strange "attacks" that I did not understand. They
seemed to come and go. I couldn't breathe. I thought I was
dying. Sometimes I'd even pass out. In the middle of a school
assembly, I experienced one of these attacks and was rushed to
my lungs. And then my muscles. Test after test was run and they all came back
negative. Sports that at one time had given me freedom and drive fell by the way-
side. By the time I was 16, there was no diagnosis except for "maybe it's anxiety".
So began the cycle of drugs, side effects and new drugs � most of which hadn't been
approved for children under the age of 18. And by the time I was 17, I had gained 25
pounds, stopped everything I loved and had fallen into a deep depression.
mood struck. Throughout most
of my struggle with this disease
(that turned out to be a genetic
predisposition), my church and
faith were strangely silent. This si-
lence made me feel utterly alone.
or "have more faith," but no real
understanding or desire to enter
into my world. "Just get up"
talks were maddening. If I could
just get up, didn't people think
I would? If I could just be happy,
wouldn't I choose it to be so? It
was not simply a matter of sheer
determination or willpower. I felt
stuck and hopeless. I was certain
that I would always feel that way.
ing to the National Institute of
Mental Health, 26.2% of all Americans will struggle with a mental health disorder
at some point this year. Furthermore, 46.4% will struggle with a mental health dis-
order at some point in their lifetime. But for all of these people who are struggling
with mental health disorders (largely depression and anxiety disorders), there isn't
much agreement on how to treat these disorders. Unfortunately, only 36% of those
who are currently struggling with a mental health disorder are seeking any type of
treatment. However, it is my belief that the combination of faith, counseling and
medication (as needed) are what is needed to help one cope and deal with mental
health disorders.
ably the most common answer was that it was given to me by God as a reminder
of my mortality. In the Bible we read: "But to keep me from getting puffed up,
rhymes used to teach children the
months of the year?
but the only rhyme I can recall at this
stage of my life is "April showers bring
May fl owers..." Now, I've lived in sever-
al different cities and climates during my
lifetime, and I can't really verify that that
little ditty is entirely accurate.
ly nine months out of the year and I've
lived in an area where snow was more
prominent in April than rain. In either
place, however, whether it was snow or
rain, cloudy skies accompanied the pre-
cipitation. I'm not sure many of us enjoy
cloudy skies on a regular basis. Clouds
tend to make the day gloomy and dark.
person whose life had more of her fair
share of darkness and gloom. She has
learned how to overcome life's cloudy
skies and has emerged into a life where
the sunshine is more prominent. I hope
that you're encouraged by her story
and if you're facing similar challenges
in your own life, then maybe you'll fi nd
that long elusive hope for which you've
been searching.
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