The Devil isn't interested in you overcoming mental health struggles "once and for all" - its a daily struggle you have to take one day at a time

[Gottservant]

Hi there,

So I have schizophrenia (which means my neurological wiring is limited) and I struggle because the Devil does not respect that I need space. I have fought the Devil many a time and have always believed that if I just inch further to recovery, I will be better off. I have never doubted myself (is what I am saying). It actually reached a point, where I was prepared to settle with the Devil for the rest of my life - that is, to commit to a walk in this life, that does not interfere with the Devil, insofar as he is not interfering with me! What I learned was, that the Devil does not work that way: you cannot say to him "leave me alone from now on", because we do not know what the future holds (and so can't make promises based on it). Now, you might be saying "that's a disappointment", but think about it, if we really knew where our mental health was taking us, would we really trust God to bring us out of it?

So it is that the Devil is moving to and fro in the world, making some people sicker, and challenging others to be healthier - as Solomon said 'there is good that happens to bad and bad that happens to good' (Ecclesiastes, from memory). What he does this for, is essentially a lesser mystery, but it is also instructive, because God does not well people to be self-assured that they will always be healthy! "Well people" - it even sounds funny. The point is, our mental health may come and go, but reacting out of pride to the Devil's attacks is not what God wants. This takes learning to watch and welcome the coming of the Lord. If the Lord is on our side, as again He does not promise He always will be, then even if the Devil attacks today, we will be able to stand against it. Now it is important to remember that the Lord suffered questioning His sanity, on the Cross: if He, being One with God, is tested this way, then we will always have to take up our cross and be tested also.

The joy of it is, that it is far harder to lose sanity that has been tested, than it is to provoke someone whose sanity is in question. The Devil will not keep coming if you stand firm and say "By God, I have already given you my answer". You may learn that the Devil likes to attack from a particular angle, you may learn that the Devil is defending a specific weight, the point remains 'today is the Day of you Salvation' (letters, from memory). You could not respond at all, and that is what many people with mental health issues do, to begin with - but at some point you need to defend yourself from what is not good. So how is it that the Devil keeps his "sanity", again that is somewhat of a mystery. We know that He hates Jesus and we know that Jesus loves him back; but beyond this life, in this moment, all we can say is "today is the day of our salvation - if there is need of more, the Holy Spirit will answer it" (drawing on the promise in John, from memory).

Now I hope this does not dishearten any of you, you who have held out hope that their mental health will somehow spring back to what it once was and not be a problem anymore. Certainly, I am not going to hold you to what I imagine "sanity" is, when I myself know that being gaslighted for mental health struggles is probably the most unloved state you can be in. But I do want to say, day by day "here is what made me sane, may it do that at least in part for you also". I want to be accountable to you, that "sanity" is not just expected, it is shared (and it is shared with love, Lord willing). This will help both you and I, that we walk together with the Lord, while there is time. Who knows, we might leap frog the problem altogether, a little - as Solomon said "if a man has a friend, the friend may help him up" (Ecclesiastes, from memory). I certainly hope that you are able to share your sanity, with the world.

I hope this has been of some encouragement.

God bless.

 

[dev553344]

@Gottservant I also have been diagnosed with schizophrenia and not sure I have it anymore since I am currently taking my simple medication. God directed me to see a doctor and he diagnosed me with that condition. I thought I was completely healed at one point and so I stopped my medication. The conditions slowly goes away when a person takes their medication and slowly comes back when they stop their medication. And that can create a gradual change that might not be notice by the schizophrenic. God can give a person insight into their condition to become aware they are having symptoms. Prayer to God may be required for that. My schizophrenia did come back when I stopped my medication so I eventually re-started it.

I know that medicine, psychiatric medicines or illegal drugs can also induce conditions which may be seen as schizophrenic in nature. I believe Satan can induced from a distance outside the temple of God created for man as well. I have seen that temporary condition in unwanted harassment myself.

God decides if a person is healed from that condition no matter how much we might want that to go away. Continued prayer to God is pleasant. God knows our sufferings and afflictions and what the devil and his angles are up to as well and has power over them. And he does help me much in that way if they think I am the enemy to Satan and his devils and come harassing. And that might be what some schizophrenics are experiencing, but perhaps there is also another underlying condition of an illness in the brain workings. It can perhaps be confusing to make sense of it all.

From a fellow Christian. And may God bless you.

 

[Hepzibah]

"Brain Energy: A Revolutionary Breakthrough in Understanding Mental Health--and Improving Treatment for Anxiety, Depression, OCD, PTSD, and More
Chronic Schizophrenia Put Into Remission Without Medication
Brain Energy: The Metabolic Theory of Mental Illness

"...If you think this is too pessimistic, it’s important to note that depression is now the single most disabling illness—above heart failure, back pain, cancer, and other conditions—even though we have dozens of antidepressants, different types of psychotherapy, electroconvulsive therapy, transcranial magnetic stimulation, ketamine, and other treatments available. Although the problems with access to mental health care might explain some of these increases, even when people get treatment, it often fails to put illnesses into full and lasting remission."

"...In the just released book, Brain Energy, I argue that mental disorders are metabolic disorders of the brain. This new theory integrates decades of clinical, neuroscience, genetic, and metabolic research. It includes all of the biological, psychological, and social factors that we know play a role in mental illness and combines them into one unifying theory. This new understanding answers questions that have long plagued the mental health field, but also offers new treatments, ones that come with the hope of long-term healing as opposed to just symptom reduction. This new understanding also helps us understand the connections between mental health and physical health.

"...Although many people think metabolism is “burning calories” and related to weight, it’s actually much more than that. Metabolism is the process that all living organisms use to convert food into energy or building blocks for proteins, membranes, and other cell parts. It is fundamental to the definition of life. When there are problems with metabolism, there will be problems in the way cells function. I argue that metabolic dysfunction in brain cells can explain all of the symptoms of mental illness. Although metabolism is extraordinarily complex and involves numerous chemical reactions and pathways, it turns out that there is an easier way to understand metabolism, and that is through tiny organelles in most of our cells called mitochondria. They are the primary regulators of metabolism. Doing a deep dive into the science of mitochondria helps us understand all of the factors related to mental illness.For example, mitochondria play a critical role in the production and regulation of neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, dopamine, and GABA. They also play a key role in the production of key hormones, such as cortisol, estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone. Mitochondria actually help to control the expression of genes in the cell nucleus and they also play key roles in inflammation. By better understanding the science of metabolism and mitochondria, we can finally connect the dots of mental illness."

"...The much more exciting news about this theory, in my view, is that it opens the door to new treatments. Interventions such as diet, exercise, stress reduction, sleep management, and reducing substance use can effectively treat mental disorders in many people. You might be thinking that this is nothing new; we already knew most of that. However, understanding the details of this science can lead to new and surprising treatments, such as dietary interventions to treat disorders like schizophrenia and alcoholism, which on the surface don’t seem like they are related to diet. Some patients with schizophrenia have experienced full and lasting remission of symptoms off antipsychotic medications for years now, as highlighted in this Psychology Today post."

Chronic Schizophrenia Put Into Remission Without Medication​

 

[Gottservant]

[...]Continued prayer to God is pleasant. [...]

I knew you were not out of touch with reality, when you said this!