Give Thanks

Dear Friends,

As you gather together today with friends and loved ones, take time to remember and talk about all the many things God has blessed you with over the year and throughout the years. I think you’ll discover as I have, just how much you have to be thankful for.

God Bless You!

Nanci

The Truth about a Secret That Many Keep

Hi Folks!

I hope you find this post helpful and it educates you on a subject that many of us know very little about.

Make it a great day!

God bless you!

Nanci

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In 2021 there were 47,000 calls for mental health crisis intervention in Cleveland, Ohio’s Cuyahoga County.¹

As the world gets darker there could be countless more cries for help.

There are people living among us that struggle every day. Invisible to many, all they want is to feel normal and whole. Mental illness depletes their energy and sometimes their hope. Those that are most affected by their illness live in and out of the hospital managing one episode to the next. Others live fairly normal lives managing their illness through doctor visits and medication. We are all broken. Yet some approach those with mental illness in a more open and accepting way. They see the talent, creativity, and the wonderful things those with mental illness have to offer. They look past the illness and see the magnificence in each person. Black, white, young, old, depressed, anxious. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if each one of us saw each other as if we were God’s precious creation, perfect and whole?

Let’s Talk Truth

Mental illness is more common than you know. An estimated 26 percent of Americans ages 18 and older, about one in four adults, suffers from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. Many people suffer from more than one mental disorder at a given time.²

Mental illness is a general term for a group of illnesses that may include symptoms that can affect a person’s thinking, perceptions, mood, or behavior. Mental illness can make it difficult for someone to cope with work, relationships, and other demands.³ In the long run it can greatly affect the quality of someone’s life. And because there are degrees of illness, some people are more ill and more affected by their mental illness than others. Yet like other illnesses, such as diabetes or asthma, most with a mental illness have periods when they are well and productive, as well as periods when they aren’t feeling so well and their overall functioning is low.⁴ Yet those who suffer from a mental illness are bright, talented, and interesting people. They are not their illness. And let’s be honest, they didn’t ask for these issues either.

In This Broken World There’s Mental Illness

We live in a broken world, a fallen world. And as mankind stepped further and further away from God, things like fear, worry, hate, jealousy, unforgiveness, along with physical and mental illness became our reality.

It’s believed that mental illnesses are a result of communication problems within the brain itself. And, if the electrical impulses and chemical signals aren’t transmitting well, that’s when mental illness occurs.⁵ Other issues can also bring on mental illness such as: your genes and family history, your life experiences such as s-t-r-e-s-s or a history of abuse, especially if they happen in childhood. While this may happen very rarely, having a traumatic brain injury or a mother’s exposure to viruses or toxic chemicals while pregnant can also make someone susceptible to mental illness.⁶

The COVID Factor

In 2020 COVID-19 became a new term in our vocabulary and with it came an increased awareness of mental illness. The isolation, stress, worry, fear, and uncertainty that pervaded our world at that time right through to today increased the severity of mental illnesses in those that already had one. It also brought on mental illness in those too that never dealt with one before. That’s because some people are predisposed. That means there’s an increased chance based on someone’s genetic makeup that they would develop mental illness if the circumstances were right.⁷

There’s an old adage that says, when you’re squeezed, you’ll find out what’s inside you. Going through the 2020 lockdown some bewildered folks were squeezed just enough that they coped with the uncertainties unfolding around them by using street drugs and/or alcohol. Others had thoughts of suicide. And while suicide rates have long been on the rise, COVID-related factors made those rates so much worse.⁸ But it was the social isolation and loneliness that contributed to anxiety and depression and all-around poor mental and physical health of many.⁹ Studies also showed that 18 percent of individuals (both with and without a past psychiatric history) who came down with COVID-19 were later diagnosed with a mental health disorder, such as anxiety or mood disorders like depression or bipolar.¹⁰ But the youngest and most vulnerable of the population, our kids, experienced a great deal of mental distress due to disruption in their daily routines, loss of contact with friends and family, and stress experienced in their household. Online learning at home became the norm. And with no teachers to report it, child abuse also increased. It’s a sad fact too, because abused kids are far more likely to develop mental illness.¹¹

It’s No One’s Fault

Mental illness is no one’s fault. It comes from the genetic codes in your body – from your DNA. Your cells interpret these codes.¹² It’s these genetic codes (genes) that make you uniquely you. They determine such things as your: blood type, hair and eye color, height, metabolism, rate of aging, intelligence, mental disorders, and even the size of your nose!¹³ And while mental illness does seem to run in families, it doesn’t discriminate between rich folks or poor folks.

Stigma ~ Along with Those Two Rascals, Shame and Disgrace

There’s always been a sense of shame and disgrace properly known as stigma surrounding mental illness. And while mental illnesses usually show up in the late teens and early 20’s, we must work to diligently erase the shame, the disgrace – the stigma. Why? Because we need to understand these illnesses and help not shun or discriminate against those that have one. When a stigma (negative attitudes or discrimination) exists, that can make someone’s mental health problem worse, and delay or stop them from getting the help that they need.¹⁴

 Enough Secrets Already

A lady leaned over the table at lunch one Sunday and whispered her mental health diagnosis to me. Not so long after that, a young woman on a prayer line discretely told me she thought her life was over at age 25. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder, her doctor struggled to find medication to help her. I call these confessions “whispers in the dark.” Wouldn’t it be healthier to let those truths out into the light? Secrets are something we keep to conceal the truth and deceive others. It’s not that everyone really wants to deceive others. Some just want to save face. No one wants to be thought of differently. As we know, mental illness still carries the weight of a stigma that has the power to approve or reject someone. But hiding the truth isn’t the best practice either. Yet, for many who have a mental illness, secrets have become a way of life. The truth is, research has shown that keeping secrets can negatively affect your body and your mind. In fact, keeping secrets can increase the progression of a disease, affect your sleep and digestive system, and produce anxiety and depression among other things.¹⁵

But, friend, since God cares about us so much, if you have a secret, whatever it is, why not share it with God first of all (see: I Peter 5:7 )? Then, as He leads, share your secret with someone you trust. 

Hope, Healing, and Prayer

Throughout the Bible we see that Jesus healed the sick. Today, Jesus still offers hope and healing to those with a physical or mental illness. Yes, friend, God can and does heal those with mental illness. But many times those that have an illness must learn how to manage their symptoms instead with the help of a physician, medication, and counseling. But in this great big universe, there’s an even bigger God who wants you to be a healthy and whole person. So, don’t forget to pray. God answers prayer.

Warning! (For those who have a mental health problem). No one should ever stop taking their medication even if you think God has healed you. Stopping medication could cause relapses or serious withdrawal symptoms. Work with your doctor, family, and pray about your condition.

In Conclusion

As we try to wrap out heads around all that has happened, you can certainly appreciate the fact that especially since COVID-19 those who are dealing with a mental illness need your love, support, and acceptance more than ever. What can you do? You can shower your friends or loved ones who suffer from some sort of mental illness with kindness. And please, encourage anyone you know who’s having difficulties to see a doctor. Why? That’s because God wants us to be healthy and whole. And to help do that, we need to erase the stigma of mental illness. For by the grace of God, you could have been the one diagnosed with a mental illness and not someone else.

Still, black, white, young, old, depressed, anxious, be grateful for each other and celebrate everyone as God’s unique and marvelous creation. With or without illness, we are all precious in His sight.

For More Information:

1. National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI):

Helpline: 1-800-950-6264.

In a Crisis: Text: 741741

2. National Suicide and Mental Health Hotline Number (new):

Call or Text: 988

References:

¹News5Cleveland 11pm broadcast, July 1, 2022.

²John Hopkins, Medicine Mental Health Disorder Statistics, July 27, 2022.

³Definition of Mental Illness, Better Health Channel, accessed July 2, 2022.

⁴More Precious Than Gold: Words of Strength, Encouragement, and Wisdom, Wholeness and Healing,   

  (Bloomington, Indiana: Westbow Press, 2022), 69.

⁵What Causes Mental Illness in the Brain? Neurotransmission. Google. Accessed June 12, 2022.

⁶What Causes Mental Illness in the Brain?

⁷ The National Library of Medicine, “What Does It Mean to Have To Have a Genetic Predisposition to A  

  Disease?, accessed July 24, 2022. 

⁸The Implications of COVID-19 for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Rabah Kamal, Nirmita Panchal,

  accessed July 24, 2022.

⁹ The Implications of COVID-19 for Mental Health and Substance Abuse.

¹⁰The Implications of COVID-19 for Mental Health and Substance Abuse.

¹¹The Implications of COVID-19 for Mental Health and Substance Abuse.

¹²Genetic Code: Meaning, Types and Properties, Subhadip Mondal, accessed July 3, 2022.

   Stigma Defined, Google. October 4, 2021, accessed August 4, 2022.

¹³What Do You Inherit From Your Mother? 10 Traits. Karthik Kumar, MBBS, Medical Reviewer: Pallavi  

   Suyog Uttekar, MD, accessed September 4, 2022.

¹⁴Stigma Defined, Google. October 4, 2021, accessed August 4, 2022.

¹⁵Secrets. Home Page Silver Pines Treatment Center, https://silverpinestreatmentcenter.com/addiction-

   blog/why-keeping-secrets-can-make-you-sick/, assessed September 5, 2022.

Week #40: Loving Others

How the feelings of peace, contentment, and love might look to your brain and to your heart.

Hi Friends!

It’s true. I read the sweetest story about two men that were in a Paris psychiatric hospital. Jean Vanier, founder of L’Arche which helps people with mental and physical disabilities saw them in the hospital and said “they were the most oppressed people on the planet.” He asked both men to come and live with him in a small village north of Paris. To give you a sense of perspective, this was around 1963.

In living with the two men, Vanier discovered immense forces of darkness and hatred within his heart. Vanier’s journey to grow in love forced him to confront the evil and hardness of his own heart. God is so good as He met him at this point and taught him something so wonderful. Vanier learned that love is simply more than doing things for people; it is about revealing to them their beauty and value.

Let’s all get that deep down in our souls. Practice loving others well this week. (the text of this story came from the book Emotionally Healthy Relationships Day by Day — by Peter Scazzero)

On November 15, I’ll share with you about another group of people that need our love, acceptance, and support. I think you’ll learn a lot from that post.

God bless you!

Make it a good week!

Nanci