The issue of mental health is very important
simply because the lives that people live matter. However, mental illness is
probably the most stigmatized condition that currently exists in the world
today, and the silence that arises from the stigma that people feel about the
condition makes it difficult to address the issue effectively, especially in
faith communities, where the pain that people go through may be perceived as a
lack of faith. Mental illness is a reality, and it is one that hurt the person
and everyone around them.
In fact, if you are living with a mental
illness, I want you to know the following right from the start: you are not
alone, and you are not weak.
I understand this pain firsthand. I am a person
who lives with schizophrenia, anxiety, depression, and complex PTSD. I know
what it feels to fight off intrusive thoughts that will not be calmed down, to
be scared with no reason to be scared, to be left numb in a way that removes
all joy in life, to be tired to the point of exhaustion with no sleep in sight.
I know how it feels to pray with pure heart and still struggle mentally.
It does not mean that you have failed God. It
does not mean that God has forsaken you. It also does not undo your value and
purpose in life.
Mental Illness Is Not a Sign of
Weak Faith
Mental illness is not a sign of declining or
faltering faith. It’s not evidence of a drop in steadfastness of your
relationship with God.
One of the most hurtful misconceptions
surrounding mental health is the belief that mental illness is simply a problem
of spiritual failure. Folks around you might say, ‘Pray harder, have more
faith, or stop playing the sick role.’ Prayer is powerful, and faith is
crucial, yet the damaging effects of this belief cannot be overstated. Putting
it down to just “praying harder” shows how little many in the faith community
understands about mental health and its issues.
The Bible does not portray faith as protection
against emotional or psychological suffering. The Bible is replete with
characters who loved God fervently and struggled hard themselves. A lot of
general of faiths had their own psychological struggles but were able to speak
about it fervently.
“Why art thou cast down, o
my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me?” — Psalm 42:5 (KJV)
David, the man after God’s own heart, struggled
with enormous emotions. Elijah felt the depth of emotions to the point that he
asked God to end his life. Job suffered from the mental agony that surpassed
the torture of the body. These people were not faithless; they were human
beings living in an imperfect world.
Mental illness and faith do not negate each
other but occur simultaneously.
Living with Mental Illness Is
Exhausting—and That Matters
Mental illness is not sadness, it is not
worrying. Mental illness is waking up each day feeling exhausted from the
get-go. It is battling your own thoughts. It is doubting reality. It is
experiencing fear without a reason. It is attempting functionality while
feeling like your mind is in danger.
"Living with
schizophrenia, anxiety, depression, and complex PTSD means living with symptoms
that others can’t see. It means learning how to survive a day while your brain
feels like your enemy. It means having to bear your pain without speaking because
it’s hard to explain."
Yet God is aware of it all. He sees your
struggles. He understands your innermost desires and secret wishes. He knows it
all, and is ever present.
"The Lord is nigh unto
them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite
spirit." -Psalm 34:18 (KJV)
God is not withdrawing from the struggle within
you. God is not absent from your complicated pain. God draws near. He comforts
you when you are feeling down. He bears your burden for you and helps bring
relief to you always.
God is Present Even When Your
Mind is Feeling Chaotic
Mental illness may cloud thoughts, feelings,
and perception. Praying may become a hardship, and concentrating may be
impossible. People going through mental health challenges often feel guilty
because they do not “feel God” as other people do. But the existence of God is
not based on mental clarity. God exists even in the toughest of days and when
things are falling down all around you, he exists.
“When thou passest through
the waters, I will be with thee.” - Isaiah 43:2 (KJV)
Look at the word “through.” God doesn’t
guarantee you won’t suffer. God guarantees he’ll be with you in suffering. Even
if your mind doesn’t feel safe, God is stable.
You may not feel strong, but God's presence is
not based on your strength.
Your Pain Is Not Overlooked,
Overestimated, Or Ignored
The difficulty of mental illness also involves
invisibility. Others can look at your hurt and decide they don’t believe you
because they can see them, or they decide you're simply not trying hard enough.
God never does that.
“Thou tellest my wanderings:
put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?” – Psalm 56:8 –
KJV
Every tear counts. Every night of broken sleep
counts. Every episode of panic, depression, hallucinations, flashbacks, and
hopelessness is noticed by God. Your pain is not ignored in heaven.
Seeking Help Is Not a Lack of
Faith
Seeking help does not show you backslide. It
isn’t a confirmation of your faith wanting. Seeking help is you showing a
willingness to become a better version of yourself.
One of the greatest lies is that to go to
therapy or to take medication is to lack faith in God. Such a lie has brought
unnecessary suffering and even death. God is at work through multiple
modalities, including medical and psychological care.
“Where no counsel is, the
people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.” Proverbs
11:14 (KJV)
Treatment, medications, and guidance do not
replace faith, but rather can be instruments that God may use to bring healing
and stability. Insulin replacement medications do not replace faith if someone
has diabetes, and therapy and other treatments do not replace faith if someone
struggles with mental issues.
Healing usually happens as a process, as
opposed to a point in time.
Hope Exists Even When You
Cannot Feel It
Mental illness may completely deaden hope.
There may be days when the future looks dark, beyond reach, or meaningless. In
those moments just know that, hope does not depend on feelings.
“For I know the thoughts
that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to
give you an expected end.” - Jeremiah 29:11
Even if your thoughts are lying to you, God’s
Word is truth. Emotions are changeable. Truth is not. If all you can do is
survive, that is enough.
You Are Not a Burden
Many people who live with mental illness
believe that they are a burden on others. Believing that can be incredibly
painful and isolating. You are more than just productive and emotionally well.
“My grace is sufficient for
thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” - 2 Corinthians 12:9 (KJV)
God doesn’t cast aside the wounded. Rather, he
operates through them. Weakness draws, rather than repels, God’s power.
God Can Use Your Story
Suffering from mental illness does not mean you
cannot have purpose in life. Rather, God will often use people who suffer in
order to heal others. Suffering often breeds powerful compassionate love.
Your life is not meaningless and not by
accident that you survive each day. Your life has significance, and even on
days when you don’t feel very useful, God finds value in you.
“. He healeth the broken in
heart, and bindeth up their wounds.” — Psalm 147:3 (KJV)
Recovery from illness may not mean having no
illnesses. Sometimes, recovery means knowing how to hope despite having
illnesses.
A Final Word to Those Who
Struggle
If you are reading this and are struggling to
hold on, I want you to know this: Your life is important. The pain you are
feeling right now is not the end of your story. This struggle does not make you
weak. It makes you strong.
I know your pain because I, too, experience it.
But I am still here, not because life is easy but because God’s grace is a
reality.
Wait just a minute. A single breath. A single
prayer.
You Are Not Alone
Mental health issues matter because you matter.
Your struggle is not an illusion. Your hurt is not invalid. And God’s love
extends even to the deepest parts of your mind.
“Fear thou not; for I am
with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God." -Isaiah 41:10 KJV
As long as you still breathe, God is still
moving. Hope is always possible, even when you do not feel it.
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