Posted: Feb 12, 08 2:16am
A while back, but in my lifetime, psychiatry viewed religious faith as a sign of mental illness. To complicate matters more, Christians believed that person was demon possessed. When I was diagnosed as manic depressive (now bi-polar to be politically correct) 26 years ago, I was treated poorly by both classes of people. Further insult was heaped upon me by family, friend and acquaintances who knew me as a strong and competent woman. This bright and pretty young lady became repulsively ugly to many.
Thankfully times have changed, yet many still have prejudices and misunderstanding about mental illness. In 1963, John F. Kennedy sent to Congress the first presidential message ever devoted exclusively to mental illness and retardation and addressing the need for de-institutionalized, or better said as letting the captives out of the snake pits. I do remember this event, and naturally, I wondered if lunatics, as I then called them, would be affronting us on street corners at every turn.
Today, it is said over 1/5 of our population in America suffers some form of serious mental illnesses which include major schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, and borderline personality disorder. I left some groups out not because I am not familiar with them, but for conservation of space. Mental illness is on the rise, but the good news about mental illness is that recovery is possible. I have been in full recovery for almost 12 years. No symptoms, no suspicions, no roller coaster emotions. I have to point out though that I remember depression as a life long companion going back to my first memory at the age of 3-4. "It" was my closest companion and I never once thought of parting company with "it". I did not know there were ways, albeit frustrating and tedious, to rid me of "it". The psychiatric community never gave me a glimmer of hope that "it" could be eradicated and for 14 years after my diagnosis, never a word was mentioned or a question regarding my depression.
In my last two week lockdown hospitalization a savior walked into my room on my first day there. He has a tall African American and he introduced himself briefly while taking his hand and running it down my face he said, "So sad." He put me on medication for the depression, yet not one word had passed between us regarding it. He told me it would be six weeks before I would feel the benefits and do not give up. The odd part of this all is when the depression was properly treated, the manic episodes never appeared again. This doctor was right. To the day it was six weeks when I felt this dark cloud just suddenly lift from me. I have never seen this man since, but I often say prayers for him for his well-being and success with other patients. Yes, I know God healed me, but I know he used this man as his medium and I am grateful for this doctor's wisdom and discernment.
I don't know what has come over me today except that I want to encourage the many I see suffering from their own torment of feeling pretty ugly with their affliction. There is hope and there is treatment. I pray our Savior sends the best medical treatment or counseling available to you. If you would like to comment, or just vent, may this be our space to join together united in our fight for mental health and well being alliance.
