Let me preface this by saying that I am in no way bashing anyone. At least, that's not my intent.
"______ is of the Devil. There's nothing actually wrong with you."
Those are literally the most toxic words a Christian with a mental illness can hear. These words made me feel like I was the problem. I was depressed because I wasn't really a Christian. I was anxious and thought everyone hated me because I wasn't a real Christian. I was basically told I didn't belong because there was something medically wrong with me.
Mental illness was a big reason that I left the Church when I did. I knew I was a Christian but the people that were supposed to support me and uplift me were being used by the Devil and tearing me down without even trying.
They had no idea but they were Satan's puppets in a time when I needed them more than anything. At a time when all I wanted was to be accepted and loved, I was ostracized and disliked. I felt worse being at church than I did at home.
I never thought I could say those words. I felt worse in a place of solace than I did in a place of abuse because people that had no idea what was going on at home made it worse. I felt like garbage because of depression being exacerbated by people that I wouldn’t open up to.
Why wouldn’t I open up to them? They made fun of the sad kids at school. I thought that I was just sad. Why would I open myself up to that?
Kids and adults with mental illnesses are already told that there isn't anything wrong with them by their "friends." Many people turn to religion to find release from the pain that the mental illness causes. Some people find solace.
Others are still told that they aren't praying hard enough. I was told to pray to take away the depression. I was told that medicine wasn't worth it because all I needed was to pray.
What if the medicine is the answer to the prayer? What if God gave us the ability to treat something so that we can have a normal life? He gave the ability to create these medicines. He answered prayers and we ARE THROWING IT IN HIS FACE! There are so many people not using the medicine that He provided because people in the Church are telling them that they don't need it.
There is a place for mental illness in Christianity. There is a place for mental illness in Judaism. There is a place for mental illness in Islam, Buddhism, and any other religion there is. We can not ostracize people who need help.
We need to make people feel like the Church is an open loving place. We are accidentally turning people away because so many people hold the belief that there is no place for mental illness in Faith.
The world is changing so our tactics to reach them need to change. We need to evolve with everyone else.
