Redemptive Suffering and Mental Illness

[kepha1]

Redemptive Suffering and Mental Illness

I am a person with Bi-Polar disorder. I do not say I have Bi-Polar disorder. It’s easy to identify a person by their illness rather than as a person with an illness. We tend to say, so-and-so is a schizophrenic or so-and-so is a depressive. No, first we are persons, and we carry a cross.

I’m not going into a whole lot of theology here, but to give some great references. Pope John Paul II wrote a great Apostolic Letter on the meaning of human suffering, it would be good to read at least some of it.
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/j..._jp-ii_apl_11021984_salvifici-doloris_en.html
Another good reference is Fr. Groeschel at the Q & A which you can listen to. Just click Oct. 25 at this site:
http://www.catholic.com/radio/calive.asp
While your listening, you can read the apostolic letter

There is so much to say about mental illness. Most of us have ups and downs, and sometimes they require medical intervention. It is still suffering, and it can still be redemptive. Approaching mental suffering is not much different than physical suffering, we “offer it up”. That means we “link” our sufferings with that of Jesus, we get to participate in His sufferings by doing so. It’s quite simple, really.

I have times when my mood elevates and I have to take extra medications to keep the wild horses of my mind under control. Sometimes I feel down, and I can’t take anything for that, because anti-depressants are contraindicated for my condition.

continued…

 

[kepha1]

I am going to tell you what works for me. Acceptance is the key, but that really sounds like an empty cliché when you are not well. I have a devotion to St. Dymphna, she is the patroness of those who have mental disorders. I often think of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, and His mental torment, especially when things get really bad. I also have a one-of-a-kind hand painted T- shirt with the Crown of Thorns on it. My wife and I designed it, and she did the painting. I don’t know why I associate the Crown of Thorns with mental suffering. It may not be theologically appropriate. But I don’t care. My mental disorder makes me identify with Jesus in a very deep and profound way. In doing that, I come to acceptance. And all the stigmas associated with having a mental illness dissipate. I am very comfortable discussing and educating others on the nature of it. It’s everyone else that may be uncomfortable. Social stigmas are not what they used to be when I was diagnosed 30 years ago, but I understand how a person feels about being admitted to the psych ward.

The other thing that I find helpful is to spend time in front of the Blessed Sacrament. You don’t even have to do anything, just sit there. Jesus doesn’t care if we can’t pray because the mind is being tossed around like in a dryer. Being with Jesus that way is like radiation therapy, with divine electrons eroding the cancers of our hearts. Just staring at Him helps depression, because it takes the focus off us for a while.

I used to pray for healing of my disorder. I think that if I didn’t have this cross to bear, I would not be practicing my faith. So I do because my faith gives meaning to having a mental illness. I end up being closer to Jesus.

That’s why I am glad.

kepha1

 

[Jermosh]

Nice note.

 

[chicago]

Thank you for your beautiful and insightful reflection on both the difficulties of mental illness and the redemptive blessing of suffering. Both are things which I fear too many people fail to understand and appreciate well. Having spent most of my life in proximity with those who have experienced some of the same types of trials as you, I have come to recognize the very real challenges which such illness presents, but also the sheer lovliness of those who struggle through it. I would hope that more people in society at large could come to readily comprehend and value the same. Therefore, I encourage you to keep up your good work of life and witness!

 

[kepha1]

Thank you.

It’s important to note that this “offering it up” is not confined to suffering. We are to offer up our joys too. It ranks third it the morning offering prayer.
Having a cold coke on a hot day? Share it with God. Offer that up for the souls in purgatory.
Putting on your favorite shirt? Thank God, you have a favorite shirt to put on.
Take a minute to turn a beautiful sunset into a prayer. Offer that up too. The list is endless. The point I am trying to make is that it offering things up does not always have to be associated with suffering, and we draw a whole lot of grace with it. And we pray without ceasing.
I was looking for the name of the saint who composed the morning offering prayer, and stumbled on this site on “offering it up”.
kensmen.com/catholic/offeringitup.html

More on mental illness later.

kepha1

 

[brabble]

Dear Kepha1

I was posting elsewhere on the subject of mental illness (my diagnosis Bipolar Disorder) . . . and stumbled across your post. You have put it all so very beautifully! It can be forgotten that a part of our Bapitsmal vocation, call, is to share in the sufferings of Christ (“we make up in our own bodies what was lacking in the sufferings of Christ” St Paul). No matter what we suffer or our stresses and difficulties in life, they are a share in Christ’s Passion and our call is to help complete that Passion. Sadly over the generations and originating possibly in the middle ages when people suffering mental illness were thought to be possessed (and possibly even in the time of Christ, hence earlier than the middle ages) in our day to suffer a mental illness has become something of a ‘dirty word’ and we are branded or stigmatized - ostracized - and perhaps often and in our own Faith Communities. I think it does help to remember that The Cross of Christ was absolute social disgrace in his own time - so those of us who do suffer some form of social or perhaps religious stigma share in a special way the mark of the cross - social disgrace.

As for our joys - as Christ’s Cross is reflected in human sufferings and difficulties, I see my joys in life as reflective of His Resurrection. Not only this, but how better to celebrate He who became fully human - than in fully human ways . . .a glass of coke on a hot day etc. etc. and to say to Him “Thank you Lord, I am enjoying this!”. I am reminded of St. Teresa of Avila who on a visit in her travels was given chicken to eat. A fellow sister of hers coming across her eating chicken was somewhat upset about it but St. Teresa replied “Sister, if I am given chicken to eat, then I eat it and I thank God for it!”.

But how beatifully you have put it all, Kepha1, and now I am off to check those websites you have given.

Thank you and may Easter unfold joyously for you and for all.