The Scourge of Mental Illness: Evil That Undermines Love

I used to believe that mental illness was something that you just work through, either alone or with a therapist (the thought of group therapy seemed terrifying to me as an introvert). A personal struggle you kept to yourself because no one wants to be labeled as crazy. A messed-up philosophy because it only creates shame, exacerbating an already excruciating experience. Shame is also incompatible with love.

I no longer view mental illness as an individual whose troubled about past disturbances or present-day distress. It goes much deeper, because it seeks to undermine our full potential as children of God. This psychological sickness infects and harms all our relationships, particularly those that we love; especially those that we love.

Even in this age of pharmacological products, a plethora of psychologists and psychiatrists and public understanding, mental illness has only gotten worse; much worse. Maybe it’s because we’re mentally manipulated by media, most medical institutions and multi layers of government. Creating fear, anxiety, depression and other unhealthy emotions. What is certain is that our nations mental health is worse than any previous generations.       

Every family I know, including my own, has at least one individual who is sincerely struggling with long-term mental illness. Unlike physical illness, this dis-ease of discomfort impacts every family member and friend and community. It’s not just an individual illness, but an infection that injures all our relationships.

It undermines love of self and love of neighbor. You can’t love other people, if you can’t even love yourself, and mental illness makes you not want to love yourself in a healthy way. I’m not talking about narcissism or psychopathy which also undermine love.

Like everything about my life now, I understand the world through my relationships. My relationship with God, self, others and all of creation. Everything and every creature are interconnected. Health is not just an individual condition, but a community circumstance as well.

My well-being and your well-being or lack of, impacts all that lives. No one is an island unto themselves. We are designed to be relational creatures even introverts.

Loving someone who is struggling with mental illness is heartbreaking for everyone. God wants us to live life’s of love, and if it’s not love, it doesn’t come from God. Mental illness is neither love nor from God.

I know what it’s like to love someone who is struggling with mental sickness, specifically being bipolar. Everything seems to be going well, until it’s not. It’s like a light switch suddenly switched and what was on becomes off. What was happiness becomes hopelessness. Smiles are swapped for sadness, anxiety, anger or fear. It’s a wicked grab bag of the worst emotions we can experience; emotions that all undermine love.

When these bipolar episodes occur it’s like walking a field of landmines.  As much as I tell myself it’s not me (which it isn’t), it’s hard not to take it personally. It’s also hard to see someone you deeply love possessed by something other than love. My heart breaks feeling this and I believe God’s does as well.

I’ve struggled with my own mental sickness, specifically depression. While this bleak blackness no longer haunts me to do harm to myself, I clearly remember those dark nights of the soul. My heart breaks recalling this and I believe God’s does as well.

My days of deep depression ended only when I surrendered my heart to God and recognized all the deceits and deceptions that evil tries to tempt and test us with. Let me very clear that mental illness isn’t a reflection of character but a reflection of something gone wrong. An unhealthy infection that’s plagued all of humanity since the beginning.

Maybe drugs and doctors can help treat mental illness, but I also know that human nature has a tendency towards selfishness. Particularly when your livelihood depends on a lifetime of prescriptions and recurring appointments. A mentally ill individual isn’t financially feasible once they’re healthy.

I’ve learned that taking care of my spiritual health improves both my physical and mental health. My spiritual fitness regimen includes prayer, reading, spending time outdoors and connecting with other people. Time proven methods rejected by modernity.

Healthy relationships only thrive when all our relationships are spiritually healthy. When we live and trust in God’s love. When we take care of our spiritual health. When we live a life of loving relationships towards all people including ourselves. Doing unto others, so everyone has an opportunity to be healthy.  

Peace. God loves you!