recovery will not always go smoothly as we bounce back and forth, successful one day, then struggling the next. However, if we make commit to the right choices, we can break free from grasp of fear and failure.
Chapter Eighteen: Hope v Despair: Research tells us hope is crucial in recovery from trauma, otherwise our spirit descends ever deeper into despair. The attitude of Hope is made of (1) the emotion of a restless joy anticipating the opportunity to rebuild; (2) thoughts of planning for the better life ahead and (3) behaviors committing to a new lifestyle, staying motivated, and rejecting harmful temptations. Despair is dominated by (1) emotions of depression, despondency, gloom; (2) pessimistic thoughts; and (3) behaviors of self-destructive acts, including suicide. Paul, saw the crucial link between suffering, and hope: “suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope” Romans 5:3-4.Several examples of hope emerging from Paul’s traumatic experiences are described. Jeremiah also maintained hope despite many afflictions described in Lamentations. Similarly, hope must be called up in our own recovery, to override our pessimistic thoughts and “take every thought captive” (2 Corinthians 10:5). Ten specific recommendations are listed to nurture hope and fight despair.
Chapter Nineteen: Healing v Hurt: Here is the clear choice after being wounded: Do you want to heal or do you want to hurt? Although the answer may seem obvious, many recovering from trauma hesitate to choose, and sabotage their healing. Reasons for this struggle include: the belief our continued suffering is necessary to honor the memory of someone we lost; if we heal now then it’s an admission of fault for not healing sooner; a fear of failing again; outside pressures to not recover; and our reluctance to let go of our vices, grudges and anger. Paul considered healing critical to his mission, and challenged us to be “perfect”, in the sense of being the best and complete version of ourselves. This requires commitment to our own healing, and stopping all our excuses. Several recommendations guide the reader to make this commitment.
Chapter Twenty: Guilt v Shame: Guilt and shame are the root of one of the principal symptoms of PTSD: an exaggerated sense of blame of our self or others. Guilt and Shame are often used interchangeably, but they are two distinctly different attitudes; guilt referring to us having made mistakes, and shame is a self-loathing belief God created us as a permanent, unredeemable mistake. Guilt empowers us to heal our psychological wounds, while Shame sends us further and faster in the downward spiral of destruction. Guilt stems from our active or passive roles in our trauma, survivor guilt, moral injury and a self judgement of failure. The important difference between a true responsibility and a unwarranted self-blame are described. The role guilt and shame in the lives of David, Judas, Paul and Peter illustrate what helps us move forward in our recovery.
Chapter Twenty-One: Forgiveness v Condemnation: To recover we cannot allow shame to undermine our hope, mood, work, self-esteem, and relationships. The way out requires forgiveness: forgiveness for what others have done to us, and forgiveness for what we have done. It’s a must do. Condemnation maintains emotions of hatred, bitterness and anger; thoughts of revenge, resentment, and behaviors of violence, gossip, and retribution. Forgiveness releases us from all these. We no longer obsess on the bitter feelings, thoughts and behaviors of hateful retribution. Forgiveness replaces those with feelings of empathy, compassion, love; thoughts of understanding; and behaviors of benevolence and reconciliation. The chapter describes the benefits of forgiveness, and what happens when forgiveness is withheld. Key to understanding forgiveness is this: God forgives, others might, I must. Reconciliation is also essential to forgiveness, illustrated with a moving first person story a return to the site of the Tree of Life Synagogue mass shooting, as I accompanied one of the survivors of the shooting to reclaim it as a place of worship.
RENEWAL: In Resilience we build Strength. In Resistance we are armed with Courage. In Recovery we embrace Hope. Now, in Renewal, we accept Faith over Doubt, Trust over Mistrust, Grace over Emptiness, and a Mission instead of Wandering. We are no longer surviving. There is no longer a need to deny, to despair, or to fight our anxieties and worries. This is where we let go of the old ways fully and completely. We are reborn, truly transformed by a renewing of the mind.
Chapter Twenty-Two: Faith v. Doubt: In the secular world, “faith” to describes our confidence in something or someone. But in the journey from trauma, the Faith guiding our Renewal is a solid Faith in God. Before Renewal, our lives are defined by our trauma, and we remain in a state of constant recovery. When we are Renewed through Faith, all of this changes. Multiple studies consistently report Faith supports healing from trauma and stress. Bottom line: when we continue to fight our battles alone, we will be outnumbered. We must let go of the “old” ways that fed depression and anxiety, and accept Faith in God be our “new” self. This surrender takes down our weak defenses, and lets God bring in the reinforcements. Paul’s faith sustained him through all his sufferings, seeing them only as “light and momentary troubles”, and focusing instead on the profound joy in the glory before him. Ten recommendations are offered to be renewed through faith after trauma.
Chapter Twenty-Three: Trust v Mistrust: While Faith describes our relationship with God, Trust is our complete confidence and reliance on God. Through Faith we is believe God exists, through Trust we know God acts, giving us true endurance and persistence through the difficulties of life. Trust is ours to take, if we accept it. Trust is one of the casualties of trauma, leading to hypervigilance, and fragile emotions. In PTS we risk no longer trusting relationships, the natural world and even ourselves. Trauma changes the physical architecture of our stress response, and we make poor decisions in relationships to protect ourselves against threats that no longer exist. We must restore fundamental Trust in the truth to restore our trust in others. Lesson from Ecclesiastes, and Paul explain how we can discern truth, especially the truth of Trust in God.
Chapter Twenty-Four: Grace v Emptiness: Beginning with the trauma recollections of a combat veteran, and his occasional flashbacks, we learn Grace transformed him. At this stage in renewal, we no longer need to be emotionally numb to our ugly past, and are freed to truly experience love. Paul answered where we can find this love: through God’s Grace. Scriptural references illustrate how Grace is unmerited (but not undeserved), unending, unlimited, and how it completes us. Our choice is between accepting this pure love, or continually wasting away in emptiness. Rather than become overwhelmed with bitterness, we learn from Paul to replace despair with Hope, doubt with Faith, and our empty hearts with the full and total acceptance of Grace. For all the victims of trauma who felt estranged from family, abandoned by friends, and powerless in their healing we learn it is, indeed, Grace which leads us home. Recommendations are offered to help the reader surrender their barriers and accept the joy of Grace.
Chapter Twenty-Five: Mission v. Wandering: This last choice is between what will sustain or undermine us: to decide between a purposeful Mission or purposeless Wandering. To fulfill our renewal we accept our calling to mission others, to give them hope, and mentor by example, word and deed. This involves choosing a mission that continues our growth, worthy of our commitment, from whatever and wherever we are able. Stories of several contemporary humble heroes on a mission are offered as our modern day mentors. No matter how far we have fallen, we are encouraged by Paul’s own words “He judged me faithful, appointing me to his service” (1 Timothy 1:12).Knowing we are tempted to avoid this mission commitment, the reader is confronted with our typical excuses, and encouraged to still press on. Ending the chapter is the touching story of the wife of a wounded soldier who committed to her own mission.
A Final word: In the closing chapter of John’s Gospel, he emphasizes the importance of what he is about to describe by noting he could fill all the books in all the libraries of the world with stories from Jesus’ final days with us. Out of these, however, John selects the story of Peter’s last attempt to return to what he was: a fisherman. Peter is confronted with the reality that he cannot go back, and instead is called to commit forward, to love Jesus, and feed his sheep. Similarly, Paul’s final prison letter called on Timothy to continue Paul’s work, learning from Paul’s perilous journeys: from storm, to strong, to saved. So, too, we cannot go backwards. The worst days of our life can be the start of our best days ahead if we learn the powerful lessons from Paul. Moving forward we have built our strength, are armed with courage, embraced hope, and accepted Faith, Trust, Grace and our Mission. Our healing from trauma is continuous as we are transformed by a renewing of our mind, knowing God’s will for us is to be nothing less than the perfect version of our self.
