Title: "What Are You Getting Out of This?"Subtitle: Uncovering Hidden Obstacles to Healing and Stepping Into God’s Purpose
What is Secondary Gain?
Secondary gain refers to any indirect benefit a person may receive from an illness, injury, or psychological condition. These gains can be conscious or unconscious, and they often keep people stuck in patterns of dysfunction or delay true healing.
Two Primary Forms in Physical Therapy:
Conscious/Malingering: A person purposefully exaggerates or fakes injury for financial or legal benefits (e.g., lawsuits, disability).
Unconscious/Comfort-Based: A person unintentionally begins to benefit from injury-related routines, attention, or lifestyle adaptations. The injury becomes a part of their identity. This often stems from fear of returning to responsibility or comfort in the new "normal." It isn't criminal or even necessarily intentional—but it is still not fully truthful, and it becomes a barrier to recovery.
Jesus Recognized Secondary Gain
In John 5:6, Jesus asked a man who had been disabled for 38 years, "Do you want to be healed?" This was not a rhetorical question. It was deeply intentional. Jesus was getting to the heart of secondary gain. Healing meant change. It meant responsibility. It meant no longer relying on others. Jesus knew human nature. He understood that sometimes we become attached to our struggle because it provides something we are unwilling to let go of.
This question still echoes today:
Do you really want to be healed? Or has your struggle become a source of comfort, identity, or safety?
Secondary Gain in Mental Health
Unlike physical therapy, mental health diagnoses rely almost entirely on subjective self-reporting, with very few tools to objectively measure distress. Because of this, secondary gain may be even more prevalent in emotional, behavioral, or psychological struggles.
Examples of Secondary Gain in Mental Health:
Exemption from work or responsibilities
Receiving consistent care or attention
Avoiding difficult conversations or tasks
Not being expected to lead, serve, or step into purpose
Feeling safe within a diagnosis or identity of brokenness
Important Insight: In physical therapy, secondary gain is most evident in patients whose subjective reports do not match objective findings. Mental health struggles, by nature, are almost entirely subjective. Therefore, we must acknowledge the strong potential for secondary gain to exist and even thrive in mental health.
Why This Matters in Recovery
We all struggle. As humans, we are wired for survival and comfort. Our default nature often leans toward self-preservation and avoidance of pain, discomfort, and risk.
This is why secondary gain is not just a physical or mental health issue—it’s a human issue. No one is immune to this tendency.
But healing and recovery require truth, sacrifice, and surrender.
Many of us may be unconsciously holding onto our struggles because they provide:
Comfort
Protection
An excuse to avoid responsibility
We must ask:
"Am I holding onto my struggle because it gives me an out from stepping into my purpose?" "Does this relieve me from the responsibility that God has given me?"
The Fear of Success
Surprisingly, many people fear success more than failure.
Why?
Success removes excuses.
Success requires responsibility.
Success means we are now accountable to walk out healing and purpose.
Success forces change and growth.
Many avoid stepping into the success God has for them because they're more comfortable living the life they've chosen and labeled with excuses. But God wants to label us by our calling, not our past.
Declaration of Surrender
"Father, I surrender my struggle to You. I refuse to let excuses keep me stuck. I trust that You have a greater purpose for my life, and I choose to step into it. I release fear, doubt, and the need to control. Strengthen me to walk in freedom, healing, and obedience. I am no longer defined by my struggle—I am defined by Your calling on my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen."
Action Step: Journal & Pray
Journal your answers to the assessment above.
Highlight areas where you see patterns of hidden gain.
Ask God to reveal any secondary gains keeping you from full healing.
Scriptures to Reflect On:
John 5:6 – "Do you want to be healed?"
Luke 12:48 – "To whom much is given, much is required."
2 Timothy 1:7 – "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind."
Matthew 28:19-20 – The Great Commission
Psalm 51:6 – "You desire truth in the inward being."
Final Challenge:
Are you ready to let go of the safety of struggle? Are you willing to step into the unknown of healing and purpose?
You are called. You are chosen. And God will provide everything you need to walk in freedom.
Self-Assessment: Identify Possible Secondary Gain
Self-Assessment: Identify Possible Secondary Gain
What benefits may I be getting from staying in this struggle or continuing to identify with things of my past?
Who shows me extra attention or care when I’m struggling or because of my past? Do I recognize any level of co-dependency in this relationship?
What responsibilities or “call of God” may I be avoiding by holding on to my struggle or the identity of my past?
What fears do I have about getting better or moving into the next phase of my life?
Would my true and complete healing require me to give something up?
What excuses am I making for not stepping into healing or calling?
Have I built an identity around being unwell or broken?
Do I believe God can actually use me in my current state?
Is fear of success and all the perceived responsibilities that come with it stopping me?
Do I trust God enough to take the next step? Why? Why not?
11. What was my initial response this idea that my struggle may have unrecognized benefits? Did it anger my spirit? Offend me? How do I now see the idea of “Secondary Gain” in the battle between my flesh and my spirit?