Most days I
can sugar coat stuff but, as someone who has overcome severe depression, I
simply cannot find the words to sugar coat this. About twelve years
ago, I walked through a very dark time. Honestly, most people that knew me had
no idea. You might have known me then, be reading this right now and thinking “why did I not know
that?”
Why? Because I knew I would be judge harshly. I was already being judged because my husband was working towards vocational ministry and *gasp* he was married to a divorcee. Yes, several people actually felt the need to confront me and tell me that I had no right in ministry because I had been divorced. Divorce and depression – the two big D’s that are supposed to disqualify you from ever doing something great for Jesus
When we say idiotic stuff like “Robin Williams didn’t die from a disease, he made a choice” all we do is keep mental illness right in the box it needs so desperately to climb out. Robin Williams was bi-polar. You are kidding me, right?! You seriously are not an adult who thinks that’s not the same as cancer!? You really think that isn’t a disease?! I have to know, do you still believe in the tooth fairy?! Grow up dude, seriously, grow up.
Okay, so if you don’t think mental illness is just that – an illness – then maybe it’s just that you have been so fortunate to never have personally struggled with some form of mental illness or had someone you love struggle. That is great!! Statics show that 1 in 3 people struggle with some form of mental illness in their lifetime so you are lucky. But, please, become knowledgeable before you go all super holier than thou.
The reality is, that more than likely you or someone you are close to has had an encounter with some sort of mental illness, be it depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or Postpartum depression. But you are embarrassed because you have bought into the lie that it is something you (or they) can control. This, in my opinion, is one of the biggest reasons people fail to overcome depression.
Mental illness can be treated just like as any other illness. If you call it is what it is – an illness – and get treatment. You can see a doctor. You can take medication. You can seek out counseling. You can try shrink or remove the “tumor” if there is an emotional reason for the illness.
But for that to happen we, as a society . . . we, as Christians, need to take the label off of mental illness. You see, if you buy into the lie that what you have is not an illness, that it is a choice, then you don’t choose to get the treatment you need because you think you somehow have chosen to be sick and treatment can't treat a choice.
Please stop. Please allow mental illness to get out of the box. Please quit saying stupid stuff that keeps people with mental illness from getting the treatments and more importantly, the support they need.
If I was diagnosed with cancer today, people would rally around me. But if today, for some unknown reason, I had encounter with depression again, how many of you would be here to rally around me without judging me?!
Why? Because I knew I would be judge harshly. I was already being judged because my husband was working towards vocational ministry and *gasp* he was married to a divorcee. Yes, several people actually felt the need to confront me and tell me that I had no right in ministry because I had been divorced. Divorce and depression – the two big D’s that are supposed to disqualify you from ever doing something great for Jesus
When we say idiotic stuff like “Robin Williams didn’t die from a disease, he made a choice” all we do is keep mental illness right in the box it needs so desperately to climb out. Robin Williams was bi-polar. You are kidding me, right?! You seriously are not an adult who thinks that’s not the same as cancer!? You really think that isn’t a disease?! I have to know, do you still believe in the tooth fairy?! Grow up dude, seriously, grow up.
Okay, so if you don’t think mental illness is just that – an illness – then maybe it’s just that you have been so fortunate to never have personally struggled with some form of mental illness or had someone you love struggle. That is great!! Statics show that 1 in 3 people struggle with some form of mental illness in their lifetime so you are lucky. But, please, become knowledgeable before you go all super holier than thou.
The reality is, that more than likely you or someone you are close to has had an encounter with some sort of mental illness, be it depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or Postpartum depression. But you are embarrassed because you have bought into the lie that it is something you (or they) can control. This, in my opinion, is one of the biggest reasons people fail to overcome depression.
Mental illness can be treated just like as any other illness. If you call it is what it is – an illness – and get treatment. You can see a doctor. You can take medication. You can seek out counseling. You can try shrink or remove the “tumor” if there is an emotional reason for the illness.
But for that to happen we, as a society . . . we, as Christians, need to take the label off of mental illness. You see, if you buy into the lie that what you have is not an illness, that it is a choice, then you don’t choose to get the treatment you need because you think you somehow have chosen to be sick and treatment can't treat a choice.
Please stop. Please allow mental illness to get out of the box. Please quit saying stupid stuff that keeps people with mental illness from getting the treatments and more importantly, the support they need.
If I was diagnosed with cancer today, people would rally around me. But if today, for some unknown reason, I had encounter with depression again, how many of you would be here to rally around me without judging me?!
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