Blame It on the Brain?: Distinguishing Chemical Imbalances, Brain Disorders, and Disobedience (Resources for Changing Lives) [Paperback]

Edward T. Welch (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 204 pages
• Publisher: Presbyterian & Reformed Pub Co (June 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0875526020
• ISBN-13: 978-0875526027
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #43,254 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #21 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Religious Studies > Psychology

More About the Author

Crossroads was designed as a group study for those struggling with addiction. These ten steps, presented in author Ed Welch's trademark direct, no-nonsense style, provide a biblical and practical framework for change. Welch is a wise and loving partner who walks beside readers on their journey to freedom. Along the way, they will learn to recognize the patterns of addiction, to choose wisdom over foolish desires, and to cling to the hope they have in Jesus, who sets captives free. The path away from addiction has been laid by a God who is full of surprises, who faithfully pursues those enslaved even though they have deliberately avoided him.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Solid Book, February 4, 2002

By 

Daniel Mark Donovan - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blame It on the Brain?: Distinguishing Chemical Imbalances, Brain Disorders, and Disobedience (Resources for Changing Lives) (Paperback)

This book by Welch is divided into two major sections. In Part One: Biblical Foundations, Welch begins by asking several questions regarding human behavior in a number of different areas which he will cover later in the book. Here it seems that his main objective is to get the mind of his readers to contemplate questions about subjects that may be new or unfamiliar to them. He does a good job of avoiding any difficulties which might have arisen from the rather technical nature of some of the subjects by asserting that, "What is needed is not necessarily more sophistication in understanding the brain. Instead, what is needed is a more in-depth and practical examination of Scripture that is relevant to these questions" (p. 19-20). In this chapter, he remains resolute in affirming the supreme authority of God's Word in understanding and applying the deluge of information which our secular society is bent on giving us. The rest of this opening section is spent with the following two chapters discussing the relation between the human mind and body. He leads the reader through some of the high points in this discussion, giving a general overview of the secular positions regarding the mind/body relation, as well as surveying the relevant Biblical passages which speak to the issue. Particularly helpful here is his emphasis on the fragile, yet integral, relationship which exists between the mind and the body. As he says, "Heart and body are both two and one. They are two in that the body cannot be reduced to heart or spirit, and heart cannot be reduced to body. But they are mutually independent. They need each other. Human life cannot even be imagined without both the inner and the outer person" (p. 47).
In Part Two: Brain Problems Seen Through the Lens of Scripture, Welch seeks to give some practical application of the principles gleaned from Scripture in the previous section. This latter portion of the book is neatly divided into three subsections. In chapters 4 and 5, we read about legitimate brain dysfunctions which are the result of Alzheimer's disease (and dementia) or serious head injury stemming from an accident. Here, Welch wants the reader to understand that there are indeed cases where the brain can suffer illness or injury to the extent that the behavior and mental capacity of the individual will be directly affected. He is quick to point out that though these conditions may harm the outer man, they do not necessarily mean that the inner man will also begin to dissipate. In chapters 7 and 8, we read about psychiatric problems such as depression and attention deficit disorder (ADD) which may or may not be the result of the brain's alleged deficiencies. Here, Welch seems to indicate that though there may be some relation between the aforementioned psychiatric problems and the activity of the brain, we ought to exercise caution when attempting to ascertain a solution to the given problem. He is also quick to point out that the depression or ADD may be the result of a spiritual problem and that the care of the individual and their relation to God ought to factor in the treatment every bit as much as medicinal treatments. In chapters 9 and 10 we read about two areas of human behavior which the brain is often held responsible for...homosexuality and alcoholism. In both cases, Welch is insistent that the brain cannot the cause of one's sinful behavior. As he says so plainly, "The ultimate cause of sin is always the human heart" (p. 169, emphasis added). He argues that when these behaviors are seen as proceeding directly from the brain's activity, then the connection that exists between human beings as morally accountable agents and a holy and righteous God is severed. What needs to take place is repentance from such sinful behavior in light of the promise of God's gracious provision of forgiveness which can be found in Jesus Christ. Though these sins present particularly strong forms of bondage, God's mercy can break even their stronghold.

35 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Does the brain get too much credit?, November 4, 2004

By 

Kathy F. Cannata "Rev. Dr. R. Cannata" (New Orleans, LA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Blame It on the Brain?: Distinguishing Chemical Imbalances, Brain Disorders, and Disobedience (Resources for Changing Lives) (Paperback)

Dr. Welch has a Ph.D. in psychology as well as theology degrees, and has been a counselor for years. His doctoral work was on brain physiology, so Blame it on the Brain is the fruit of 20 years of reflection on the subject.

Welch wonders if the brain "has been given too much credit" (p. 12). Many have held the brain responsible for some bad behavior: "My disease did it!" (p. 13). While the observations of the rapidly expanding field of brain sciences can be very helpful, when interpreted through a biblical lens they can be put in a more modest and helpful perspective. How do these discoveries illustrate biblical truths that can be applied to people's lives? Instead, too often sin problems are mislabeled as solely brain problems, and thus the true cause is left unaddressed (p. 25).

Four very practical principles emerge from this approach to mind-body issues: 1. The brain cannot by itself `make' a person sin (pp.49f.). 2. Each person's abilities (brain strengths and weaknesses) are unique (pp.53f.). 3. Brain problems can expose heart problems (pp.56f.). 4. Sinful hearts can lead to physical illness; upright hearts can contribute to good health (pp.58f.).

In part two of the book these principles are then concisely but thoughtfully applied to a series of examples. First are apparently physical issues: Alzheimer's disease (pp. 67f.) and head injury (pp.85f.). Next are more psychiatric issues: depression (pp.115f.), "A.D.D." (pp. 131f.), homosexuality (pp.151f.), and alcoholism (pp. 183f.).

Welch's treatments of these problems abound with practical, sensitive insight. In the process he clearly defines the deeper issues at stake: what is the soul?; what is the body?; what is sin?

For me, a crucial component of the book is the section on the mind-body relationships, especially pp. 43-48. Welch is careful to distinguish the heart from the body, but without separating them. Drawing upon rich Trinitarian analogies, he is careful to outline a model that seeks not to over-emphasize either the duality or the unity. This understanding enables us to try to distinguish between sin and sickness. As Welch ably define sit: "any behavior that does not conform to biblical commands or any behavior that transgresses biblical prohibitions proceeds form the heart and is sin" (p. 43). Conversely, "any behavior that is more accurately called a weakness proceeds form the body and is sickness or suffering" (p. 44). We are to repent of sin. But things that reflect only our creaturely limitations are not immoral, but proceed from our fallen bodies.

The example Welch uses of hallucinations is illustrative. The Bible does not prohibit them, so we can not admonish someone for experiencing them. We are called to compassion for them. The hallucination may have been caused by a prior sinful choice, and the hallucinatory may respond to them with sin, but the hallucination itself is not sinful. A helpful chart on p. 45 lists out some examples of body problems (broken bones, mental retardation, feelings of depression, hallucinations) and heart (mind) problems (anger, pride, drunkenness). Of course, many problems involve both the body and the heart or mind, and in unequal and obscured proportions. How do we separate out the differences? And why is it helpful to try?

Each summer during high school and college I worked in a nursing home. The changes I witnessed in particular residents after being away from them for almost a year were often shocking and tragic. I think of a seemingly kind and affable man named D., who in a few months seemed to transform into an unrecognizably profane and lewd bore. Welch demonstrates convincingly that such brain or body problems as D.'s Alzheimer's can expose what is in the heart. The brain appears to have led the person into bad behavior, when it is more accurate to say that the brain problem allowed certain otherwise hidden parts of their heart to be uncovered. Welch contends, "In some case brain problems function like truth serum for the heart" (p. 58).

Welch's treatment of the subject is fairly comprehensive but far from exhaustive. Questions of application remain. If meds can only, at their best, address the body issues and not the heart, how do we know which needs addressing? Welch addresses this in a wise, but frustratingly brief section in pp. 125-127. Adopting Welch's guidelines is easy enough, but applying them to real life situations, I know from experience, is another matter. What about the person who meets some but not all of the criteria listed on p. 127 (they are over forty; have had no prior history of problems with depression; are taking prescription drugs, etc.)? This is not a flaw in Welch's treatment of the topic, just a limitation of its brief explication here.

I have known a person, for example, who had his first bout with depression at age 62. But it was extremely serious. He became despondent and delusional and was checked into a residential treatment facility. His case meets the first of the two criteria listed by Welch, but not the last two. Clearly, his depression was triggered by some circumstances in his life (some the direct result of some horrible choices, others not). Yet, just as clearly it seems that the depression, while largely originating from his sinful behavior, now had a physical component. His medications, while wrought with multiple serious side effects, did seem to successfully contribute to his ability to function. Yet, if I were given a decision making role in his `treatment,' I would want to somehow know: were the drugs really helpful, or was it their placebo effect? And if they did reduce his anxiety, is that all necessarily good? Did he not need discomfort to drive him to make changes in his absolutely horrendous behavior? And if so, how much and what type of discomfort?

Anyway, Welch's book wrestles with some deep issues and presents them in a lucid and readable format.

47 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Just theories, July 13, 2009

By 

Mark in Idaho (Meridian, ID United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Blame It on the Brain?: Distinguishing Chemical Imbalances, Brain Disorders, and Disobedience (Resources for Changing Lives) (Paperback)

As someone who has first hand experience with brain injury, depression, ADD and most other ailments he discusses except alcohol and homosexuality, I read Welch's work as an experienced and mature Christian man. I have a fundamentalist conviction of the importance of Biblical principles in living a victorious Christian life. I am not a believer in medications as the primary solution.

Welch's books are too formulaic. He writes like he is writing an academic thesis or dissertation. Welch has more information than understanding. He tells the reader what he knows with theoretical solutions to the problems he addresses. He rarely takes the information to a realistic and practical solution. He acts like he is trying to convince himself that the psychological approaches that he has studied extensively are deficient and he is still discovering the Biblical truths. Yet, he does this from a mainly psychological approach. It is like he is trying to show how to be a believer in psychology but still hold to Christian beliefs.

He starts with too much secular discussion of mind-body philosophy. All this does is show how academic Welch is. This is a research project, not an expose' of understanding.

Welch treats each affliction from a theoretical standpoint. His approach to ADD is obviously without experience with ADD patients. Otherwise, he would explain how difficult it is to force feed spiritual growth to a young person, let alone a young person with ADD or even a mature adult.
Except for the 'miracle' cases that he has found to relate, I doubt that his therapies have had much long term success with patients with serious afflictions.

He does not have a sound understanding of brain physiology. His references to medications are poor and without any substantive support. He speaks against drugs but then says they are acceptable. What he misses is the fact that drugs are grossly over-prescribed because they are prescribed by pediatricians, general practitioners, internists, and OB-Gyn's. If he wants to be true to his anti-drug stance, he should be strongly advising the reader to seek medical help from a psychiatrist before taking any psycho-active drugs. He mentions imaging the tangles of Alzheimer's but fails to note that his previous comment was about a post mortem electron microscope analysis. He neglects to mention the value of VEP, AEP, qEEG in diagnosing many brain issues. He overlooks the fact that most mild traumatic brain injuries are not imaginable with any technology. These MTBI's may be highly symptomatic in the memory and cognitive areas. Maybe his idea is that these injuries are spiritual only.

His chapters on Alzheimer's and brain injury are strongly lacking. Again most likely because he has limited experience with both and is writing from a research perspective. He understanding of cognitive impairment is again academic, not experiential or realistic. He imputes abilities into the mind of the afflicted that go beyond Biblical or scientific basis. His basic mind set is seriously similar to a secularly trained psychology practitioner.

He states on page 53, "If you can communicate the love of Jesus in language that a young child can understand, then you will be able to communicate the Gospel meaningfully to severely brain injured people." He misses the Biblical truth that unless the Holy Spirit is doing a miraculous work in the brain injured person, no level of communication will impact the patient with the Gospel message.

Brain injury does not necessarily limit the brain injured to juvenile communication levels. It may cause a variety of auditory and visual processing dysfunctions. Many brain injured have very high intellects that are still intact. They may be unable to receive and process verbal or visual information or process sentences that are complex with a variety of ideas.

For example, with my injured brain, you can try to give me multiple bits of information and I will be unable to understand it. But, if I have access to the information at my pace, I can arrange the information to my brain's needs and eventually arrive at a very complex understanding.

My visual and auditory memory is extremely dysfunctional (bottom 5 to 12 percentile) but yet, my very high intellect is fully functional (top 2 percentile). Information has to be provided to me in a way that I can process it, not how the average person or even young person may process it.

I need to avoid sin by being disciplined to take proper care of my injured brain with nutrition and sleep, etc. and avoid situations where my injured brain might 'misbehave.' The sin is exposing my brain to environments where it might misbehave, not necessarily the specific act of 'misbehaving' It is no different than someone who struggles with alcohol having to stay away from situations where he might fail and become drunk. Becoming drunk may be a sin but so too is the failure to protect himself from the environment where the failure is likely. God's grace is great but we are not to challenge His grace by exposing ourselves to risks of sin.

Welch states it as if proper spiritual maturity protects us from the future failures (sin.) He does not offer a sound scriptural support for this claim. Paul was continually challenged by his 'affliction.' He was not protected from it. He had to continually make proper choices regarding this affliction.

Welch states on page 95, "There are, however, many individuals who never have any kind of job. Sometimes this is a result of severe cognitive deficits, but usually it is the result of cognitive deficits that are overlaid with past spiritual issues, denial, unrealistic appraisal of handicaps, fear of failure, unwillingness to take a lower position, and simply laziness." Again, Welch has imputed to the injured person psychological and spiritual weaknesses without any foundation.

He would probably call me lazy or unrealistic. I can still do magnificent work but do not know when I might have a lapse of cognitive awareness and cut off a finger (done that), miss an important step (done that in a life critical situation), or drift across the centerline into oncoming traffic (done that many times, fortunately with God's grace, I have never caused an accident). I no longer drive on busy public roads. It can be acceptable for me to take these risks when it is only my body or property at risk, if I take the proper precautions. I believe it is reckless to the point of sinful to take these risks when others can be at risk.

A serious issue that he neglects to mention except for a single off-hand sentence is nutrition and physical health. It is widely known that treatable hormonal imbalances, blood sugar irregularities, toxic food substances (aspartame, MSG, sucralose, food dyes), allergic substances can all play an important part in mental health. His over emphasis on spiritual causation sounds eerily like a Christian Scientist's doctrine. God has ordained medical doctors and other physicians to help us. God has instructed us to seek a multitude of counsel.

This book may be acceptable for someone who is entering into a position where these issues may arise. It would be wrong for that person to not continue to seek more complete understanding of these issues. I believe this book and the counseling training that utilizes these ideas is just a start to understanding. The many hypothetical comments need serious further investigation. It should not be a license to practice these concepts, as I am certain it can put the client as serious risk of misapplication. To me, it is more like this book is written to fill a niche in the publishing markets, not to properly and fully address such needs.