"I waited patiently for the lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God."
Psalm 40:1-3 KJV
In the transition into adulthood, we experience a lot of life-changing situations. Even before then, you may have experienced a difficult situation like moving far away from home or a death of an immediate family member. As we age, we are expected to face our problems and deal with them from the get-go. However, each individual person copes differently, especially when these stressful events lead to a mental illness. For some, stress is something that overcomes them. While for others, stress is something that doesn’t even allow them to lose their footing.
For me, it overcomes me. For the longest time I kept my anxiety and depression a secret. When I came to college, the idea of being independent was so incredibly stressful for me. I hated the idea of being away from the lifestyle that I had grown accustomed to in my hometown. Of all things, being away from my family was by far the worst. My mom is my rock, the person I go to for every type of advice and being so far from her stressed me out. Without her, I didn't know who to turn to when I was anxious or depressed. I started having panic attacks and “bad days," where I would find it hard to leave bed or even lift my head from my pillow. I was embarrassed that something that seemed as small as moving away for college had turned me into this vegetable. It took months before I could even admit to myself that this change in behavior was a problem. Holding in how I was feeling was so much more stressful than being away from home itself. My breath would get short and it would feel like my rib cage was about to burst. I hated feeling that way, not to mention that my grades suffered significantly without a proper way to cope with my anxiety. I felt like I was losing my mind, and there was nothing to anchor me down, to keep me centered.
In the summer between my freshman and sophomore years of college, I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what was going to define me. I didn’t want my mental illness to change how I lived my life and who I was as a person, but I had always been against going to see a therapist. My mom, who also suffers from mental illness, disagreed and would always tell me that the quality of my life would be much better if I went and saw a doctor. When I went to the doctor, something unexpected happened. I sat down in the waiting room and began to answer one of the questionnaires when I realized the first question was “Do you find yourself to be a religious/spiritual person?” I had always gone to church growing up, even Sunday school, but it had never been a central focus in my life. Little did I know that the doctor would not only prescribe me actual medicine, but also prayer. I almost had to hold back laughter when she told me that increased spirituality has shown to improve mood and decreases the frequency of panic attacks. It sounded like something you hear in a church advertisement, I just didn’t believe it wholeheartedly. Even with my skepticism, I gave it a try. I went and saw the doctor for the first time 6 months ago, and since then, my quality of life has improved. Before I didn’t have an anchor, and now Jesus anchors me down. He shows me the light when I can’t see any. He holds my hand when I walk through the darkness and leads me back to sunshine. I didn’t believe in the power of spirituality until my anxiety and stress was greatly alleviated by prayer. I’d encourage anyone struggling with depression, anxiety, or anyone just having a bad day to take a second and reflect. Count your blessings, and think about all of the good that God has given you. You can think for 30 seconds, 10 minute, or an hour. Believing in a higher God changed my life, and it could change yours too.
A couple extra verses that help me face adversity:
“For God, who said, "Let there be light in the darkness," has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ”
2 Corinthians 4:6 NLV
"It is the LORD that goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave your or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed." Deuteronomy 31:8 ESV
"When the righteous cry out, the LORD listens; he delivers them from all their troubles."
Psalm 34:17 CEB
