Mental ABILITY, Not Disability

Hey, y'all! I've kinda been at a writer's block lately with my ADHD, but now, I'm back with another post yay haha ☺️ I figured it was about time to write in-depth about how my mental health has affected not only me but also millions of others. Mental illnesses are often VERY undermined and misunderstood. "Oh it can't be THAT bad, you're just over-exaggerating" - I have heard that sentence and sentences similar to that way too many times in my short lifetime. However, the people who normally speak to others like that are simply just uneducated and frankly can't mind their own business😂. I mean, if those people knew what kind of pain some suffer from, they would keep their mouth shut. Often times, people bring others down to make themselves feel better (I know, really selfish and cruel right?). Anyways, mental health issues are so much more complex than "psycho" or "crazy". Did you know that there are more than 200 classified forms of mental health disorders? It is a major form of spiritual warfare- WE ARE WARRIORS!

Here's a list of the most commonly known disorders and what percentage of people in the U.S. have it:

↠ Any Anxiety Disorders (including OCD & PTSD): affecting 40 million people 18+ years 

↠ Depression: affecting 17.3 million adults every year

↠ Eating Disorders: an estimated 30 million Americans have struggled with one at some point in their lifetime

↠ Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD/ADD): 9 million adults, including 6.1 million children

↠ Bipolar Disorder: 2.8% of adults in the U.S. have a diagnosis.

↠ Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): 1 in 54 children are actually diagnosed with ASD

↠ Personality Disorders: 15% of Americans are affected by one
↠ Schizophrenia: estimated to affect 2.6 million adults in the United States

↠ Dyslexia: 43.5 million children and adults have dyslexia

I threw in some neurological disorders like ASD, Dyslexia, and ADHD as well :) If you already can't tell, I have a huge interest in learning more about psychology and how it relates to neurology lol. This passion of mine kicked-off thanks to my mom. She's a pastoral Christian counselor, and has helped a ton of people in her job! When you think about it, the human brain is kind of amazing; God created our brain, DNA, and the rest of our bodies in such a complex yet glorious and miraculous way!  Recently in my junior year of high school, I took a psychology class and LOVED IT! It's so cool learning about the intimate details and history of the subject. It also was cool to relate my own experiences with mental health and counseling back to what I learned. I think I have talked about my mental health on my blog very frequently, but just incase we have some new readers here, I'll briefly summarize it again :). I have two different types of anxiety disorders (generalized and social), ADHD/ADD, Dyslexia (which also includes dysgraphia and dyscalculia), severe sensory issues, and previously battled depression (but still comes up once in a while). I also have struggled with body dysmorphia, which in a nutshell, basically is when your brain focuses on 1% of your imperfections and flaws and ignores the other 99% beautiful qualities you do have. Even if you don’t have these issues personally, it’s very important to be educated in mental health to not only end the stigma, but to also help you gain a better understanding of what those people struggle with. I have had to deal with these types of issues my entire life, and it only got worse in my teenage years. 

I also hate to say it, but one of the worst places I have been discriminated for having mental health issues and neurological disorder is in the church. Mental health is rarely mentioned in the church, let alone preached for hours about it. It almost seems like it is a forbidden topic, which is outrageous because if anything people with mental health issues face a crazy amount of spiritual warfare, like I mentioned before... WE ARE WARRIORS! The devil preys on Christians with mental health issues, he invades our brain with negative, horrible thoughts that only make our condition worse. That is why it is so crucial that we constantly dive into God’s word, it’s important to know how loved and worthy you are. The devil is a liar, and all he wants is to see is you moving further from Jesus and for you to feel horrible about yourself. But you cannot let the devil win, you cannot give up! 

Now, it may seem like I know it all and have conquered my battles, but mental illness doesnt just go away; it’s unfortunately a lifelong thing and could genetically pass onto your family’s future generations. All that hurt probably sounds impossible on your own, but what’s so awesome about God is that ANYTHING is possible when you have Him. Sometimes, He allows us to go through pain in this life to build character and show us how strong we really are. I know I would not be the same woman I am today if it wasnt for my past pain. So remember to always try and think of the positives, even though that’s not always easy it definitely helps! I also read my Bible or pray when my mental health gets worse, I will list some Bible verses about mental health down below!! For now, I will sign off I hope you all had a wonderful time during the holidays and Merry (a day late) Christmas!🎄 

“Cast all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you” ~ 1 Peter 5:7

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” ~ Philippians 4:6-7 

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” ~ John 14:27

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” ~ Isaiah 41:10

“I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” ~Philippians 4:13

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” ~ Matthew 6:34