I have been suffering from a severe mental illness since 1999. I won't go into too many details here as to how I got sick, but some information might be necessary. I was 25 years old when I voluntarily admitted myself into the mental health unit at my local hospital, and my brief stay there and in another hospital changed my life. I remember when the crisis hit, I felt like I was going to die. I was blessed to get the chief of psychiatry at Markham Stouffville Hospital at the time Dr. David Koczerginski, a young man at the time and very helpful. While I was in the crisis room, (that's what I like to call it) Dr. Koczerginski assessed me and determined that I was in actual crisis and got a room ready for me right away. I was subsequently assessed by a male psychiatric nurse, whom I remember very well and I remember telling him I couldn't gain control of my thoughts they just seemed to be flying every where! He got me settled for the night, took me and my parents around the unit, showed me the TV room, the kitchen, the dining room and the music room. I remembering telling my dad I felt safe and that I would be ok staying there. I went to bed peacefully that night, my body being in a little pain, but my mind in total peace.
Because of some memories which I have unconsciously supressed I can't remember exactly how long I stayed there because of the original trauma. For this blog, lets just say I was there for two weeks. One event which I remember very well was when my doctor was trying to come up with a diagnoses for me. One day, (in the unit) he brought me to a big room that was filled with doctors and the original male psychiatric nurse that was there when I was admitted, there might have been others who were nurses and they all one by one asked me one question. We were all sitting on chairs. I felt like a celebrity. I'm not sure if the next event happened before or after that event, but my doctor brought me into a small room in the unit and reveled his diagnoses to me.
Without these psychiatric professionals trained in psychiatric medicine and treatment, and the emergency staff at the hospital the night I was admitted I wouldn't be here. My point to say is that during a crisis that involves serious mental health issues you need people who are really trained to help. Now to my tile of this blog, Mental Illness and the Church. I get the feeling that there are a lot of people suffering inside the church from depression. I am not a doctor and I know of Pastors who have helped me with my depression after I was diagnosed and living with it for a long time. I do believe there is a place for the church to speak to people like me who suffer from depression, with the word of God and the tools the church uses. However, I believe there is a fine line when it comes to treating people. First, legally the church cannot treat patients. That should be obvious, but part of what is happening now might not be totally legit.
If you have just discovered that you are depressed and you haven't gone to see a doctor yet, some deranged Pastor in a church could tell you, you are depressed because of sin. (remember I am talking about clinical depression, or someone who is suicidal.) As a person who has been suffering from a psychotic depression for 17 years now, I can tell you with all the honesty in the world if that would of happened to me in the middle of my crisis, I would of been very confused! I probably would of said "Yes, I know I am a sinner and that Jesus died for my sins, but what does that have to do with me being in the hospital right now?"
Don't get me wrong, I do believe there is a place for the church in a depressed Christians life, but for me that came after. I am not saying in this blog that telling someone who is struggling with depression that a good dose of repentance isn't good for them. Repentance is what got me to accept my mental illness. I still have it, but I have repented not because I got depressed, but because I desired God's forgiveness through Jesus Christ.
I think for suicidal people or mentally ill people the focus for the church should immediately be one of compassion and acceptance and even forgiveness. Not a sin issue. I say that because I can. I don't care how many sins I committed before I was professionally treated and diagnosed, I just didn't want to die. You can talk to me about my sins as much as you want, but the guilt of being depressed is enough itself to bring me to repentance. It might be real guilt, but being incapacitated by irrational thoughts might look sinful, but it isn't for me. I was a Christian before my crisis, so in essence my sins were already forgiven. The point of this blog (coming from someone who has experienced it) is be very careful when someone comes to you and says they are depressed or suicidal. The last thing you want to do is give some hurting soul a guilt trip, instead of sharing with them, how much God loves them and has a plan for them to live. That they can be forgiven of all there sins, and God accepts them just as they are. Then the right thing for anybody in the Church would be to tell these people to seek out proper psychiatric help and assistance. Plus it's the legal thing to do. This is Mike.
Because of some memories which I have unconsciously supressed I can't remember exactly how long I stayed there because of the original trauma. For this blog, lets just say I was there for two weeks. One event which I remember very well was when my doctor was trying to come up with a diagnoses for me. One day, (in the unit) he brought me to a big room that was filled with doctors and the original male psychiatric nurse that was there when I was admitted, there might have been others who were nurses and they all one by one asked me one question. We were all sitting on chairs. I felt like a celebrity. I'm not sure if the next event happened before or after that event, but my doctor brought me into a small room in the unit and reveled his diagnoses to me.
Without these psychiatric professionals trained in psychiatric medicine and treatment, and the emergency staff at the hospital the night I was admitted I wouldn't be here. My point to say is that during a crisis that involves serious mental health issues you need people who are really trained to help. Now to my tile of this blog, Mental Illness and the Church. I get the feeling that there are a lot of people suffering inside the church from depression. I am not a doctor and I know of Pastors who have helped me with my depression after I was diagnosed and living with it for a long time. I do believe there is a place for the church to speak to people like me who suffer from depression, with the word of God and the tools the church uses. However, I believe there is a fine line when it comes to treating people. First, legally the church cannot treat patients. That should be obvious, but part of what is happening now might not be totally legit.
If you have just discovered that you are depressed and you haven't gone to see a doctor yet, some deranged Pastor in a church could tell you, you are depressed because of sin. (remember I am talking about clinical depression, or someone who is suicidal.) As a person who has been suffering from a psychotic depression for 17 years now, I can tell you with all the honesty in the world if that would of happened to me in the middle of my crisis, I would of been very confused! I probably would of said "Yes, I know I am a sinner and that Jesus died for my sins, but what does that have to do with me being in the hospital right now?"
I think for suicidal people or mentally ill people the focus for the church should immediately be one of compassion and acceptance and even forgiveness. Not a sin issue. I say that because I can. I don't care how many sins I committed before I was professionally treated and diagnosed, I just didn't want to die. You can talk to me about my sins as much as you want, but the guilt of being depressed is enough itself to bring me to repentance. It might be real guilt, but being incapacitated by irrational thoughts might look sinful, but it isn't for me. I was a Christian before my crisis, so in essence my sins were already forgiven. The point of this blog (coming from someone who has experienced it) is be very careful when someone comes to you and says they are depressed or suicidal. The last thing you want to do is give some hurting soul a guilt trip, instead of sharing with them, how much God loves them and has a plan for them to live. That they can be forgiven of all there sins, and God accepts them just as they are. Then the right thing for anybody in the Church would be to tell these people to seek out proper psychiatric help and assistance. Plus it's the legal thing to do. This is Mike.
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