Since it is Sunday, it is once again time for Faith and Healing, the weekly series that examines how faith has played a role in my recovery and what others might be able to learn from that. And today, I want to say something that some people might think is obvious, but that others might really need to hear. And that is that I trust in God and I also take my medication.
God’s grace is essential for my mental health recovery. Knowing that He is with me helps give me strength the days I am struggling. I recognize that isn’t true for everyone and I am not here to beat you over the head with it. In fact, if you want to leave this post right now, I won’t be offended.
Yet I want to establish that my faith is strong and it is important to me. I want to establish this because some might think that since I see a therapist and since I take medication I must be weak in my faith. On the flip side of it, people think that if I have faith, I don’t need medication. And this is seriously the most backwards thinking ever.
I mean, if a person has a deadly disease like cancer, most people aren’t only praying. They are also asking God to guide the doctors, thanking God for the medications and treatments that are available. They are seeking every solution God and medicine have to offer, even if they are thanking God for all of it.
Yet for some people, mental illness is somehow different. It is some how the person’s fault for not believing in God enough. I am not an expert in mental illnesses (except my own), or medication, or faith, but I can definitely say that this is not true. Mental illness is no different than physical illness and more people need to say that I trust in God and I trust in my medication and there is nothing wrong with that.
And more people need to say that so the people who say it is a failing will realize their mistake.
End of rant. Thanks for listening.
The Dark Tales Project 