In Search Of A Better Tomorrow

Mental Illness Article, Part 1

Title: Seeking Success And Freedom From A Mental Illness

Charles Stanley once said: “Success is the continuing achievement of becoming the person God wants you to be and accomplishing the goals God has helped you to set”. In this world, because of the consequences of sin, many people today have a mental illness, and everyone has a “spiritual mental illness”. To over abundantly finkind freedom from both, we must make sound decisions, which involves: obeying God’s love laws, having an intimate love relationship with Christ, surrendering your will to the Holy Spirit, and finally, overcoming life adversities in the process.

Key Quote: “In this life, we have to make many choices. Some are very important choices. Some are not. Many of our choices are between good and evil. The choices we make, however, determine to a large extent our happiness or our unhappiness, because we have to live with the consequences of our choices”. James E. Faust
Point 1: “Faith in God can help those with a mental illness”.

Trying to find freedom from a mental illness is often a hard road to follow – especially when your disability is real problematic, meds don’t stabilize, and our support systems don’t provide love, support, and understanding. I experienced all this with my bipolar and OCD. Today, though, I have found freedom my illnesses, thanks very much to my faith in God. (Please read www.insearchofabettertomorrow.com to read my mental illness recovery story)

Scientific studies reveal “people with strong faith are more likely to experience fewer symptoms of anxiety-related disorders, than those who don’t pray or have little faith in praying.” Another related science study says “people with higher faith in God have better treatment outcomes (better well-being, less depression and anxiety” than those with less faith”. Science also says:

• Christianity also helps people cope with mental illness struggles, such as:

o Ability to take responsibility for one’s own actions, flexibility, high frustration tolerance
o Acceptance of uncertainty, involvement in activities of social interest, courage to take risks
o Serenity to accept the things we cannot change, courage to change thing we can change, and wisdom to know the difference between the above
o Acceptance of handicaps, tempered self-control, harmonious relationships for self. Others, including Nature and God

• Citing a quote on an Internet article (The Bible Keys to Mental Health): “Many mental illness can be prevented, and the Bible provides helpful information to that end. After all, it is a handbook from God on what we should think and how our minds should work. Among other things, the Bible tells us how to relieve stress and the kind of stimuli we should allow into our minds”

• “Mental health, from a Christian perspective is a state of dynamic equilibrium characterized by hope, joy, and peace, in which positive self-regard is developed through the love, relationship, forgiveness, meaning and purpose resulting from a vital relationship with God and a responsible interdependence with others”. (Spiritual Dimensions Of Mental Health. Judith Allen Shelly; Sandra D. John, etc.)