Mental Illness

At the time of this post Robin Williams has just died. He was depressed and committed suicide. How sad. I just want to take a moment and address mental illness.

Most people don't want to admit or ask for help when they are going through severe depression, Post Traumatic Stress, Bi-polar and other types of mind illness. Why? Because most people don't understand what kind of illness this is. In fact a mind illness is no different then if you had cancer, heart disease or other illness. It is just that this illness affects the mind and not other organs in your body.

Because people have never really understood the mind many bad things have happened to those with mental illness. They have been put away and many have drug treatments that they might not need. Fear is the biggest factor here for those who don't understand.

For the last ten years I have been treated for Post Traumatic Stress and Anxiety disorder. I have medicine that helps me keep it under control. However, occasional I do have panic attacks. The first time it happened it felt like I was a whole different person. I would be calm then my mind went into this mode and took over my body. I lost my speech, my walking was all off, my arms would swing back and forth. It was horrible. Once I understood what was happening I can now feel an attack coming on. It is usually when I have had a extreme event happen. Like just a month three major events happened within hours of each other. For the first time in sixteen years I had to ask to leave work early as I could not get things under control like I usually can.

The reason I am sharing this is so that if you are depressed (lasting awhile) check with your doctor or tell someone you trust. Seek help. Mental illness is not a bad thing. If you have someone who can council you let them do it. In some causes, such as mine, I had to get to the root problem. Mine was abuse in childhood and the loss of brother-in-law who was the same age as I was at the time of his death, and the death of one of my abusers who gave me severe problems as the caregiver.

Reach out to those who have mental illness. Knowing that someone accepts you even though you have this illness is a great help in their recovery or helps them to stabilize the condition.

If you are a believer, you too can have mental illness. I know because I am a believer and for many years I would not go for help or got the wrong kind of help. Now I have great people helping me. A verse that has helped me a great deal is the following:

"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me." John 14:1. The Greek word here means to be disquieted, restless, cause of inward commotion, taking away the calmness of mind, to stir up, to strike one's spirit with fear and dread, to render anxious or distressed.

One other thing I want to mention. Satan attacks you in your weakest area.  If you have problems with mental illness or your mind that is where Satan is going to attack first. So sometimes he causes the restlessness and inward commotion. That is when you have to put on your armor and have your shield held high to fight off those evil darts that come your way.

Mental Illness is not always caused by Satan and in most of the cases it is chemicals in the brain that are not working right or trauma. So please don't put a label on Mental illness.

Thank you for letting me share this with you.

Prayer
Father, I know that there are many of Your children in the world that have mental illness and that You look after them. You made us all and some You have allowed to have this illness. My prayer is that people will better understand this illness and help those with it. I pray this in the precious Name of Jesus.