Mental illness is a subject that is very close to my heart. For those that do not experience it
themselves, it can seem like something foreign. Some might say that they understand it even if they do not suffer or experience issues with mental illness. However, it is difficult to understand someone struggling with mental illness. It’s true that we all have bad days and experience times of sorrow, but being anxious sometimes is not the same as being diagnosed with a mental illness such as Generalised Anxiety Disorder. Similarly, feeling sad because something really bad happens, is not the
same as being diagnosed with Clinical Depression.
I myself suffer from anxiety and the past weeks were a period were anxiety took over and hit a peak. I could no longer cope with it and encountering people, who looked at me poorly because of what I was struggling with, made it so much harder. This recent episode is what directed me to write this, and right on time for Mental Health Week! There is obviously still stigma with mental illness, and by shedding light on these issues I hope that we can start to abolish some of these unfortunate approaches towards it. I especially want to mention how this affects my spiritual life.
In the past I used to form part of a christian community. I still remember the day when a preacher mentioned that going to a therapist is nonsense because according to him, if you believe in Christ, only He can free you from your anxiety and depression, and not the therapist. This felt like a jab in my heart, in the very spot that was most vulnerable. I started doubting myself and God – I kept asking why He wouldn’t break those chains for me? Was it because I had a poor relationship with God, as this preacher seemed to suggest? These thoughts tormented me. No matter how much I prayed for the Lord’s help and was prayed over to break those chains, or how much I begged Him to
take those struggles away and help me to grow closer to Him, it only seemed to get worse. I felt that even God had given up on me - that He abandoned me as well!
This was what I believed at that time, until I started getting better. It was then when I realised how wrong it was to think, that, how these illnesses make you feel are somehow connected with your relationship with Christ. In Christianity, the typical response to mental health is to resort to more prayer. It is true that prayer is very much needed in the healing process. It is extremely helpful for coping and definitely, personally, going to mass, reading the word of God, reciting the rosary and prayer gave me the strength to get through the healing process. But I know from personal experience, and from those of others, that prayer is not enough to heal the illness. Prayer should not
be seen as the sole approach to cure mental health. It is true that we need to strive to grow and to strengthen our spiritual life, but we also need to take steps to heal our bodies. Therefore we shouldn’t lessen the importance of searching for help from a professional therapist.
Today I am a therapist myself. Anxiety is still a major battle in my life. As mentioned in the
beginning, the past weeks were very difficult for me – and my spiritual life is what helps me to cope and gives me hope. The rosary was the greatest weapon I had during these weeks (and I encourage you to start reciting the rosary). Nonetheless, I also believe in therapy as much as I believe in Jesus Christ and His omnipotence. I want to ensure you that it is possible for Christ to heal afflictions like
mental health, but if it doesn’t happen, it does not mean that there’s something wrong with you. I came to perceive it as the cross that I need to carry. I learned to embrace it and as I carry it I’m learning to rely more on Him knowing that I can do all things through Him who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13). After all it’s through carrying our cross that we can reach the glory of Heaven.