Christians with mental illness

[leah777]

28 minutes ago, Addy said:

This seems to be a summation that mental illness is all in the mind... and that with discipline and exercise it can simply be coaxed away... and that is the problem with so many Christians who will state... OH... you don't need meds... you just need Jesus and church...   This is the reason that many Christians with mental illness will NOT take medication... because the church has shamed them. Exercise is lovely...and reading the scriptures are vital to all Christians but this is not a CURE. 

It seems some can accept chemical imbalance like diabetes, but not chemical imbalance in mental illness.

Same bunch who say those not healed are not true Christian.

I ignore such ones, and pray for their ignorant condemnation and judgement.

God heals as He wills.

[furrychristian]

Had another kinda rough day today.....like, I've had worse. But began to have some dark thoughts today, that I haven't experienced in a long time. I don't know why. Almost called the crisis line again, but by the time I got off work I calmed down enough that I felt like I didn't need to anymore.

[servant of Christ]

On 5/31/2020 at 10:57 AM, furrychristian said:

So. I'm open about my struggles, because I feel awareness is important.

I have OCD. OCD is a complex illness, and is far more than simply "wanting to be tidy" or needing to wash your hands all the time. It can take a ton of different forms, too, and they're not all revolved around cleanliness or a fear of bacteria contamination.
I have had a contamination theme in the past, when I was a child. I was 11. That's gone now. What I mostly deal with now is what's known as "pure O OCD" or "purely obsessional OCD", basically when your symptoms manifest in such a way that your "compulsions" are all done inside your head and are not outward or physical actions. I'm actually doing very well at the moment though! But OCD is typically a lifelong illness.

I also have social anxiety disorder, which is an intense fear of social situations. Freezing up in social situations, feeling like there's an elephant sitting on my chest, feeling anxious when people won't stop talking to me, shaking, feeling dizzy, and finding eye contact very intimidating. That said, I've come a long way since my diagnosis of such in 2018, and I even work in customer service without too many issues! Actually, the job has helped me overcome a lot of the fears I had through immersion. (My case of social anxiety wasn't the worst one out there or anything. You can have a comparatively mild case. That said, it's considered a disorder when it either causes significant distress or interferes with your ability to function in some way. A lot of people have a mild fear of social situations that does not amount to a disorder in the end.)

I also have a past of depression and psychological addiction--which means that I was addicted to something that wasn't drugs or substances. You've heard of video game addiction? I was addicted to a tv show--I had real, legitimate, intense withdrawals from it (to the point I was heavily suicidal), and those withdrawals are what caused the depression issues for me. They created a chemical imbalance in my brain that caused me to feel miserable all the time.
My struggles with this part of my mental health are a big part of my testimony, as I was close to God while recovering from these issues and found a lot of comfort from Him. 
I don't really deal with depression anymore, though if my anxiety is bad enough it can lead to a depressive episode that lasts several days. But I don't have major depressive disorder so much as my other illnesses can cause the depression feelings to emerge.

 

So. That's my stuff.

I had a nervous breakdown during the financial crisis, the mental break brought on mental trauma that stemmed into being homosexual for a year.  Once God healed the trigger of the paranoia, all the side affects went away, including the homosexual thoughts.  I am so sorry you are still struggling with anxiety/ homosexual thoughts, etc.  Did you have any failed relationships with females when you were growing up, an overbearing mother, a mother you could not associate with.  Etc. A distant mother?  Those issues can cause mental illness in people as adults.  I have done extensive studies on homosexual behaviour, and much of it is simply from mental issues from failed relationships.  Good post, take care.  BTW that is a great hotline you call. I love crisis text line.  They are so awesome. I used to work on a crisis hot line, when in bible college.  

[furrychristian]

This month has been rough. But I seem to be stable again now.

Just, multiple things came together to mess with me. 

Edited June 22, 2020 by furrychristian

[furrychristian]

I'm having a bad day today. I feel unwanted and very sad.

[Henry_iain]

I am praying for you and will keep doing so. I have a brother with mental health issues (controlled by meds). 

[furrychristian]

I recently downloaded an app called Moodpath. It asks you questions about 3 times a day and keeps track of your mood, then gives you an analysis after two weeks. Honestly, it's almost more thorough than my actual mental health professionals.
While I don't consider myself as suffering from depression, at least not as an ongoing illness, the app is telling me that I may be experiencing a minor depressive episode. Which makes sense I guess, considering recent things that happened. I also notice that I get depressive for a bit after my anxiety flairs up, so I guess that's what's going on.

Edited July 3, 2020 by furrychristian

[Fidei Defensor]

Mental illness is a serious development that the Church needs to take seriously. Remeber the Apostle Paul’s words, “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.” (Romans 12:10).  

[Prycejosh1987]

Just do what i try to do. Fight against this mental illness every day. I have not gotten rid of my illness but i have lowered its affect on me. I believe all mental illnesses can be caused by negativity that works in the mind. Not all illnesses are demon possession. Look at Jesus, remember the temptation in the dessert, he heard the devil speak to him and tempt him. Jesus was filled with the holy spirit and had the full authority of the father and he is, and was the son, all three members of the trinity were present in the dessert and not just Jesus. The devil wasnt compromising just Jesus as god, but all three of them at that point.

[furrychristian]

I have had a lot of ups and downs this year, some periods of depressive episodes and anxiety spikes. But right now I am doing alright.
Lately, the past couple months, I am dealing with some very vague, generalized anxiety that usually comes on at work and sometimes at home or other places. My NP (the one who prescribes my meds and monitors my mental health on a monthly basis) thinks it's my diabetes causing it. I'll also ask my main dr about it when I see him in December.