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mental illness as a believer

Posted by Christ_empowered on October 30, 2010, at 23:40:05

I've found that being a Christian has given my life more direction and purpose than it had before. I've also found that Christianity makes it possible for me to assess other view points.

One of those view points I know have to assess as a believer is psychiatry. Before I knew Christ, I either accepted everything my shrinks told me, or I rejected it all b/c of some sort of Thomas Szasz+Goffman+Foucault-inspired "anti-psychiatry" hogwash.
Now I can accept that my brain is different from many others, or at least that certain meds help control key symptoms to a degree that I can function in society relatively well. I can also use psychiatry for the good it offers--meds to control the most severe symptoms--while avoiding falling victim (once again) to psychiatric excess.

The Bible has numerous examples of mental illness. Sometimes the illness is punishment from God; sometimes its demonic possession. Either way, the Bible tells us that mental illness is real. I've been encouraged by people more advanced in their walk with Christ to look at my problems--bipolar, schizoaffective, whatever the current diagnosis may be--as a "thorn in the flesh", an unfortunate problem that says more about the Fallen World in which we live than it does about God, although I do think it says volumes about God's love and mercy that I'm even alive and able to function.

So..there. I just thought I'd take a moment and write out how it feels to be dealing with mental problems on the one hand while also trying to develop a worthwhile life guided by Christian beliefs and principles. I hope this helped somebody.


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poster:Christ_empowered thread:967761
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/faith/20100403/msgs/967761.html