My life did not use to look how it looks now.  My life was once “untouched” and “uninformed” when it came to mental health awareness and the true facts of mental illnesses.

I am a Christian by faith in Jesus however, this particular situation was not something that could just be prayed away.  It was a situation that required much patience and endurance, love, acceptance of things I couldn’t control while holding onto Jesus’s unchanging hand.

My daughter had been behaving slightly “different” and “odd”, not enough to be of great concern in the beginning, but just enough for me to pick up on.  Days passed and we rolled into about a week, and then she began displaying very obvious behaviors that clearly showed she was in need of being evaluated for her mental health.

Her behaviors had become much more intensified, meaning she had always used the bathroom a lot, but during this time, she had basically stayed in there for several hours.  She was changing her outfits frequently, mumbling odd little phrases.  She was delusional, and not within her own control to stop these thoughts from coming.  She had never threatened herself, or anyone else, nor was she displaying any kind of violent behaviors.  She agreed to be treated inpatient and eventually with the accurate medication and Gods help, she stabilized and is now back to living a better quality of life.

My sole purpose, all things aside, I want society to become educated on mental illnesses, mental health, and to stop loosely labeling and self diagnosing others.  It’s NOT okay, and it’s portraying the false views of what mental health is all about.

So when you hear that saying, “the mind is a battlefield”, I can attest that it truly is.  However, when moments are good, you can take charge of your thoughts and not allow your thoughts to take charge of your actions.  Live in the good moments, breathe while you have fresh air, laugh when their is something funny, listen when it’s time to listen, speak when it’s time to speak.  Hug often, love everyone in spite of their flaws.

We had to be patient in tribulation, and allow God to see us through.  All our strength came from the Lord.  It was in our weakest moments that God was able to be our strength. 

People with mental illnesses are individuals who battle everyday.  Some days are better than others and none will be the same.  Everyone’s journey is unique and different, this is mine.  I hope I shed light on some things to those “untouched” and “uninformed”.