I’ve been dealing with major depressive order for some time now. And it’s been a year since I have made a commitment to the journey of healing. Here is the main lesson I have learned.  I have found that the journey to healing starts with an emphatic “yes”. Yes, to not only the will of God, which is sometimes hard to accept. I agree. But a yes to his help during the journey. That to me was a bit harder. It took a whole and complete “yes”. What does that  mean, you might ask? It meant that I had to give a yes to everything that God instructed me to do in regards to my mental health and to trust the process. 

 

I’m not cured of depression. In fact, I struggled with it today. Yet, God has given me three holistic approaches to conquer my mental health challenges, or as I like to call it, The Trinity to Mental Health: My Psychiatrist, Therapist, and Spiritual Adviser.  I hope this helps you too.

 

My Psychiatrist

 

I was a bit nervous when I attended my first appointment with a psychiatrist. I felt intimidated. I felt defeated. However, I never truly understood how this form of assistance provided so many multiple health benefits. 

 

Psychiatrists are uniquely positioned to understand the physical capacities of our bodies. Mental illness is indeed a psychical illness. Psychiatrists can diagnose basic medical and complex psychiatric conditions and prescribe as well as administer medications. But not all the patients need medication or extensive medical treatment. Have candid conversations with your doctor. A psychiatrist will facilitate and provide enough information about risks, benefits, and treatment options. 

 

Remember this. Psychiatrists are like any other doctors. They are there to help you get to health and wholeness. Take it from me, I became more free and open to healing once I accepted this. 

 

My Therapist 

 

There is something to be said about vulnerability, self-awareness, accountability, celebration, and vision during the process of healing. These instruments will embolden how you envision yourself, how you love yourself, and how you forgive yourself. Mental health challenges are sometimes linked to the absence of these things. But therapy will help you get there. 

 

Therapy is something I highly suggest for everyone to explore. You are not too young or too old to sit down with a therapist. I know it is a bit unnerving to express your most intimate thoughts and hidden secrets with a complete stranger, yet I’m so happy that I took the leap of faith. With the right therapist, you will be more comfortable as the time goes. Therapy will soon become a much-needed sounding board.

 

With the help of my therapist (who is now my best friend in my head), I have made special growth. Therapy has allowed me to become intimate with myself and has inspired me to cherish who God has made me to be. Therapy gave me my voice and confidence back. 

 

Every therapy session will not be roses. Working through the thorns is also a part of your course in therapy. It is through considering and understanding the thorns and roses, peak and valleys, or sunshine and rain, that you will find strength in loving the full story of your personhood. The full story is colorful. The full story is both climatic and anticlimactic. The full story is a gift that God has given the world. 

 

Here are some quick tips:

1.    Take time to research your therapist. Trusting your therapist is an important key for a fruitful relationship. (Please reach out to Breathe and Embrace if you need help finding one)

2.    Be open to the process. Go in with an open mind and open heart. This is how you get the most out of your experience. 

3.    Grant yourself permission to emote. There will be some triggers, pain points, boundaries, and celebrations that you will have to work through. However, feel what you need to feel. God gave us emotions for a reason.

 

My Spiritual Adviser 

 

Depression is life altering. It altered the way I envisioned God and his love for me. It also changed the way I valued my purpose on earth. Never thought I would get to that point in my faith walk. I became less engaged in my relationship with the father, stopped attending church, and gave up on salvation. This is not to force my faith on you, but to share that the neglect of your spiritual health happens.

 

Because of God’s divine intervention, I remember waking up in the middle of the night to email a spiritual leader. “You are my last resort, before I turn away from God and harm myself.” I didn’t mean to put pressure on the man, but like the woman with the issue of blood, desperation will indeed get you there. He emailed me to come to his office the next day. And I tell you, he has been such a great influence ever since.  

 

My spiritual adviser has helped me navigate my spiritual journey.  We meet every other week. In these meetings, we pray, have candid conversations, and implement spiritual tools. 

 

Please don’t mistake this for anything else. Depression and other forms of mental illnesses are real ailments and should be treated as such. However, it does come with spiritual challenges. And that requires being spiritually equipped and you feeding your soul. 

 

Where can you start in your mental health journey?