by Heatherlinn Lemmer Meadows

Created on: April 18, 2009   Last Updated: April 20, 2009

I am a Christian, I believe in Christ's divinity, he died for my sins, the whole nine yards. I am pretty liberal as well, and sometimes, have come under attack by other believers for my liberal views, Leaving me in need of counsel for both the emotional side and the spiritual side of how I felt and was coping.

I have been through quite a bit of therapy, with therapists who both share and do not share my beliefs. I have found that, for me, a therapist and psychiatry who understands in minute of my faith is much more productive.

As a Christian some people believe that "all you need is God" to fix all your problems. That you are only having issues because you do not have 100% faith in Gods healing. Some even think mental illness of any kind is demonic in nature, or a result of a sin problem in your life. Dismissing chemistry dysfunction, post trauma and abuse issues, and any other physiological or organic cause for things like depression, anxiety, or poor impulse controls.

It is seen as a weakness, not illness.

Christ is known as the "great physician" in the bible, and people take that to heart to the degree that they danger their lives and health, and those of their children.

Yes, biblically speaking, Christ is a healer. But, at the same time, God created human body and how it functions, over the generations because of a myriad of things, those functions have begun to morph into things that sometimes makes your mind your own worse enemy.

My particular flavor of mental illness is borderline personality disorder, featuring panic attacks, anxiety, poor impulse control in stressful situations, depression, and a little bit of manic episodes on occasions. I am in treatment, and do wonderfully most of the time, my therapist has declared me healthy, normal, and not in need of regular therapy anymore, but, to come in if issues arise.

My psychiatrist is very pleased with my progress. I can remember having panic attacks as young as five years old, so, in essence, I was born with chemistry issues. I did not seek help until I was 30. From age 17 I had been relying on God to heal me, to make me feel and act normal. Eve thought I had a little more stability and peace after becoming a Christian, bur, I was still mentally ill. Ironically, what lead me to become a Christian came it of frequent panic attacks over death and the after life. Had I not had the issues, would I have ever found God?

I think, if a person is already in a place where spirituality is a part of their lives, providing

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>