People who know me know that I am a very practical person. Now, I’m not saying that I’m not flighty or super-duper out there sometimes. But I am one of those people who believe firmly in things like coupons, 401K’s, health insurance and keeping an eye on the big picture. I think that my pragmatic nature lends me to be spiritual as well. In my logical mind, having faith is a wonderful, amazing and extremely practical way to live. Really, is it rational to think that the whole universe just happened?
Having this realistic view of life also makes it very simple for me to see that God does not want us to go about acting like there aren’t opportunities available to help those of us dealing with manic depression.
I have heard a million reasons why bipolar isn’t really ‘real,’ but that the afflicted just ought to ‘pull themselves out of it.’ I have even been told that my husband has a demon because he has bipolar disorder. It has been shared with me, by well-meaning folks, that psychiatrists and therapists are of the devil. I have even been encouraged to let my faith in God keep my husband away from the appropriate medications to treat his extremely severe disorder.
Now, I don’t mean this disrespectfully at all because these people truly believe these things from the bottoms of their hearts. They are really trying to be helpful; but my down-to-earth personality has me screaming, “What a bunch of hogwash, people!”
Surely every psychiatrist on the face of the planet is not out for our souls. Certainly, every person with a mood disorder is not full of evil spirits! Would God put great medicines in the minds of incredibly astute professionals just so that we could turn them away? And on top of refusing the help God has so graciously given us, we are also supposed to blame Him for the refusal. My faith is supposed to be so high and mighty that I can refuse His mercy in His name?
Well, I don’t think so. It just doesn’t make sense to my practical, realistic, pragmatic nature.
My poor husband’s episodes have been so bad at times that I truly don’t know if he was really present in this world. But a kind doctor had the knowledge that allowed them to say that they could help. And over time my husband, our family doctor, therapists, psychiatrists, family and friends have helped him get back to where he can actually think and be responsible. He is now a productive member of society again. This has been done with the help of medication, and no exorcisms were necessary. The most essential part of his stabilization, however, was the fact that God oversaw it all.
God gave most of us enough common sense to know the difference between what is good and bad; what is right and wrong. And I think it is pretty much common sense that says if there is a medicine out there to help your cold, by golly-geezers, take it! And, just because you get a cold doesn’t mean that you have evil incarnate living inside of you! That cold is also not an indication of all of the evil you must have done in the past. How is this different for people unfortunate enough to be born with or to develop bipolar disorder?
God’s thinking is above our thinking, so I absolutely don’t claim to ‘know it all.’ But, I’m not going to take every word that is fed to me as the gospel either. God told me in His word to look out for wolves in sheep’s’ clothing, and I intend to do just that.
I also try to make sure I’m not unknowingly one of those wolves.
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