I have a friend in the UK who has been dealing with, even battling PTSD, and anxiety, as well as being diagnosed as being depressed. He suffers and he realizes that he suffers so he does exactly what he's supposed to do; he listens to the real Physician and follows His direction. Mental illness is exactly what the two words imply. It is an illness, a sickness, and it affects the mind. From time to time, it could probably be said that literally everyone who walks the planet has been victimized or subjected to at least some mental illness. I'd say (like a cold, or flu) that it can come upon a person without any notice whatsoever, and it can last for a little while, or it can linger. If it's not treated, it can remain dormant within one's mind for the duration of their life. This is when the problem(s) can become chronic and much harder to control.
I've said it before, and I'll say it now. Mental illness is not the same, did you read that, read it again, it is NOT the same as being insane, or having a mental deficiency. The two are very distinct; if you are truly mentally incapable of something, that's not an illness, that's a physical issue and where it may be helped by behavioral changes, medication, or surgery, it is not, and it never will be the same as having periodic depression, anxiety, or self-doubt. That's the first thing that needs to be addressed. You can't put a Band-Aid on an open gaping wound and think things are going to be OK. You need the right tools, and the right solution, and you need to adhere to the advice of those professionals who have been trained to do what it is that you need. That being said, you should also refer back to the original thought of the blog, and go straight to God for help. There had to be a reason for the disorder; ask Him to help you live with it, and ask Him how it can bring HIM glorification and praise. It can. I know, it sounds really crazy, but it's true. Our inferiority issues can bring Him great glory if we surrender our issues to Him allowing His healing to be seen by many.
There are legitimate reasons for otherwise normal behavior in a person to turn angry, ugly, sad, unruly, etc. We get upset, we become frustrated, we owe money, we can't find work, someone has left us, or someone we love has passed, there are just too many reasons or excuses to go into depression or become anxious about something. We know this to be true. The old adage of it's not what happens, but how you respond to it, can be used in most if not all of these external cases. Go to God. Be still, sit in silence before Him, meditate on your breathing, and seek His will accordingly. It's not easy; no one said it was. It's the worst! The hardest pose in yoga is the "corpse" pose because you literally have to lay there and NOT move or do anything but breathe. It's really hard to do, but that's where it all begins. Be still. Be quiet. Stop the madness. Let go of the thought that you are in control, and KNOW that HE is God.
God calls Himself "I Am". He didn't call Himself "I Will Be" or "I Was". We can't live in our past any more than we can live in our future even for a second before the second we are currently living. HE IS, and He is the GREAT I AM for that reason. He is always I AM, and you will always be who you are. I think we can all agree that none of us is greater than He. LET IT GO! The greatest king, not the wisest king, the greatest king known throughout history could very well be Nebuchadnezzar. He reigned in Babylon 500+ years before Jesus and was the same king who Daniel the prophet spoke to regarding his dreams. He's the same king who threw the friends of Daniel into the fiery furnace. He's the same king who crushed his enemies and was known as the great warrior, etc. etc. etc....well, he went mad, but he didn't go mad on his own. Read the Bible. It says "Then God spoke with Nebuchadnezzar" and he was driven out of his kingdom and made to live in the wild, literally crawling around naked and eating the wild grasses and berries. His nails grew like claws, and the hair on his body grew like feathers on a bird. I don't know about you but that doesn't sound much like he had much to do with his transformation. GOD did that.
What's my point? Nebuchadnezzar knew about God. He knew God's power, but because he was in control of so many others, and had such power, he thought he was in a position to be worshipped but God thought otherwise. It wasn't until the king in his lowly lowly state (which took seven years) lifted his head to God that he was healed and restored. God chose when to restore him. God put the boundary of it. God knew how long it would take. We don't know that about ourselves. We think we know what we want, don't we? We think we know what is best. We think we can handle all of our problems, but some of our problems are not illnesses, and some of them are not disorders. Some of our problems are very much GOD driven, and we will NOT be healed of them until we lift our heads and realize we are weak, we are unable to do what He does. Don't let it take seven years. Learn the lesson faster. Think of how much the man lost during those seven years; family, friends, wealth, kingdom, wars, dignity, reputation, status, all of it - gone. The Bible says old Neb was restored to his greatness, but that didn't happen overnight. How often do we suffer and how deeply do we suffer because we simply refuse to lift up our heads to the God of all, acknowledging that He is the Great I Am?
I am so proud of my good friend, I really am. He's been struggling for years with chronic depression and anxiety over things he can't control. To a degree, I think he has a few wires short of a full circuit, and he'd have to agree with me. We're built the way we're built, things happen to harm and hinder us, but hey, things also happen to heal and help us. Who do you think can do that? A doctor? Maybe a drug? No. If we are to be who we were made to be, we need to go to the Designer; simply put. You don't take your car to a chef to be examined for engine trouble, do you? Well, I mean if you do, that's one talented chef! Think about it, use that mental part up in that brain of yours. You have it there for a reason. Keep it healthy by seeing and talking to the true Physician often. He knows you by name. He made you. He loves you. I promise...but so much more importantly, HE promised.
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