Vocations And Mental Illness

[krissylou]

I know this is an issue for several people, and when I saw this lovely article I thought I should pass it on.

[url="http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/currenttrendscolumns/leadershipweekly/bipolarpriest.html"]http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/currenttrendscolumns/leadershipweekly/bipolarpriest.html[/url]

(The magazine this is from typically has an Evangelical Protestant audience, but this author is a Catholic diocesan priest.)

[Sarah147]

[quote]"I wanted God to reveal saving love by telling me that I didn't need the medicine anymore. But God didn't say that, and I do need it, because loving who I am means taking the medicine."[/quote]

Nice article. It really shows all he went through. It's amazing to know that even Priests have mental illnesses.

[OnlySunshine]

I really empathize with him. I know what it feels like to be defined by a mental illness and feel shameful when really you shouldn't since you did nothing to cause it. This paragraph got me the most:
[quote]
Some time later, while on retreat, the line from Mark's Gospel hit me: "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone" (Mark 12:10). These words haunted me. The rejected stone in my life was the disease. The Lord invited me to accept and embrace my disease so that God could continue to build me into the person God intended. The shame was lifted, but the scars remained.[/quote]

That's what happened to me, as well. I originally looked at my illness as a terrible burden when really I have learned so much about myself and gained so much from it like compassion and empathy for others. It also helped me determine what I want to do with my life--prayer and working with others who have my same problems. I want to become a social worker/counselor. I also realized that I need my medication all my life, which used to bother me, but now I fully accept that it is part of who I am and to stay healthy, I need it.

Thanks for posting the article!

[Chamomile]

How beautiful and humble. What an inspiring priest.

I liked this quote:

[quote][font="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"]What I didn't realize, because of the medications and the disease itself, was that God was right there beside me, crying with me and for me.[/size][/font][/quote]

[i]God is near to the broken-hearted... Blessed are those who mourn. [/i]

Every circumstance is an invitation from God to love Him more. This is amplified for someone who has a mental illness - especially one that majorly alters your moods and identity like bi-polar can. But when that person responds with humility and a complete surrender, they can do really wonderful things for God and others.

[i]In my weakness[/i], St. Paul wrote, [i]I am made perfect.[/i]

Edited June 17, 2011 by Chamomile

[faithcecelia]

A very simple but honest article, very good to see it.

One of my former sisters, who is now a very good friend, was a 'risk' for Carmel. She had a history of serious psychiactric illness and had attempted suicide. Her psychiatrist advised against entering an enclosed community as he felt it would lead to another breakdown, from which he feared she would never recover. Somehow the then prioress convinced the community to give her a chance, and her noviciate was relatively straightforward.

Almost immediately after her solemn profession she had a complete breakdown. She attempted suicide again and had to be admitted to a pychiactric hospital where she stayed for nearly a year. Again, the medical opinion was that she should not be a nun, but again she chose to follow her vocation. It took some years for her to become a fully active member of the community but now, 20yrs after her profession, she is as good a nun as you could ever imagine. She knows she has to trust God for everything, especially as she knows she cannot trust her instincts 100% and is the most lovely caring person - she has been a massive support for me.

[CatherineM]

I sent this on to my husband. He has several friends who were in seminary when they got sick with schizophrenia, and one that was studying to be a rabbi. None were allowed to continue, but none had been ordained deacon yet.

[Sarah147]

[quote name='MaterMisericordiae' timestamp='1308329412' post='2255088']
I really empathize with him. I know what it feels like to be defined by a mental illness and feel shameful when really you shouldn't since you did nothing to cause it. This paragraph got me the most:


That's what happened to me, as well. I originally looked at my illness as a terrible burden when really I have learned so much about myself and gained so much from it like compassion and empathy for others. It also helped me determine what I want to do with my life--prayer and working with others who have my same problems. I want to become a social worker/counselor. I also realized that I need my medication all my life, which used to bother me, but now I fully accept that it is part of who I am and to stay healthy, I need it.

Thanks for posting the article!
[/quote]


So beautifully put. I so agree with that! Except, I still don't know what work I feel drawn to, aside from being a Sister that works with retreats/spiritual talks.

[OnlySunshine]

[quote name='faithcecelia' timestamp='1308333014' post='2255129']
A very simple but honest article, very good to see it.

One of my former sisters, who is now a very good friend, was a 'risk' for Carmel. She had a history of serious psychiactric illness and had attempted suicide. Her psychiatrist advised against entering an enclosed community as he felt it would lead to another breakdown, from which he feared she would never recover. Somehow the then prioress convinced the community to give her a chance, and her noviciate was relatively straightforward.

Almost immediately after her solemn profession she had a complete breakdown. She attempted suicide again and had to be admitted to a pychiactric hospital where she stayed for nearly a year. Again, the medical opinion was that she should not be a nun, but again she chose to follow her vocation. It took some years for her to become a fully active member of the community but now, 20yrs after her profession, she is as good a nun as you could ever imagine. She knows she has to trust God for everything, especially as she knows she cannot trust her instincts 100% and is the most lovely caring person - she has been a massive support for me.
[/quote]

Wow! That's incredibly brave and courageous of the Sister to still go forward with her vocation in spite of her medical difficulties. I know breakdowns are hard--I've had one and so has my mom, but we both are in much better places spiritually to know how to deal with stress. I knew, last year, when the warning signs were reappearing that I needed to be back on my medication. My doctor commended me for getting in there so fast. All I knew was that I didn't want to end up so depressed and withdrawn that I couldn't function. My medication made me much more prepared to go to school last semester and it worked because I got an "A" in the most difficult subject for me!

[faithcecelia]

[quote name='MaterMisericordiae' timestamp='1308337366' post='2255169']
Wow! That's incredibly brave and courageous of the Sister to still go forward with her vocation in spite of her medical difficulties. I know breakdowns are hard--I've had one and so has my mom, but we both are in much better places spiritually to know how to deal with stress. I knew, last year, when the warning signs were reappearing that I needed to be back on my medication. My doctor commended me for getting in there so fast. All I knew was that I didn't want to end up so depressed and withdrawn that I couldn't function. My medication made me much more prepared to go to school last semester and it worked because I got an "A" in the most difficult subject for me!
[/quote]


She really is an amazing woman, very 'simple' as in uncomplicated (not intelectually - she is actually extremely intelligent and gave me some wonderful intelectually challenging conferences!) and humble. At present she has some serious physical health problems, so please add her to prayer lists.

I fully respect mental illness, my mother has had serious problems for nearly 30yrs and I was her primary carer for 20. It was undealt with upset that pretty much led to me being sent away, combined with the fact that I had learned her behaviours and so reacted as though I had the same problems (thankfully I don't, but I have had to see 5 psychiatrists in the last 18mths to get proof, plus have a lot of therapy and CBT to learn new behaviours).

HUGE congratulations to you! Not only for recognising your symptoms before they overpowered you, but also for acing a tough subject! Woo hoo!!!!

[OnlySunshine]

[quote name='faithcecelia' timestamp='1308338081' post='2255184']
She really is an amazing woman, very 'simple' as in uncomplicated (not intelectually - she is actually extremely intelligent and gave me some wonderful intelectually challenging conferences!) and humble. At present she has some serious physical health problems, so please add her to prayer lists.

I fully respect mental illness, my mother has had serious problems for nearly 30yrs and I was her primary carer for 20. It was undealt with upset that pretty much led to me being sent away, combined with the fact that I had learned her behaviours and so reacted as though I had the same problems (thankfully I don't, but I have had to see 5 psychiatrists in the last 18mths to get proof, plus have a lot of therapy and CBT to learn new behaviours).

[b]HUGE congratulations to you! Not only for recognising your symptoms before they overpowered you, but also for acing a tough subject! Woo hoo!!!![/b]
[/quote]

Thank you!

I understand about the behavior issues. I often wonder if I have some problems like that of my own because of what occurred in my family. I do see some of my mom's negative qualities in myself and I really wish I could stop imitating her. The worst problem is how she influences my opinion of my dad. I have issues with respecting him because of things he has done in past and present. I've been trying to overcome that issue, but I know it's something I can't do on my own and I hope my therapist and I can straighten things out.

[AccountDeleted]

Did anyone else read this book?

The Silent Struggle - A Remarkable Story of Triumph over Anorexia and Abuse
about a Carmelite nun in London with anorexia? I actually found it inspiring despite all she went through. And she was in another community before she became a Carmelite!

[url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silent-Struggle-Remarkable-Triumph-Anorexia/dp/0852313470"]http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silent-Struggle-Remarkable-Triumph-Anorexia/dp/0852313470[/url]

[BarbTherese]

[quote]Some time later, while on retreat, the line from Mark's Gospel hit me: "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone" (Mark 12:10). These words haunted me. The rejected stone in my life was the disease. The Lord invited me to accept and embrace my disease so that God could continue to build me into the person God intended. The shame was lifted, but the scars remained.

It has taken twenty years to "let go and let God," but it has made all the difference. I have now been able to recognize mental illness as one, and only one, aspect of who I am. Once I could embrace that, I could be more in tune with who I am, and who God calls me to be. I was able to live life without shame.

My greatest fear was that I would experience another psychotic attack and never regain my health. Now I am confident that if this should occur, it would not change my relationship with God. My love for God and God's love for me is so strong that when my body finally surrenders in death we shall embrace again.

"Nothing will separate us from the love of God …" Not even mental illness.

—Jerry DiSpigno is a Catholic priest in Bellport, New York.[/quote]

Excellent article and will bring trust and encouragement to those who do suffer mental illness. I suffer Bipolar and can certainly relate to what Father wrote.
It and articles like it may even cause religious orders etc. to rethink re applicants who may suffer some forms of mental illness. Very often the real crippling factor with sufferers is not so much the illness as their own personal perspective and attitude towards the illness. The stigma of mental illness in our various communities within society can make this change of perspective and attitude for the sufferer a very difficult quest. The transition from a place of social disgrace (for one!) to a place of dignity and worth and if one can make this transition despite any stigma, then very often the illness itself begins the journey of loosing its power in the main to devestate and cripple.

Great article! Thank you very much indeed for posting it, JoyfulLife. Very much. One to keep on file and I am!

God bless - Barb

[Sarah147]

[quote name='BarbaraTherese' timestamp='1308379373' post='2255486']
Thank you very much indeed for posting it, JoyfulLife. Very much. One to keep on file and I am!

God bless - Barb
[/quote]


Thank you for posting this thread and article, Krissylou.

Edited June 18, 2011 by JoyfulLife

[BarbTherese]

[quote name='JoyfulLife' timestamp='1308435978' post='2255723']
Thank you for posting this thread and article, Krissylou.
[/quote]


Thank you JoyfulLife for the correction and most graciously done - I need to watch out for getting my facts screwed up, and not the first time I have there fallen!

And thank you very much for posting this thread and article, Krissylou - it is now in my files. And apologies for my mistaken identity of JoyfulLife as being the poster of thread and excellent article! ...


.......God bless - Barb