Christian writers and mental illness.

[wgjones3]

I was on another popular writer's board and was surprised to see an entire sub-forum dedicated to dealing with mental illness. It surprised me becase, for most of my life, I've dealt with some form of depression or anxiety disorder.

Today, I'm med-free, though mentally and emotionally I'm on a roller coaster some days. I was diagnosed with distymia in '97, at which time the MD who diagnosed me told me that I was stuck with depression forever, that it would never get better no matter how many meds I took, but medication was necessary to keep me from killing myself. I tried the meds and I honetly never knew what it was like to be suicidal before I was put on medication. Afterward, I felt like I was going crazy.

I went to a Christian pyschiatrist who helped me off the medication, but introduced a new diagnosis to my chart--anxiety disorder. I'd always suffered from social anxiety, but this diagnosis was a more general, broad-range anxiety. Last fall, I had my first real panic attack. Not a fun feeling.

I find that I stay depressed if I don't write. Something about the process helps me enormously, which may explain why I write so much in my posts. :D

Someone mentioned on the other board that writers often suffer some form of mental illness. I just wonder how many Christian writers have been tagged as having some kind of mental illness, and how those who have deal with it?

[caroljean]

I too have been diagnosed as having anxiety/depression disorder.Feel blessed because in the older days people thought the phrophets were lunitics...they called King David "mad "when he was praising the Lord in a dance in the temple.God has his reasons and it certainly dont involve getting answers from this worlds perspective on depression because it just doesnt add up.
Gods servant,
caroljean

[Dr. Daniel]

I was never diagnosed with anything, but after a divorce and losing both my parents, it has certainly felt like something is rattling around loose up there.

I thank God for you guys, you really do help keep me on track.

Dr. Daniel

[wgjones3]

My pastor preached on mental illness once. He said what happens is that we get so worried about stuff that the chemicals and nerves in our brain cause slight damage--like water eroding a hillside. This leads to more worry because our brains simply are use to doing it, which makes things worse. It's a vicious cycle.

I believe whole-heartedly and claim almost every day what God spoke through Paul in II Timothy 1:7, For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Hold firm to that promise, Dr. D, and don't let the enemy steal from you that which you obviously have--a sound mind--and take the joy from your life with the attacks he has launched against you.

[AngelAzariah]

___I like the part where Pual said he has a thorn in his side that God wont take from him. I think I have a thorn, it's people! :D OK really, back to the subject at hand. I have been diagnosed and mest with by so many shrinks and consilars it's crazy- so let me just give you a list. I've done vilent acts to my body that most people couldn't dream of doing, I have nightmares that haunt me, I here things or feel things, I constantly have to check around places to make sure no one is there, I used to be frightend of the toylet for crying out loud. Anyways, I think we all have our things and it's just part of life- just some of us are more in tuned with our things.

C.A.Kelsey
Oh, did I mention that I'm blunt and don't give a dang what anyone thinks- nevermind. :P Hey, I got a qustion- am I the only giddy person here?

[Dr. Daniel]

Oh, I'm extremely giddy. It's just after years of school in England I've had it pounded into me that one never admits such things, Which is just one of many reasons I can't help but look up to you, Angel. Dude, you just have too much fun. :D

Dr. D

[wgjones3]

I'm not giddy. :(

[Dr. Daniel]

Too much time in Kentucky.
You need to go someplace really silly, like Palm Springs or the Bill Clinton Library.

Dr. D

[wgjones3]

Someplace silly like the Clinton library? Funny, I always figured going there would be like visiting an S&M club.

[AngelAzariah]

___Ok guys, if I offend you with this one sorry- but a freaken Clinton library? What books could posibly be in that place?
-How to lie to the judge and get away with it.
-My best years messing around with another woman.
-I tell amarica that I go to church- but I hide porn in my Bible.
-Me and the other presidents who had sex scandles.
-What sex was like in the 60s.
-What sex was like in the 70s.
-My stay in the White house.
-I'm the role model for millions of pre-teen boys.
___Ok I can't think of any more books that could be in there. I think I actuly saw the 'What sex was like in the 70s' at one book store. I hear porn is the biggist bizz in the USA- maybe he has every last porn in there. If you haven't guess Clinton is the most hated presedent to me. I know people that atribute him, with letting the world know what Amarica is really like! :confused:

[Dr. Daniel]

And then there were the deals he made in China with that lady liason...what was her name? Oh yeah, Won Phat Ho.

He was absolutely adored in England, by the comics, that is. Easiest time they ever had making fun of America.

Dr. D

[AngelAzariah]

___Hey that could be taken on two diffrent levels there. :rolleyes:

[Dr. Daniel]

That was the problem with Clinton: everything had at least two meanings.

Dr.D

A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.

[wgjones3]

Why is it that a discussion about Clinton ended up in a thread about mental illness? :D

[Dr. Daniel]

Okay, right after the election when Billy won, there were two front page articles in my local paper. One announced that Clinton had been elected by fully half the American population. Another article declared that half of all Americans suffer mental illness at one time or another. So naturally, my next step was to write a letter to the editor declaring I had found the Clinton constituency. It didn't set well with local Democrats. :p :D

Dr. Daniel

[wgjones3]

As they say, the truth is out there...

[AngelAzariah]

___Yes the truth is out there, and it made Clinton a well known presedent. I have no clue what the point in that statment was... sorry about that.