TURNING POINT TUESDAY: NO YOU ARE NOT CRAZY! THE TRUTH ABOUT MENTAL ILLNESS.

Did you know that the first full week of October is designated by the U.S. Congress as Mental Illness Awareness Week and has been since 1990?  The goal behind this week is to inform, educate, and raise awareness about mental illness.  Today is the National Day of Prayer for Mental Illness Recovery and Understanding.  I am asking the supporters of this blog to stand in agreement with me and dedicate time today to intercede in prayer on the behalf of our brothers and sisters who are suffering from the crippling effects of mental illness.  I am thankful that I can devote this Turning Point Tuesday to a cause that is often SWEPT UNDER THE RUG BY BELIEVERS AND NONBELIEVERS.  I am going to KEEP IT REAL, because I will no longer close my mouth while people I love and care about continue to THINK THEY ARE CRAZY and short change their Dynamic Destiny!  Thousands of people are Desperate and HURTING from the depths of their souls, but afraid to reach out for help.  Why? Many people do not know the facts about mental illness and still out of ignorance label people as BEING CRAZY( Not True).  I am very passionate about this topic because I do NOT WANT TO LOSE ANYONE ELSE THAT I LOVE AND CARE ABOUT all because someone told them, "Take a warm bath and you will feel better tomorrow."  Yes, people that I cared a lot about  resorted to taking their life because they struggled with a Disease of the Mind.  Mental Illness cannot be equated to just having a bad day.  For this reason,  as a BOLD WITNESS FOR JESUS CHRIST I count it an honor to shed light on the stigma that has floated around and is still floating around about mental illness.  I believe with all my heart that part of my GOD GIVEN DESTINY was my experience working as a Neuroscience Specialty Representative for 9 years.  God ordered my steps in this field because he knew I would take the information I learned to educate and encourage others that are battling with mental illness.  I was so blessed in my Career to learn Deep Disease State information about Mental Disorders.   Spending hours upon hours studying the Science Behind Mental Illness has definitely opened my eyes that were once shut around this topic.  In case someone did not know GOD IS THE CREATOR OF SCIENCE and he GIVES MAN WISDOM to understand some of HIS LAWS!  James 1: 5 Amplified:  If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God (Who gives) to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him.  Have you ever flew on an airplane? God was in charge of that.  Have you ever been on an elevator? God was in charge of that? Have you ever taken medication and started feeling better? God was in charge of that.  Are you reading this blog on your computer? God is in charge of that.  God gives man wisdom and as Humans we make the mistake of using His wisdom in an UNGODLY way.   I feel the need to make this point because many believers have issues with any topic that deals with Science.  If Science is used to TRY to disprove the True One and Living God then we have EVERY RIGHT TO GET UPSET.  With that said I give ALL GLORY TO GOD because SCIENCE proves without a doubt that there is a True One and Living God.  Pick up a leaf today and I promise if you stare at it the Power of God will rise up in you due to its Perfect Design. The World Bible School Master Series does an excellent job of describing a LEAF (pg. 4 God Has Spoken: It is a Free Bible Course).  "It is far better than a house.  It has tiny openings for the flow of gases.  Its green coloring catches sunlight and uses it for energy.  Its veins carry watery food from the soil.  It is more like a highly ordered city! And that is just one leaf." Hebrews 3:4 For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.  For this reason, let's ask God for wisdom and start educating ourselves the way God intended us to.  God Built us and gave us a Brain which is the Most Complex organ in the human body.  If it was that important for God to make the Brain so Important, we should take the same steps in making sure we Keep the Brain working properly (MENTAL HEALTH, YOU FEEL WHERE I AM GOING).  Please take time to read this entire blog.  Mental Health must be addressed if we want to fulfill our Destiny and make sure the ones we love fulfill their Destiny!

Just recently I had a conversation with a lady about mental illness.  She was aware of my background in Neuroscience and wanted to know if it was normal to hear voices.  She then said there was a voice that played over and over in her head. Sometimes when she watched Television she heard people saying curse words on movies she had seen numerous times without cursing.  She was very frustrated because these voices were taking over her life.  I asked if she had ever told the doctor about these voices.  She stressed she was hesitant to talk to a doctor because her Pastor told her to just to pray about it.  The Pastor did not take time to pray with her, did not ask about her family history, and did not know where she was spiritually .  I am not blaming the Pastor, but we have to know that people are not in the same place spiritually and issues that are related to our health (mind and body) do sometimes require the expertise of a Healthcare Professional.  This is exactly why we have to do better to educate ourselves about mental illness.  Is there a Battle of the Mind? ABSOLUTELY! 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 NIV: For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.  The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world.  On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.  This scripture speaks to the importance of making sure we line our thoughts up with Christ, because the enemy wants to take over our minds.  This is how we fight strongholds that have haunted some of us since childhood (low self esteem, fear, sadness, self hatred, anxiety, hopelessness, bitterness, anger, loneliness, rejection, doubt, the list goes go).  Should we Pray? ABSOLUTELY because prayer changes things. Phil 4:6 Amplified: Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (define requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.   

What am I trying to say?  We have to DISCERN whether or not someones emotional distress is a result of Spiritual Warfare, changes in Brain Chemistry/Function, or a combination of the two.  Whether we like it or not our bodies are very complicated.  I like the fact we are complicated because it demonstrates the Master Nature of God.  For that same reason, we have all types of things God designed in our bodies, like Chemicals and Neurotransmitters in our brain.  God gave us a Perfect Design!  However, situations and things we put in our body can cause our body not to work the way it was designed (traumatic events, types of food, lack of exercise, hereditary illnesses, drugs, etc).  We know without a doubt that Jesus has the ability to Heal all Disease.  He did it when he walked this land and He is still doing it today!   Jesus cast many demons out of people and deemed it important to do so (read in your personal time Luke 8:26-36).  Jesus knows better than anyone the power of unclean demonic spirits to take over our life if we do not plead the BLOOD OF JESUS over it .  After many tragic events in my life I remember a very Dark Season over My Mind.  Jesus Christ lifted me out of that darkness and he was my Counselor.   Jesus will use whatever and whoever he wants to Bless and Heal Us.  For this reason, God gives man wisdom to design medication as a way to treat Diseases.  It is so amazing to me how people do not judge someone if they take medication for high blood pressure or diabetes, but if they take it for a mental illness they are looked down on.  We are not to judge anyone.  Matthew 7:1-2: Amplified: Do NOT judge and criticize and condemn others, so that you may not be judged and criticized and condemned yourselves. For just as you judge and criticize and condemn others, you will be judged and criticized and condemned, and in accordance with the measure you (use to) deal out to others, it will be dealt out again to you.  Just think about a person that does not know Jesus and has a chemical imbalance that is causing him to have Panic Attacks.  Do you think a person that does not know Jesus is going to pray and ask Jesus to heal him?  Probably not.  On the other hand, what if Jesus worked through a Doctor, Psychologist,  True Friend, Pastor, and even Medication to help him with the illness (God could use all of these methods if HE wants or another source, he is just that GREAT).  With help and a Sane Mind the person might start thinking clearly enough to start reading the Bible, attending Church, and learning about the Power of Jesus Christ.  We are so quick to tell people that don't even have a relationship with God to just take their little depression to the alter.  All I am saying is too many people are so caught up in trying to be "Holy for Show" that they are missing the true point of LOVING people and meeting them where they are in their CURRENT SITUATION.   

I close with some information below to educate you on mental illness.  It is debatable whether mental illness is under or over diagnosed (okay if you do not agree with figures).  What is not debatable is mental illness does exist and we have to start being part of solution instead of part of the problem by dismissing its impact on our brothers and sisters.  The men and women that are defending our country are facing higher rates of Mental Illness (estimated 20% of US soldiers return home with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).  It is estimated that by 2020 Depression will be the second largest killer after heart disease.  Depression is also linked to fatal coronary disease.  Children as young as  Pre School age are being diagnosed with depression and we are losing young people between the ages of 10-24 from suicide.  Mental Illness is a real issue and as believers we have to educate ourselves and pray for wisdom, healing, and deliverance in this area. 

* I dedicate this blog to all those who are struggling with Mental Illness and all those who have loss a loved one or friend due to a Mental Disorder.  Pass the word and do everything in your power to make sure the people in your life get the help they need.  God wants us to be WHOLE!

Mental Health Facts:
What is mental Illnees?  any disease of the mind; the psychological state of someone who has emotional or behavioral problems serious enough to require psychiatric intervention.

Please Read this Data Published by the World Health Organization:

Every year, almost one million people die from suicide; a "global" mortality rate of 16 per 100,000, or one death every 40 seconds.

In the last 45 years suicide rates have increased by 60% worldwide. Suicide is among the three leading causes of death among those aged 15-44 years in some countries, and the second leading cause of death in the 10-24 years age group; these figures do not include suicide attempts which are up to 20 times more frequent than completed suicide.

Suicide worldwide is estimated to represent 1.8% of the total global burden of disease in 1998, and 2.4% in countries with market and former socialist economies in 2020.

Although traditionally suicide rates have been highest among the male elderly, rates among young people have been increasing to such an extent that they are now the group at highest risk in a third of countries, in both developed and developing countries.

Mental disorders (particularly depression and alcohol use disorders) are a major risk factor for suicide in Europe and North America; however, in Asian countries impulsiveness plays an important role. Suicide is complex with psychological, social, biological, cultural and environmental factors involved.

Types of Mental Illness: This Information was published on Web MD:www.webmd.com/mental-health/mental-health-types-illness

There are many different conditions that are recognized as mental illnesses. The more common types include:

• Anxiety disorders: People with anxiety disorders respond to certain objects or situations with fear and dread, as well as with physical signs of anxiety or nervousness, such as a rapid heartbeat and sweating. An anxiety disorder is diagnosed if the person's response is not appropriate for the situation, if the person cannot control the response, or if the anxiety interferes with normal functioning. Anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and specific phobias.
• Mood disorders: These disorders, also called affective disorders, involve persistent feelings of sadness or periods of feeling overly happy, or fluctuations from extreme happiness to extreme sadness. The most common mood disorders are depression, mania, and bipolar disorder.
• Psychotic disorders: Psychotic disorders involve distorted awareness and thinking. Two of the most common symptoms of psychotic disorders are hallucinations -- the experience of images or sounds that are not real, such as hearing voices -- and delusions -- false beliefs that the ill person accepts as true, despite evidence to the contrary. Schizophrenia is an example of a psychotic disorder.
• Eating disorders: Eating disorders involve extreme emotions, attitudes, and behaviors involving weight and food. Anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder are the most common eating disorders.
• Impulse control and addiction disorders: People with impulse control disorders are unable to resist urges, or impulses, to perform acts that could be harmful to themselves or others. Pyromania (starting fires), kleptomania (stealing), and compulsive gambling are examples of impulse control disorders. Alcohol and drugs are common objects of addictions. Often, people with these disorders become so involved with the objects of their addiction that they begin to ignore responsibilities and relationships.
• Personality disorders: People with personality disorders have extreme and inflexible personality traits that are distressing to the person and/or cause problems in work, school, or social relationships. In addition, the person's patterns of thinking and behavior significantly differ from the expectations of society and are so rigid that they interfere with the person's normal functioning. Examples include antisocial personality disorder, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, and paranoid personality disorder.

Please Do More Research on the Topic and Educate Yourself to Ignite a New You!

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