Mania and The Miraculous Healing Of Mental Illness

Working in a Psychiatric Hospital, I see religion become a saving force in people's lives. I also see it sometimes be a stumbling block. For instance, believing you "are Jesus."

This is an article I had written but didn't end up using. I hope you like it. Maybe it can even help some people. Remember, I am talking to an audience that is severely mentally ill and might be in and out of mental institutions.

I wanted to talk today about a problem that the Bipolar Christian can face. Bipolar patients will often experience mania and hypomania at some point in their lives. It is something I went through. Often we feel that if we just have "enough faith," God will automatically come and rewire our brain so that we have no more emotional troubles. Often, the act of faith is throwing out our medicine!

I have met someone that was Bipolar, turned to God and actually did throw out her medicine, and lived a very successful life. However, that is not the whole story. Before she threw out her medication, she fully immersed herself in the word. As a result, her thinking and behavior changed, and since she was entirely devoted to Christ, I believe she had that "peace that surpasses understanding." So PLEASE REALIZE it wasn't the act of faith in stopping her medicine. It was the total transformation of her life over time! Plus, maybe she was not as sick as some.

Too often, I see people flying higher than a kite, talking about how God cured them of their mental illness. Yet, there was no change in their life in the form of changes in thinking or behavior. In fact, their behavior is bizarre. They walk into grocery stores and confront strangers on how they need to turn to Jesus or go to hell! This is not a good thing. Unfortunately, it gives Christians a bad name and increases the mentally ill's stigma within the Christian community. They don't see a sick person. Instead, they see an "out of control person." This does absolutely nothing to decrease the stigma of mental illness in the Christian community.

So, if you think you have been miraculously healed, talk to your doctor. I am not saying that a person can not be fully healed. But if you are truly healed, your doctor can safely lower your medicine. It won't matter if you take time to taper off.

However, be aware that God would not heal a person of diabetes if they were just going to continue to drink three 2-liter bottles of Coca-Cola every day! Likewise, God would not heal someone of lung cancer if they continue smoking three packs of cigarettes every day!

Be aware that most Christians that are genuinely healed of mental illness go through a process. They are deeply immersed in God's word so that they easily live it. The little things that used to be triggers no longer are. Their thinking has totally been changed and it shows in the actions in their lives! This is hardly ever a step of faith but a long process.

I unfortunately have heard from pastors saying "you won't be healed unless you stop your medicine." I have a good friend that is a devoted Pentecostal that believes in miraculous healing. He said: "You don't stop your medicine in order to be healed, the Holy Spirit will show you in your life that YOU ARE HEALED and then you can get off your medicine."

If you feel you have been miraculously healed, I urge you to lower your medicine safely under the care of your doctor. If your life is showing change, your doctor will cooperate in lowering your medicine. If he or she won't lower your medicine, remember he works for you! You can find another doctor that will work with you towards this goal. However, be safe. I've seen too many people who think they are miraculously healed and are just miraculously manic! Once you get off that high, it is a big drop!

Be safe and know that "those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength!" Make a plan for your recovery and realize it is probably going to take time.

God Bless,

John

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Posted from my blog with Exxp : https://johnkarnish.com/mania-and-the-miraculous-healing-of-mental-illness/

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