.png)
I have a secret that I absolutely have to tell you. I seriously can’t keep it in any longer. Here it is. You can actually live without anxiety or depression in your life. Say wha?! For real, guys, I’m not joking. We have all been fed the lie that it's normal to have a mental illness, in fact, so many even boast about their diagnoses. That doesn't have to be you, my friend.
Wanna know how I know? Because I've experienced it for myself. Plus God says so, so there's that.
I really can't keep it in any longer. I have to share what I've learned with you, so that you don't have to spend another day believing the lie that an anxious life, filled with worry, fear and coping mechanisms is as good as it gets.
I battled depression and anxiety from as young as I can remember. Depression and anxiety turned into an eating disorder when I was 12. I was told by doctors and well-meaning friends that there was no healing, only methods to manage my mental health. I was literally told that I would battle with my weight, self-image and an unhealthy relationship with food for the rest of my life. I was 12.
Today, I am the living proof that it was all bogus. I'm no longer just coping, I'm not medicating, and I'm not lying. I'm healed. Totally and completely.
You’ve Got a Problem, They’ve Got a Pill
I am told that we are living in the greatest age of medicine, and yet, antidepressants are only effective in 50% of cases. Not only that but think about how many people you know, that are currently medicating for something, be it heartburn or phobia's. Does anybody else think that the majority of a population living dependent on chemical substances for functionality isn’t exactly “greatness”?
At 18 I got engaged in a whirlwind romance then ended the relationship the tsunami wave of depression had wiped me out. I wasn't eating and had dropped down to 98 pounds. Plus I no longer got out of bed. So I wasn't doing great.
My mom dragged me off to the doctor, where I was, of course, given a pill. My doctor prescribed what she referred to as a “gentle, non-addictive, anti-depressant/anti-anxiety medication”. I learned later that what I was taking caused the equivalent of a heroine addiction, and most people who start them are never able to get off of them.
Just a little plug for self-educating before blindly trusting a medical opinion. I take a little more of a holistic approach these days.
The drugs made me numb. I wasn’t sad or anxious, but I wasn’t happy or calm either. I wasn’t anything. It wasn’t long before a little voice inside asked, “is this really all there is to living?” I can totally understand the battle with suicidal thoughts while on anti-depressants. Every instinct, every emotional response, everything that makes you human is numbed.
Who can live like that? Also, did you know that suicidal thoughts tend to increase with the use of medication? So.... does that mean they're working?
Like all young adults in crisis, I turned to the internet for answers. Bad idea.
Nobody seemed to know how to fight this thing. Nobody really even seemed to be trying. The common practice was (and still is) just to find the coping method best suited to your lifestyle. Oh, and post a positive mantra on your bathroom mirror. Basically, what I gathered was, there is no cure.
Then a seed was planted by someone who dared to speak something different than what everyone else had told me, truth. While chatting with this friend one day I opened up about being on medication to manage my anxiety and depression. Without even giving it a second thought she said, “oh that’s fine, you won’t need those forever.”
And the conversation carried on. I don’t remember anything else she said, except that she knew a lot of scripture. I remember being shocked by how literally she applied the words of God in scripture to her own life. But I kept coming back to her initial statement, “you won’t need those forever.”
She truly believed that the words in her Bible had the power to heal and set her free from anything and everything, and they would work the same for me. I kept thinking, “she has no idea what I'm battling with," "It would be impossible to function without my medication,"
but I decided to give this Bible believing thing a chance. I had been a Christian from childhood, but for some reason the Bible had never really come alive to me, or seemed that applicable to my life.
I read it religiously, but it was just a book. I knew what it said, but hadn't really experienced it affecting my life other than providing a moral compass that I was pretty sure I was always failing to follow accurately.
Then I found Romans 12:2 (TPT) which says,
Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you, but be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think. This will empower you to discern God’s will as you live a beautiful life, satisfying and perfect in his eyes.
That one scripture set me off on a journey to discover what was truly possible for my healing. I have shared in "21 Scriptures to Heal Your Mind" some of the amazing verses that literally changed my life and brought healing to my body and mind. But the key is a relationship with the Holy Spirit.
He is even called our Counselor in the Bible. He is also called our helper, strengthener, and advocate (John 14:26).
I also discovered that you and I literally have the power to reshape our minds. Dr. Caroline Leaf explains how we alter the shape and structure of our physical brains with what we think. God said it first, she’s proven it. Who can argue with God AND science?
The Choice To Believe
As I committed to studying the word of God with the help of my teacher, the Holy Spirit, I quickly noticed how differently God thinks about our health than we do in our western culture. But His word would not have had any impact on my life if I had not made the decision to believe what He says over the words of a doctor, or the internet. It's a simple choice, to believe the Word, and yet it has the power to change not only your life but generations to come.
I am not anti-doctors, I just want us all to remember that while they are highly educated, they are still human. We are all uniquely created, we don’t all tick the same way. That's why God gave us the gift of His own spirit to live inside of us. The Holy Spirit knows every detail about us. He created us. We are then able to trust what He speaks to us over and above the words of a doctor, friend, or anyone else.
Still, it’s not easy. Fear will attack in a huge way when you step out to walk in God’s way rather than the world’s way.
My freedom from anxiety and depression didn’t come over night. I go into more detail about the process of going from mentally unwell to a free woman in my post The 5 Steps to a Brand New You. What is important for you to know is that it IS possible to live free of them both. You should also know that it’s not complicated, but it is hard.
I am not a sugar-coating kinda’ gal. Trust me, it’s better for both of us this way. You won’t succeed unless you really truly want to succeed. And if that’s the case nobody will be able to stop you. If it’s not your greatest desire and determination you won’t be able to find freedom, even if I dragged you all the way to its doorstep.
So tell me, have you ever considered it possible to walk free of your current mental and emotional struggles? Or is that a new concept to you like it was to me? After what you've heard today, do you think you'll begin thinking a little differently about anxiety?
Comentários