Keep the Faith!

I have experienced some very difficult circumstances in my life. There were times that I felt as if I was losing my mind. The feeling of being overwhelmed by very painful emotions is really too much for a person to withstand alone. People think I am a strong person. I suppose I am; however, I take no credit for that. All of the credit and acknowledgment for the strength that I possess goes to my Creator. If not for my faith in God, I never would have gotten through some of my most difficult times with my sanity intact.  My faith kept me focused. It kept me calm and, knowing that the Lord was with me and would carry me through the storms, made me feel strong. My faith gives me a hope that things will always work out and a peace that surpasses understanding. It is because of this I can say definitively that faith is a very powerful coping strategy.

Faith is an effective tool to combat depression and anxiety. I am not saying it will necessarily cure a person who suffers with clinical depression or major anxiety, but faith serves as one of many coping strategies. It makes our burdens a little lighter and enables us to carry emotional weight that we were never really meant to carry, at least not alone. God does not want us to suffer and He wants us to give our burdens to Him. In Matthew 11:28-30, we are given a beautiful message of love and support, “Come to me, all of you who are struggling and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” How wonderful it is to be able to give our worries, anxieties, and pain to Him and, in return, He gives to us a peace that, in our finite human minds, we could never comprehend. In fact, we are told, “Don’t worry about anything; on the contrary, make your requests known to God by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving. Then God’s shalom, passing all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe” (Philippians 4:6-7). I cannot tell you how many times after I have prayed to God and given Him my burdens, I felt an incredible sense of peace and calm. When I  looked back at the situation, I often thought that I should never have been that calm. Not only do I receive a sense of peace from my faith, but I am also given tremendous hope that He will always turn my pain into rejoicing. He has not failed me yet!

I am not just speaking from opinion and personal experience; study after study has shown the benefits of faith in mental health. According to a study done in 2003, it was found that faith kept children from engaging in destructive behaviors, such as drinking, smoking, or drug abuse. The conclusion was that faith was a protective factor against life’s stressors (Wills, 2003). The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) reports that research has shown that religion and faith can directly improve both physical and mental health. NAMI goes on to say that faith can provide a sense of community, which helps an individual feel supported and less isolated. It provides a sense of understanding and helps a person accept human suffering in a more adaptive way. It provides an outlet to help others, which has also been shown to improve one’s mental state. Mental illness symptoms often manifest physically. For example, anxiety can cause fast heart rate, stomach issues, and high blood pressure, to name a few. NAMI reports that studies have found a positive benefit with these symptoms after a 10-20 minute prayer or meditation session.

Even the American Psychiatric Association (APA) has acknowledged the benefits of faith and spirituality. In their “Guide for Faith Leaders”, the APA reports that those involved in a religious or spiritual group have a lower risk of premature illness or death than those who are not involved. Although the APA does not go further into the explanation for this outcome, those of us who have a strong faith can tell you why this is. When your faith allows you to give your burdens to a Heavenly Father who loves us with an unfathomable love, the peace you receive calms you to your very soul. If I had indulged every worry, every fear, and every negative thought that tried to weasel their way into my brain, then I probably would have ended up in the hospital. There was a time when I suffered with stomach issues. Not so coincidentally, my faith was not as strong as it is now. I continue to find that when I try and lean on my own understanding, I feel completely stressed out and I am more fatigued than usual. Only when I surrender to God and allow His spirit to guide my steps, do I find peace.

Some of you reading this know exactly of what I speak. For those of you who have faith, let this serve as a reminder that you cannot do everything in your own strength. When you feel overwhelmed by life, remember this. Sometimes God forces us to our knees so we have no other choice but to look up. Do not forget to look up, in prayer, often. It is a tremendous coping strategy that provides real benefits. For those of you who do not have faith and are struggling with anxiety and/or depression, this is not a judgment or condemnation. I merely pose this question. How has doing it your way worked for you so far? If you answered, “Not very well”, then I pose a challenge. Why not go to the Bible and start reading for yourself. The answers to life’s questions can be found there. Words of love and comfort can be found there. Once you read it, you start to feel God’s presence, and then you will feel so close to Him. He speaks to us through His word. Why not lend Him your ear and just see what happens?  Have faith everyone and God bless!

References:

American Psychiatric Association  (2016). Mental Health: A Guide for Faith Leaders. American Psychiatric Association Foundation, Arlington, VA

National Alliance on Mental Illness. Faith & Spirituality,  retrieved on 5/19/2016 from https://nami.org/Find-Support/Living-with-a-Mental-Health-Condition/Faith-Spirituality.

Verghese A., John J.K., Rajkumar S., Richard J., Sethi B.B., Trivedi J.K. Factors associated with the course and outcome of schizophrenia: results of a two year follow up study. Br J Psychiatry, 1990; 32:2-11.

Wills T.A., Gibbons F.X., Gerrard M., Murry V.M., Brody G.H., Family communication and religiosity related to substance abuse and sexual behavior in early adolescence: a test for pathways through self-control prototype perceptions. Psychol Addict Behav., 2003; 17:312-323.