Who wants to have mental illness? It is almost as bad as asking who want to have cancer! Tragically, many people suffer from mental illness after they have been abused or traumatized. An excessively volatile, unstable family life can cause your brain to not develop properly. Some mental illnesses are genetic,
It is not necessary for you to have a diagnoses in order to begin treatment. Many people seek help from their doctor because they are struggling with ongoing bouts of depression or anxiety. When their life starts to unravel as they try to cope with everyday life, a person will go talk to a counselor (or a pastor). Fortunately pastors, counselors, and family doctors are usually trained to recognize symptoms of mental illness and will refer you to a psychiatric doctor. Prayer is one of the best gifts you can be given at this time, encourage others to pray for you.
Most people delay making an appointment, because they want to keep the hope that their symptoms are due to a medical illness, not a mental illness.
It is never easy to hear someone tell you to seek help from a psychiatric doctor. You may resent the suggestion knowing your symptoms are real and not "only in your head'. But this is an old stereotypical view of mental health, when few medications, treatments and physiological research were available. Psychiatrists are medical doctors that go to medical school just like any other doctor. In addition, they take a specialization in psychiatric medicine. These doctors learn how to care for patients with mental disorders and are aware of the most current medications. Pray to your Heavenly Father and ask Him to guide you to find the doctors He want you to have.
Being diagnosed with mental illness can feel more like a life sentence of being labeled "abnormal". It is not like getting diagnosed with a strep throat and being certain that a round of antibiotics will kill the streptococcus bacteria. If only mental illness could be that certain. Most mental illnesses are not cured but treated. And while there is much less stigma in having a mental disorder than there was decades ago, it is still not something that you will probably want to announce at your next Sunday School Class. All to frequently, people get lectured, avoided and criticized from people who view mental illness as a lack of faith or weakness.
Remember that your acceptance is in Christ, God's view of you, and not in what others think or say about you.
When someone confides in you about having a mental illness, respond to them the way you wish others would have been loving to you. "Thank you for sharing" or "I know this is hard for you" may be one of the kindest responses you can make when you find out that a friend or family member has been given a mental illness diagnosis. Don't look for who to blame. It is not like a person who has the mental illness caused it to happen in their own body. Never share about someone else's diagnosis. Each person gets to decide whom she will tell. There are no rules about whom a person needs to tell. The only people who must know are the doctors or therapist.
Psychiatrist and psychologist are careful not to label their patients because they understand that you are not your illness.
Just because someone has symptoms of a disorder, it is not her identity.
The doctor knows there is a hopeful road to recovery and many patients they treat will have a very stable, healthy life. Knowing your diagnosis can be positive because you can become informed about your illness, ask questions and seek out a support group to meet your specific needs.
Being diagnosed can also help you accept the fact that you have an illness that needs to be treated. Too many patients live in denial instead of acceptance. Denial of mental illness can be very dangerous because a patient will less likely take their medication or pursue professional therapy if she has a few good weeks; this causes a terrible cycle of deep valleys of instability mixed with seasons of normalcy.
Christian leaders and fellowships need to continue to make progress in embracing people who have mental disorders.
A diagnosis of a mental illness is no less shameful than a diagnosis of hyperthyroidism or diabetes. It is not who you are, it helps doctors to determine methods of therapy and a way to talk with other doctors about the best ways to treat your condition. When a family doctor determines a medical diagnosis a patient accepts the treatment as part of their life. They understand it is something they will have to change in their life in order to remain healthy. This should be the same attitude a patient has when they have a mental illness, and it should be our response to those who struggle with these illnesses.
The one person that wont be surprised by your diagnosis is God.
Always believe that He is able to heal any illness. Know that He uses many different tools. So seek Him in prayer throughout your journey and trust Him be with you every step of the way. Jeremiah 29:12-13 NKJV says, "Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."
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