I wish I knew more about living with bipolar. Of course, we all love someone with bipolar. Is it just me or is bipolar common? If only we could comfort and strengthen families who stand firm in the face of mental health challenges.
Bipolar: Standing Firm with Hope and Comfort
Standing firm. With that in mind, I’m starting the year with a special treat from a dear writing friend. When Yvette sent this out, I immediately asked if I could share it with you, dear ones.(You can find more from Yvette here: Can God heal mental illness?) I think you will love Yvette’s heart as much as I do.
Yvette Walker is a fellow journalist. I met her at a Christian Communicators Conference and instantly recognized her strength and wisdom. No one gets strong and wise by accident, do we? Usually, strength and wisdom follow overcoming the fear and discouragement we all face.
So what was Yvette’s story, I wondered. Especially when I heard the name of her website: Positively Joy.
Today’s Podcast from Yvette
Below is her interview podcast with filmmaker Kyle Roberts. Find the film trailer for his movie, What Rhymes with Reason. I (Cathy) haven’t seen the film but the trailer made me want to.
In their interview, Kyle talks about the startling statistics of youth mental health and suicide.
If, like me, you’re wondering, so what is Yvette’s story, guess what? She shares it below.
Married to Bipolar Disorder
I (Yvette) think back to 20 years ago, when I was married to a wonderful man. I later learned I also was married to his bipolar disorder.
Bipolar disorder, as defined by the Mayo clinic, formerly was called manic depression and is:
“a mental health condition that causes extreme mood swings that include emotional highs (mania or hypomania) and lows (depression). When you become depressed, you may feel sad or hopeless and lose interest or pleasure in most activities. When your mood shifts to mania or hypomania (less extreme than mania), you may feel euphoric, full of energy or unusually irritable. These mood swings can affect sleep, energy, activity, judgment, behavior and the ability to think clearly.
There are two kinds, I and II. The first experiences more of the mania, and the second, more of the depression and fatigue. We were in our late 20s, young, full of hope. We fell in love and got married. I noticed that he was tired. A lot. He told me he had been diagnosed with Epstein-Barr, “chronic fatigue syndrome.” A later diagnosis said it was bipolar II.
Bipolar Approach: Miracles, Not Mistakes
I’ll keep this short: We were married for 13 years until I could no longer stand the hopelessness. We divorced, and he died five years later of a heart attack.
Today I feel the same as I did back then when he asked me if I thought I made a mistake in marrying him. No. I don’t believe in mistakes that we don’t learn from. I don’t believe in coincidences. I believe in God. I also do believe in medical and holistic treatments.
Leaning on God and Community for Hope
The only mistake I think I did make was not leaning on God more during those hard times: the times I’d come home from business trips, wanting to stay away; the times a friend asked me if I was depressed because she heard it in my voice; the times I’d come to the front door, afraid to open it because I never knew what awaited me.
I know one thing: he was a kind, gentle man suffering from a terrible disease, and both of us didn’t drop to our knees enough and pray … NOT to pray away the disorder, but to ask for God to give us peace of mind.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. — Philippians 4:6-7
Joy During Suffering
If I prayed, leaned on God and my faith community, I think I would have known the joy of God during the suffering. I’m not saying I wouldn’t have been sad for my husband, but I know I would have felt a power around us that sustained us for as long as he lived.
Today I pray for everyone struggling with a mental illness, or who loves someone with a mental illness. Yes, seek treatment, but pray Philippians 4:6-7 and let the Lord give you peace.
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Final Thoughts from Cathy
Well, you can see why I couldn’t wait to share Yvette’s story and wisdom with YOU!
If you or someone you love suffers from mental health challenges, for example bipolar disorder, I hope you’ll lean in to the resources God provides. In this blog we’ve interviewed experts on sexual abuse, depression and anxiety, domestic violence, burn out, gut health’s ties to our brain, and many more. Here’s our the Mental Health button below, so you can see the list easily.
Yvette packs her blog with hope, too. Plus, many churches offer support, like Galilee Baptist where Dave and I are members. In East Texas we have Mosaic Counseling, another terrific resource.
Seek out support. You do not have to feel alone and isolated!
I am grateful for YOU! Thank you for joining me today in celebrating my friend!
🙂
cathy
May we pray together?
Dear good Father, we know our physical bodies are in decline on this earth. Well, at least us old folks know it. The day is coming when those who believe in Your Son will rise with new heavenly bodies. Until then, give us compassion and understanding with each other, especially any who suffer with mental health challenges. We look to You for our comfort, hope, and strength. Give us direction about how we can honor You in the new year. Bless us all now because that is Your heart’s desire. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
A Personal Prayer Request
Thank you for your prayers. I have a request this week. God has put it on my heart to provide resources to small churches. I am praying about spending much more of my time in 2024 speaking in small churches, especially in my own neck of the woods. Contact me, if you want to know more about how to:
- cultivate better communication in your church, or
- sponsor resources for small churches to grow in better communication.
We LOVE to Hear From YOU!
What do you find daunting when it comes to mental health? Which ways do you find to comfort yourself and others? Would you be interested in helping us bring communication resources to small churches? If so, keep reading below. ❤️
So Many Resources
Speaking of great resources, Anna and I do tons of fun stuff together. Hit the Conversations with Anna Button for the list. We create tools and resources so you can spark up great conversational adventures.
And, don’t miss our experts. I love getting them on record about the stuff we don’t usually talk about at church!
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Cathy Krafve, host of Fireside Talk Radio and author of The Well: The Art of Drawing Out Authentic Conversations and Marriage Conversation: From Coexisting to Cherished. We welcome your stories, ideas, and questions at CathyKrafve.com.
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