More Than Conquerors

4a. Exercise

Coping Skills for Bipolar Disorder

2009-03-27T16:06:00.004+08:00

Dear Friends,

Thanks for stopping by. Thanks for your prayers and encouragements. Thank God for sustaining and strengthening me daily. I am still experiencing fatigue and tiredness. Looking to our Lord daily and continuing to learn to pace myself. Been doing exercise regularly and cut down on some activities.

I am not able to do active blogging but hope to post some helpful resources that can encourage and help you and my readers. I do missed all of you very much and you are in my thoughts and prayers! Thanks again for your visits and encouragements.

I found a helpful article on Coping Skills for Bipolar Disorder and thought it might be useful to you and some of my readers.

Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in a person's mood, energy, and ability to function. Different from the normal ups and downs that everyone goes through, the symptoms of bipolar disorder are severe. They can result in damaged relationships, poor job or school performance, and even suicide. But there is good news: bipolar disorder can be treated, and people with this illness can lead full and productive lives.

From my personal experiences, I have found that it is important to accept the reality of my condition, to learn to understand the limitations as well as the advantages of it, to learn to manage it and live a productive life, by the grace of God, through all the resources that are available.

I am thankful to God that since my diagnosis, He has provided me with many helps and resources to many my condition and my condition is under better control. He is enabling me to live a meaningful and productive life despite various limitations of my condition. I look forward to each day that I can walk with God and serve Him, and His people.

The following article is taken from the website of Bipolar Focus:

Coping Skills for Bipolar Disorder

Step-by-Step Coping:

Find a good doctor
Become an expert
Manage your illness
mood charting - what it is and why it's helpful
managing medications
a healthy lifestyle helps recovery

Plan for a crisis
Find a community
United States Support Organizations
Online Support Groups and Newsgroups
International Support Organizations

Practical matters - work, school, and federal aid issues
Other Resources - coping with mania, depression, and life with bipolar disorder

When we give lists of symptoms and medications for people with bipolar disorder, the entire thing can seem disarmingly simple. But anyone who has been there knows that there is nothing simple about accepting and living with a chronic illness, and it's just as important to address the emotional and practical issues of bipolar as it is to know the diagnostic criteria and treatment guidelines. Those with other chronic diseases like diabetes, cystic fibrosis, or multiple sclerosis go through a similar process of grieving, accepting, learning, and adapting - and through this, begin healing and recovery.

A helpful outline to guide a healing and recovery journey is described in the acronym TEAR:

T = to accept the reality of loss. There are things that will be different after a diagnosis of bipolar, and it's important to recognize these things rather than denying or hiding them.

E = experience the pain of the loss. You are allowed to grieve what you feel has been lost with the onset of this disease, both from your own life and the lives of others. You are allowed to mourn previous goals and aspirations that must be altered to this new reality.

A = adjust to the new environment without what was lost. Whatever was lost with your diagnosis doesn't constitute the whole of your person. The core of you is still the same, and knowing about your illness now allows you to re-adapt to this new context of life.

R = reinvest in the new reality. Explore, create, engage, and live as the person you are, managing your own life and your illness as part of that life.

Below are some articles and resources that we hope will help you in your own life.

1) Find a good doctor.

Even if you already have your diagnosis, your doctor will be your ally and partner in treatment and recovery. It's important to have a doctor you can speak openly with, who will listen to you as an equal and acknowledge your expertise on your own body, who will offer helpful suggestions and be invested in your recovery. Below are some resources on what to look for in a good psychiatrist and/or health care provider, and how to find one in your area.

The Patient-Doctor Relationship: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly - signs of each kind of relationship, and advice from someone who has experience as a psychiatric health care consumer.
Mental Health Professionals: Who They Are and How to Find One - article provided by NAMI.
Contact your local NAMI chapter or another support group, and ask people in the area who has provided quality care for them in the past. Ask family members, friends, other doctors, and anyone else who has had personal experience who they recommend as health care providers.
A Bipolar Specialist Referral Database - provided and maintained by the Harvard Bipolar Research Program
The Best U.S. Psychiatrists for Mood Disorders - names and contact info compiled (and kept current) by Dr. Ivan Goldberg, a psychiatrist and clinical psychopharmacologist in private practice in New York City.

2) Become an Expert.

Putting a name to what used to be a vague collection of debilitating symptoms puts you in control. Knowing your disease as intimately as you can gives you the tools to manage it effectively, rather than it managing you. It can also make your situation seem much less frightening when you can understand and recognize what is happening in your own body. Here are some resources to get you started.

What Is Mental Illness? - it is not a choice, a weakness, a failing, or a sign of immorality. It is a biological disease based in the brain. This information from the American Psychiatric Association gives an introductory look.
Manic Depressive Disorders and Schizophrenia are Diseases of the Brain - an introduction to the evidence, with references.
Guide to Depression and Bipolar Disorder (PDF) - an easy-to-read pamphlet provided by the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance.
Understanding Bipolar Disorder - a comprehensive, 24-page information booklet provided by NAMI.
What Causes Mood Disorders? - a short, understandable explanation of the brain chemistry that underlies mood disorders.
Excellent books - a list of essential reading about bipolar disorder and mental illness [coming soon].

3) Manage your Illness - mood charting and meds.

One of the best coping strategies, suggested by professionals and patients alike, is using a mood chart to track your own episodes and symptoms. A mood chart can be a preventative tool to help identify early warning signs for relapse, a record for physicians and family to help assess the efficacy of different medications and treatments, and a therapeutic tool to organize a person's daily routine and improve awareness of the illness.

The simplest method of mood charting is rating your mood (at the same time each day) on a scale of 1-10, with one being very depressed and ten being absolutely elated. A good place to keep a record is on a wall calendar or in a daily diary. Other methods involve more elaborate charts, and a more detailed rating scale (see the links below). Some people work better with graphs, others with numbers, others with writing lists of words or paragraphs to describe their feelings. The overall goal of the charts is to have a reliable and consistent record of how greatly your moods flucuate over a period of time, so develop the method that is easiest for you to achieve this goal.

Mood charting resources:
The Mood Diary - gives an explanation of how to use the mood chart, and has a blank and a completed example available for downloading (pdf files).
A Mood Chart System - a patient describes how he developed a personal system that worked for him, including examples.

Mood Charting for Children - the Child & Adolescent Bipolar Foundation provides examples and resources for charting your child's moods, and eventually helping him/her to track it themselves.

Another excellent coping strategy is learning how to manage your medications effectively. The first thing to do is know about what you are taking - ask your psychiatrist what symptoms your medication is treating, how long it might take to work, how much and how often you should take it, what you should do if you miss a dose, what side effects you might have and what you can do about them, and anything else that is on your mind. Keep track of your own medication information - names, dosages, how it makes you feel, what symptoms it makes better or worse - in a journal or diary. Having this information will help both you and your doctor find the medication regimen that works the best for you, and allow you to adjust it effectively as needed.

It can be an extremely frustrating trial-and-error process to finally find a medication that works for you. Please be patient and give the medications adequate time to do their job. Most people won't feel better right away - it can take four to six weeks for a drug to get into your system and start noticeably helping. In the meantime, you can help yourself by trying some of the suggestions on this page, or finding a support group to help you through difficult times. By all means work with your psychiatrist to switch medications if you are unhappy with your current one; however, try to be realistic about what medications can and can't do, and consider the relative benefits of staying on one versus trying to adjust to a brand-new one.

Simplify your medications as much as possible by putting them in separated daily pill boxes (you can purchase pill organizers with seven separate compartments, one for each day of the week), taking them at the same time each day, or taking them with a daily vitamin pill or something else that you do religiously. If you have a lot of trouble remembering, ask family members/roommates to help, or ask your doctor about the possibility of switching to long-acting injectable medications instead of pills.

Help your medication do their job by keeping healthy habits in your daily life.

A reliable sleep routine is especially important for people with mood disorders - research shows that not getting enough sleep can bring on a manic episode.
Making sure you get all your daily nutrients and vitamins - especially omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to help relieve the symptoms of psychiatric disorders - will keep you feeling better and more stable.
Daily exercise will help your mood during a depression, will add structure to your day to help avoid mania, and will keep you looking and feeling better and healthier.
More resources:
Download Healthy Lifestyles (pdf file) - a brochure provided by the National Depressive and Manic-Depressive Association
Bipolar Disorder Self Care - information on eating/sleeping/exercise habits, getting adequate nutrition, reducing stress, and avoiding relapse
A Healthy Lifestyle Approach - tips and info from the Organization for Bipolar Affective Disorders Society (Canada)

4) Plan For a Crisis

Your mood charts (see above) will help you recognize what particular symptoms or behaviors tend to precede a manic or a depressive episode. Having a plan ready for relapse situations will help you get the care you need, and make sure other practical matters are taken care of, even if you are in a place where you can't effectively make decisions. One of the most difficult aspects of bipolar to deal with is the seductiveness of mania - many people don't seek help during a manic episode because they are feeling on top of the world. However, even though they can't recognize it, they still present a danger to themselves or others via reckless acts, excessive spending, uncontrollable behavior, etc.

You can take some precautionary steps while you are stable to help get through a crisis situation as smoothly as possible. Put the following information (along with anything else that might be helpful) into a "crisis plan" folder, and distribute it to your doctor, your family members, and other trusted people who can help you.

Make a list of people you trust (close family members, friends in the area, etc) who know about your disease and are willing to help you. Have their names and phone numbers together on a "crisis alert list"
List the names and contact info of your psychiatrist, general practitioner, case worker, or any other professional that helps you manage your illness.
Write out the particular signs that indicate a manic or a depressive episode, to help others recognize when you need help. (See some of the early warning signs compiled by bipolarsurvivor.com to use as a guide in making your list).
Make another list of all your medications, what dose you take, and what side effects you experience. Note any medications you are allergic to or do not want to take under whatever circumstances.
Leave directions for the care of your house, your pets, your plants, etc., in case you are hospitalized.
Write down your insurance plan information
Leave the names and numbers of family members and/or employers that need to be contacted in case of an emergency or an extended hospital stay.
Leave any detailed instructions of what kind of care you do and do not want to recieve if you are unable to make your own decisions (the legal document for this is called a psychiatric advanced directive).

5) Find a Community

Having a supportive community is important for anyone, but particularly for someone dealing with a chronic illness. A support group of friends and peers can relate to what you go through like no one else can, offer support or a sympathetic ear, and give practical advice and solutions for difficulties as they come up. For the times when you are not feeling particularly social, an online discussion group or chatroom is a great option to keep yourself connected with others.

National U.S. support groups for people who have mood disorders:

Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance - a comprehensive website w/ information, resources, advocacy materials, and a database of local chapters
National Alliance for the Mentally Ill - free education programs and support groups in every state for patients and family members
Children and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation - a comprehensive database with support orgs/chapters for every U.S. state. Also has online chatrooms and discussion boards
Locate Regional Mental Health Services and Support Groups with a national database provided by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Online Support Community:

Bipolar Focus On-line Discussion Boards and Community

International Support Organizations:

Manic Depression Fellowship - U.K. based support and services organization
International Society for Bipolar Disorders - requires a membership fee to join, but has some info available for free as well
Mood Disorders Associaton of Manitoba, Canada
Balance: New Zealand Manic Depressive Network
Dutch Association for Manic-Depressives (Netherlands) - site in Dutch only
Fundacion de Bipolares de Argentina (FUBIPA) - Spanish support organization and website w/ thirteen regional groups in Argentina
German Society for Bipolar Disorder - site in German only

6) Practical Matters - work, school, and federal aid issues:

How does a mental illness affect the way I function at scho ol?
Documenting your disability for an educational institution - recieve the resources and support you are entitled to
Disclosing your Disability to an Employer - this is a personal choice and NOT required by law. This article outlines the pros and cons of both options.
Handling your Psychiatric Disability at Work and School - lots of articles and links from the Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation in Boston.
What is Supplemental Security Income (SSI)?
FAQs, advices, and articles about disability benefits - lots of information for most every situation.

7) Other Resources - coping with mania, depression, and life with bipolar disorder:

Dealing Effectively with Manic-Depression (pdf) - an excellent pamphlet for patients from the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance.
How to avoid a manic episode
10 things to remember when you are manic
10 things to remember when you are depressed
Should I take therapy or pills? - thoughts from someone with manic-depression
Ideas for coping - advice from someone with manic-depression
Myths about mental illness - good things for anyone to know, and occasionally remind themselves of.

Take care and hope you have a great weekend!

My friend took this lovely picture at Saipan. This is one of my favourite verse:

Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning;
for in thee do I trust:
Psalm 143:8

Depression and the Christian

My Coping Strategies:

4a. Exercise

My grace is sufficient for thee

2009-03-13T09:59:00.001+08:00

Dear Friends,

Thanks again for all your visits, prayers and encouragements.

My condition fluctuates recently and I am still learning to look to our Lord Jesus Christ for grace and strength daily, and learning to pace myself moderately.

Thank you very much for all your kind words. They really touched my heart and assured me of God's love and presence through all of you. May God bless you abundantly!

My apology that I am not able to return to active blogging yet. But I do miss all of you very much and you are in my prayers. Will try to visit you soon!

This morning I re-read one of CH Spurgeons' devotional from his Morning and Evening on 4th March, and the Lord encouraged me to continue to trust in His all-sufficient grace.

“My grace is sufficient for thee.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

IF none of God’s saints were poor and tried, we should not know half so well the consolations of divine grace.

When we find the wanderer who has not where to lay his head, who yet can say, “Still will I trust in the Lord;” when we see the pauper starving on bread and water, who still glories in Jesus; when we see the bereaved widow overwhelmed in affliction, and yet having faith in Christ, oh, what honor it reflects on the gospel!

God’s grace is illustrated and magnified in the poverty and trials of believers.

Saints bear up under every discouragement, believing that all things work together for their good, and that out of apparent evils a real blessing shall ultimately spring—that their God will either work a deliverance for them speedily, or most assuredly support them in the trouble, as long as He is pleased to keep them in it.

This patience of the saints proves the power of divine grace. There is a lighthouse out at sea: it is a calm night—I cannot tell whether the edifice is firm; the tempest must rage about it, and then I shall know whether it will stand.

So with the Spirit’s work: if it were not on many occasions surrounded with tempestuous waters, we should not know that it was true and strong; if the winds did not blow upon it, we should not know how firm and secure it was.

The master-works of God are those men who stand in the midst of difficulties, stedfast, unmoveable,—

“Calm 'mid the bewildering cry,
Confident of victory.”

He who would glorify his God must set his account upon meeting with many trials. No man can be illustrious before the Lord unless his conflicts be many.

If, then, yours be a much-tried path, rejoice in it, because you will the better show forth the all-sufficient grace of God.

As for His failing you, never dream of it—hate the thought.

The God who has been sufficient until now should be trusted to the end.

Taken from CH Spurgeon's Morning and Evening, 4 March, Morning

Thanks again for stopping by. May God grant you a very blessed day and weekend. Take care!

(My brother took this photo at Muriwai Beach, New Zealand)

God is our refuge and strength

2009-02-27T15:03:00.001+08:00

Dear Friends,

Thanks for stopping by, and all your prayers and encouragements!

Thank God for strengthening me. I am feeling better but still trying to pace myself moderately. I do missed all of you very much. Thanks for all your encouragements.

This morning, I was reading CH Spurgeon's Morning and Evening as part of my morning devotion, and very much encouraged by it.

Thank God that He is our refuge and strength, and we may rest in Him daily no matter what we may go through in this world. He is unchangeable!

May God encourage you with this article and you may find rest in Him daily too.

Take care and have a great weekend!

“Thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation.”
Psalm 91:9

THE Israelites in the wilderness were continually exposed to change.

Whenever the pillar stayed its motion, the tents were pitched; but to-morrow, ere the morning sun had risen, the trumpet sounded, the ark was in motion, and the fiery, cloudy pillar was leading the way through the narrow defiles of the mountain, up the hillside, or along the arid waste of the wilderness.

They had scarcely time to rest a little before they heard the sound of “Away! this is not your rest; you must still be onward journeying towards Canaan!” They were never long in one place. Even wells and palm trees could not detain them. Yet they had an abiding home in their God, His cloudy pillar was their roof-tree, and its flame by night their household fire.

They must go onward from place to place, continually changing, never having time to settle, and to say, “Now we are secure; in this place we shall dwell.” “Yet,” says Moses, “though we are always changing, Lord, thou hast been our dwelling-place throughout all generations.”

The Christian knows no change with regard to God. He may be rich to-day and poor to-morrow; he may be sickly to-day and well to-morrow; he may be in happiness to-day, to-morrow he may be distressed—but there is no change with regard to his relationship to God.

If He loved me yesterday, He loves me to-day. My unmoving mansion of rest is my blessed Lord.

Let prospects be blighted; let hopes be blasted; let joy be withered; let mildews destroy everything; I have lost nothing of what I have in God. He is “my strong habitation whereunto I can continually resort.”

I am a pilgrim in the world, but at home in my God. In the earth I wander, but in God I dwell in a quiet habitation.

Taken from CH Spurgeon's Morning and Evening, 27 Feb, Morning

(My brother took this photo at Muriwai Beach, New Zealand)

In loving memory of my beloved friend

2009-02-11T06:54:00.000+08:00

My beloved friend and sister-in-Christ, Madam Chan, born AD 1916, returned to be with Christ Jesus her Lord on 6 February 2009, AD at the age of 93.

"For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:" Job 19:25-26

Dear Friends,

Thanks for stopping by my combined Word-Filled Wednesday and Thankful Thursday.

Thanks for your comments, prayers and encouragements.

Sorry for my long silence. Sorry that I have not been able to visit most of you.

My health has not been good in the recent weeks and I was rather overwhelmed by various commitments at home and in church. I am compelled to slow down and rest whenever I can.

I do miss blogging and many of you. Thanks for stopping by. I will try my best to catch up with you as soon as I can!

I am thankful to God for giving me grace and strength daily.

I am thankful to God that my beloved friend and sister-in-Christ, Madam Chan, is now safe in the arm of Jesus. Our dear Lord called home this precious servant of His on Friday, 6 February 2009. Now she is in the presence of the One Who loved her and gave His life for her, to worship Him and enjoy His love and fellowship for all eternity without the hindrance of sin, sickness or sufferings.

I shared about a wonderful reunion with her recently after 10 years interval. Madam Chan is 93 years old and came to know the Lord more than 10 years ago and I was then given the privilege to minister to her. Thank God that she was baptised recently on 7 December 2008.

On the day of her baptism, she said that was the happiest day of her life. She was thrilled and overjoyed to become a part of the Church of Christ. She daily began to pray for her brothers and sisters-in-Christ in the church many of whom she has never met. Being bed-ridden due to her health, she was never able to go to church. But her love for the Lord and His people remain the same.

It is a comfort to be reminded that this is not our home. We too are pilgrims here sojourning for a season and travelling towards the celestial city. One day, we shall be with our Lord Who loved us and gave His life for us, to worship and enjoy His love and fellowship without hindrance.

Meanwhile, we must press on and run the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, seeking, loving and serving our Lord until He calls us home in His time.

Thanks again for stopping by. May God grant you a very blessed week. Take care.

or more Word-Filled Wednesday participants, do visit Amy.

For more participants of Thankful Thursday, do visit Iris.

Before they call, I will answer (Isaiah 65:24)

2009-01-06T16:06:00.003+08:00

(I took this picture near my house during a brisk-walk session)

Dear Friends,

A very blessed and joyous new year to you!

Thanks for stopping by my combined Word-Filled Wednesday and Thankful Thursday post. This post was originally posted on Monday.

♥ Thank God for seeing us through another year of walking with Him and serving Him. May God grant us a closer walk with Him and a deeper love and devotion to Him.

♥ Thank God for granting me a very refreshing and fruitful weekend and Lord's day of worship, fellowship and service. Trust you too have had a very blessed and restful weekend!

♥ Thank God for preserving and restoring the health of Madam Chan. I shared about a wonderful reunion with her recently after 10 years interval. Madam Chan is 92 years old and came to know the Lord more than 10 years ago and I was then given the privilege to minister to her. Thank God that she was baptised recently on 7 December 2008.

Madam Chan was very sick last week and I thought the Lord might take her home. Thank God for restoring her health and she is better now. She is continuing to trust in the Lord and waiting upon Him to call her home to Himself. She is full of thanfkulness to our Lord despite her bodily afflictions. She is a wonderful encouragement to me and my brethren.

♥ Thank God for providing my family, church brethren and blogging friends who continue to care and encourage me in many ways.

♥ Thank God He knows our every need and will provide for us. A friend and brother-in-Christ send me this very very encouraging story of God knowing our needs and providing for us even before we ask Him. May this encouraging story encourages our heart in this new year as we walk with our Lord Jesus Christ and serve Him, trusting in His love and mercies that He will provide for all our needs spiritually and physically.

Isaiah 65:24 "Before they call, I will answer"

This story was written by a doctor who worked in South Africa

One night I had worked hard to help a mother in the labor ward; but in spite of all we could do, she died leaving us with a tiny premature baby and a crying two-year-old daughter. We would have difficulty keeping the baby alive, as we had no incubator (we had no electricity to run an incubator).

We also had no special feeding facilities. Although we lived on the equator, nights were often chilly with treacherous drafts. One student midwife went for the box we had for such babies and the cotton wool that the baby would be wrapped in.

Another went to stoke up the fire and fill a hot water bottle. She came back shortly in distress to tell me that in filling the bottle, it had burst (rubber perishes easily in tropical climates). "And it is our last hot water bottle!" she exclaimed. As in the West, it is no good crying over spilled milk so in Central Africa it might be considered no good crying over burst water bottles They do not grow on trees, and there are no drugstores down forest pathways.

"All right," I said, "put the baby as near the fire as you safely can, and sleep between the baby and the door to keep it free from drafts. Your job is to keep the baby warm."

The following noon, as I did most days, I went to have prayers with any of the orphanage children who chose to gather with me. I gave the youngsters various suggestions of things to pray about and told them about the tiny baby. I explained our problem about keeping the baby warm enough, mentioning the hot water bottle, and that the baby could so easily die if it got chills. I also told them of the two-year-old sister, crying because her mother had died

During prayer time, one ten-year old girl, Ruth, prayed with the usual blunt conciseness of our African children. "Please, God" she prayed, "send us a water bottle. It'll be no good tomorrow, God, as the baby will be dead, so please send it this afternoon."

While I gasped inwardly at the audacity of the prayer, she added, "And while You are about it, would You please send a dolly for the little girl so she'll know You really love her?"

As often with children's prayers, I was put on the spot. Could I honestly say,"Amen". I just did not believe that God could do this. Oh, yes, I know that He can do everything, the Bible says so. But there are limits, aren't there? The only way God could answer this particular prayer would be by sending me a parcel from homeland. I had been in Africa for almost four years at that time, and I had never, ever received a parcel from home. Anyway, if anyone did send me a parcel, who would put in a hot water bottle? I lived on the equator!

Halfway through the afternoon, while I was teaching in the nurses' training school, a message was sent that there was a car at my front door.

By the time I reached home, the car had gone, but there, on the veranda, was a large twenty-two pound parcel. I felt tears pricking my eyes. I could not open the parcel alone, so I sent for the orphanage children.

Together we pulled off the string, carefully undoing each knot. We folded the paper, taking care not to tear it unduly. Excitement was mounting. Some thirty or forty pairs of eyes were focused on the large cardboard box. From the top, I lifted out brightly colored, knitted jerseys. Eyes sparkled as I gave them out. Then there were the knitted bandages for the leprosy patients, and the children looked a little bored. Then came a box of mixed raisins and sultanas - that would make a batch of buns for the weekend Then, as I put my hand in again, I felt the.....could it really be? I grasped it and pulled it out - yes, a brand-new, rubber hot water bottle. I cried. I had not asked God to send it; I had not truly believed that He could. Ruth was in the front row of the children. She rushed forward, crying out, "If God has sent the bottle, He must have sent the dolly too!"

Rummaging down to the bottom of the box, she pulled out the small, beautifully dressed dolly. Her eyes shone! She had never doubted!

Looking up at me, she asked: "Can I go over with you and give this dolly to that little girl, so she'll know that Jesus really loves her?"

That parcel had been on the way for five whole months. Packed up by my former Sunday school class, whose leader had heard and obeyed God's prompting to send a hot water bottle, even to the equator. And one of the girls had put in a dolly for an African child - five months before, in answer to the believing prayer of a ten-year-old to bring it "that afternoon."

"Before they call, I will answer" (Isaiah 65:24)

(My friend, AR, took this picture at Changi Airport, Singapore)

Thanks for stopping by. Take care and have a great week ahead!

For more Word-Filled Wednesday participants, do visit Amy.

For more participants of Thankful Thursday, do visit Iris.

Where the will of God leads us, the grace of God will keep us

2009-01-02T13:45:00.000+08:00

“We will be glad and rejoice in Thee. Song of Solomon 1:4”

Dear Friends,

Thanks for stopping by.

A very blessed and joyous New Year to you!

Thank God for seeing us through another week and another year.

♥ I thank God for His mercies and faithfulness through another year of walking with Him and serving Him.

♥ I thank God for providing for my every need through the year. It's been more than a year since I do freelance work due to my health limitations. I am thankful to testify that God has provided for my every need in His many wonderful ways. Truly, the Lord is my Shepherd and I shall not want (lack) - Psalm 23:1.

♥ I am thankful to God for providing precious people in my life ie. my family, church, friends and blogging friends who love and care for me in their very wonderful ways. These are tokens of God's love for me and I treasure very much.

♥ It's been almost a year since I started blogging. I am very thankful to God for the many blessings I have received through blogging.
- I am thankful that I can share and testify of God's goodness and mercies to me through this blog
- I am thankful to God that I can share the resources I have found useful in coping with bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness) with my readers on this blog
- I am thankful to God once again for all of you, my dear blogging friends and visitors. I have been so greatly blessed by all of you and I thank God upon every remembrance of you. It is wonderful to read of how God is guiding and blessing you in your walk with our Lord and it encourages me in my walk with God too. Thanks again for your prayers and encouragements.

♥ Thank God for the joy of knowing Him, trusting Him and serving Him. May these words of CH Spurgeon be our hearts prayer too:

"Since, O sweet Lord Jesus, Thou art the present portion of Thy people, favor us this year with such a sense of Thy preciousness, that from its first to its last day, we may be glad and rejoice in Thee.

Let January open with joy in the Lord, and December close with gladness in Jesus."

May God continue to bless you with His love, mercies and blessings in many wonderful ways in this New Year.

May you continue to know His love and all-sufficient grace through this year.

May the assurance of God's love and mercies strengthen our heart to continue to walk with Him and serve Him despite whatever uncertainties or turmoil we see in the world today or in future. For we are assured that we are More Than Conquerors through Him Who loved us!

Where the will of God lead you, the grace of God will keep you.

"I have been young, and now am old;
yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken,
nor his seed begging bread."
Psalm 37:25

For more participants of Thankful Thursday, do visit Iris.

Praising God for guiding us through another year

2008-12-28T19:32:00.001+08:00

"From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD's name is to be praised. Psalm 113:3"

Dear Friends,

Thanks for stopping by! Thanks for all your prayers and encouragements.

Thank and praise God for seeing us through another year. Soon 2008 will come to an end and we will enter into year 2009.

This morning, during the morning worship in my church, we were reminded to be thankful to God for His mercies and faithfulness daily.

I am thankful to God for all His goodness to me throughout the year. I am experiencing His love and mercies in many wonderful ways.

Though the world is going through a financial crisis and there are unrest at various places, thank God that He is our refuge and strength. Thank God that He gives us peace that passeth all understanding in Christ Jesus our Lord and He is able to provide for all our needs.

May God continue to give us peace and joy in trusting in Him. May He continue to draw us nearer to Himself, make us useful in His kingdom and make us lights that shine for Him.

Last evening, I was reading Spurgeon's Evening 27 December, and greatly encouraged by this precious reminder that our Lord will guide us continually. May you find comfort and encouragement in this article too.

“And the Lord shall guide thee continually.”
Isaiah 58:11

“The Lord shall guide thee.” Not an angel, but Jehovah shall guide thee. He said he would not go through the wilderness before his people, an angel should go before them to lead them in the way; but Moses said, “If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.”

Christian, God has not left you in your earthly pilgrimage to an angel’s guidance: he himself leads the van. You may not see the cloudy, fiery pillar, but Jehovah will never forsake you.

Notice the word shall—“The Lord shall guide thee.” How certain this makes it! How sure it is that God will not forsake us! His precious “shalls” and “wills” are better than men’s oaths. “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

Then observe the adverb continually. We are not merely to be guided sometimes, but we are to have a perpetual monitor; not occasionally to be left to our own understanding, and so to wander, but we are continually to hear the guiding voice of the Great Shepherd; and if we follow close at his heels, we shall not err, but be led by a right way to a city to dwell in.

If you have to change your position in life; if you have to emigrate to distant shores; if it should happen that you are cast into poverty, or uplifted suddenly into a more responsible position than the one you now occupy; if you are thrown among strangers, or cast among foes, yet tremble not, for “the Lord shall guide thee continually.”

There are no dilemmas out of which you shall not be delivered if you live near to God, and your heart be kept warm with holy love.

He goes not amiss who goes in the company of God. Like Enoch, walk with God, and you cannot mistake your road.

You have infallible wisdom to direct you, immutable love to comfort you, and eternal power to defend you. “Jehovah”—mark the word—“Jehovah shall guide thee continually.”

(Taken from Spurgeon's Morning and Evening, Evening 27 December.)

Thanks again for stopping by. May God grant you a very blessed New Year!

Take care.

Word-Filled Wednesday : God is our refuge and strength

2008-12-24T09:23:00.001+08:00

This picture is taken by my brother, Arthur, at Muriwai Beach, New Zealand.

Psalm 46
1. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
2. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
3. Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.

It's been quite sometime since I last participated in Word-Filled Wednesday. I do miss all the encouraging WFW friends and posts.

Today I am thankful to be reminded that God is our refuge and strength. Thank God that He loves us and He is with us always.

May God continue to bless you with His love and mercies today and every day :)

For more Word-Filled Wednesday participants, do visit Amy.

Thanks for stopping by. Take care!

CH Spurgeon's sermon "Beloved and yet afflicted"

2008-12-20T19:20:00.001+08:00

When I was very ill with bad and persistent asthmatic attacks some 6 years back (which led to a hospitalization and many Emergency treatments), I took 2 months no-pay leave to recuperate at home and sought appropriate medical help. I am still on long term medication and thank God that my condition has stabilised and I do not get asthmatic attacks anymore nowadays.

During those times, there were many Lord's day when I could not go to church due to asthmatic attacks. God in His mercies ministered much grace to me through His Words, Christian books and articles. I was greatly encouraged by many sermons and article I read that I designed a simple website Believers' Encouragement to put up these to share with other fellow Christians.

One of CH Spurgeon's sermon which the Lord used to encourage me and comfort me was entitled "Beloved, and yet afflicted". This comforting sermon reminded me that as God's beloved people, God sometimes allow us to go through time of sickness for His glory, our good and the good of His Church.

This sermon is continuing to encourage me as I seek to walk with our Lord daily and glorify Him despite chronic illnesses.

Hope this sermon will encourage you too. If you are experiencing chronic illness or going through very severe trials, know that our Lord is near to you and He has His purposes in allowing providence to be so. He can work a way for you and enable you to glorify Him. All things will work together for your good if you are one of those who loved God and are called according to His eternal purposes (Romans 8:28).

Beloved and yet afflicted. By CH Spurgeon
"Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick" (John 11:3)
That disciple whom Jesus loved is not at all backward to record that Jesus loved Lazarus too: there are no jealousies among those who are chosen by the Well-beloved. Jesus loved Mary, and Martha, and Lazarus: it is a happy thing where a whole family live in the love of Jesus. They were a favoured trio, and yet, as the serpent came into Paradise, so did sorrow enter their quiet household at Bethany. Lazarus was sick. They all felt that if Jesus were there disease would flee at his presence; what then should they do but let him know of their trial? Lazarus was near to death’s door, and so his tender sisters at once reported the fact to Jesus, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.” Many a time since then has that same message been sent to our Lord, for in full many a case he has chosen his people in the furnace of affliction. Of the Master it is said, “himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses,” and it is, therefore, no extraordinary thing for the members to be in this matter conformed to their Head.
.....We need not be astonished that the man whom the Lord loves is sick, for he is only a man. The love of Jesus does not separate us from the common necessities and infirmities of human life. Men of God are still men. The covenant of grace is not a charter of exemption from consumption, or rheumatism, or asthma. The bodily ills, which come upon us because of our flesh, will attend us to the tomb, for Paul saith, “we that are in this body do groan.”
.... Oftentimes this sickness of the Lord’s loved ones is for the good of others. Lazarus was permitted to be sick and to die, that by his death and resurrection the apostles might be benefitted. His sickness was “for the glory of God.” Throughout these nineteen hundred years which have succeeded Lazarus’ sickness all believers have been getting good out of it, and this afternoon we are all the better because he languished and died. The church and the world may derive immense advantage through the sorrows of good men: the ungodly may be awakened, the doubting may be convinced, the ungodly may be converted, the mourner may be comforted through our testimony in sickness; and if so, would we wish to avoid pain and weakness? Are we not quite willing that our friends should say of us also “Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick”?
....Jesus knows all about us, but it is a great relief to pour out our hearts before him. When John the Baptist’s broken-hearted disciples saw their leader beheaded, “they took up the body, and went and told Jesus.” They could not have done better. In all trouble send a message to Jesus, and do not keep your misery to yourself. In his case there is no need of reserve, there is no fear of his treating you with cold pride, or heartless indifference, or cruel treachery. He is a confident who never can betray us, a friend who never will refuse us.
.... Remember, too, that Jesus may give healing. It would not be wise to live by a supposed faith, and cast off the physician and his medicines, any more than to discharge the butcher, and the tailor, and expect to be fed and clothed by faith; but this would be far better than forgetting the Lord altogether, and trusting to man only. Healing for both body and soul must be sought from God. We make use of medicines, but these can do nothing apart from the Lord, “who healeth all our diseases.” We may tell Jesus about our aches and pains, and gradual declining, and hacking coughs. Some persons are afraid to go to God about their health: they pray for the pardon of sin, but dare not ask the Lord to remove a headache: and, yet, surely, if the hairs outside our head are all numbered by God it is not much more of a condescension for him to relieve throbs and pressures inside the head. Our big things must be very little to the great God, and our little things cannot be much less. It is a proof of the greatness of the mind of God that while ruling the heavens and the earth, he is not so absorbed by these great concerns as to be forgetful of the least pain or want of any one of his poor children. We may go to him about our failing breath, for he first gave us lungs and life. We may tell him about the eye which grows dim, and the ear which loses hearing, for he made them both. We may mention the swollen knee, and the gathering finger, the stiff neck, and the sprained foot, for he made all these our members, redeemed them all, and will raise them all from the grave. Go at once, and say, “Lord, behold he whom thou lovest is sick.”.... Read full article....

May God bless you with His love and mercies in many wonderful ways every day :)

Thank you for stopping by. Take care and may God grant you a very blessed weekend!

Thankful Thursday : Thank God for His mercies and faithfulness

2008-12-18T10:35:00.002+08:00

Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens;
and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.
Psalm 36:5

Dear Friends,

Thanks for stopping by. Thank God for seeing us through another week.

♥ I thank God for His mercies and faithfulness daily. Thank God for continuing to strengthen me as I wait upon Him. Thanks for all your prayers and encouragements.

♥ I thank God for bringing me back into contact with an elderly lady, Madam Chan, whom I ministered to some 10 years ago. Madam Chan is already 92 years old this year. She loves the Lord and have been rather ill all of her life. She is wheel chair bound and house bound.

♥ I thank God that when Madam Chan first came to know our Lord 10 years back at the age of 82 years old, I had the privilege of being used by God to share His Words with her. Due to a change in providence, I lost contact with her. Thank God that recently, in His mercies, He brought me back into contact with her.

♥ I am thankful to God that Mdm Chan still recognizes me and remember my name after such a long interval! See my joyful face in the photo below and you can imagine what a great joy it was for me to be reunited with her :-)

She looked very haggard in this photo as she had a fall some 3 weeks back and was in great pain. She became bed-ridden and could hardly eat. So she has lost a lot of weight.

♥ I am thankful to God for preserving Mdm Chan's faith in Him. For the last 10 years she has practically no contact with any Christian except her son-in-law. But when I met up with her recently, she said every day she prays and thanks our Heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus Christ for shedding His blood to wash away her sins. She said she is a sinner and very thankful to God for taking care of her! I was greatly encouraged to see how the Lord has preserved her and kept her close to Him despite the difficult and lonely life she has led.

♥ I am thankful to God that Madam Chan desires baptism and she was baptised recently on 7 December 2008. She was able to testify of her faith in our Lord Jesus Christ in her own simple way. She expressed gratefulness to God that she can be baptised and belong to the Church of Jesus Christ. Her childlike faith is a great testimony to me and to my church brethren of what God is able to do in His beloved people's heart.

Madam Chan's baptism

♥ I am thankful to God for strengthening Madam Chan. Her health has improved shortly before her baptism and thereafter. Prior to that, for about 1 month she has been bed-ridden and not able to eat much. But now she is able to eat some solid food again! Thank God! So you can see in the picture above that at the time of her baptism her face is more fleshy. She is generally stronger and more cheerful. Now I visit her about once a week to minister to her whenever my health permist. She is able to sit up for a few hours now whenever I visit her.

♥ I am thankful to God for giving me the joy and privilege of seeing His wonderful work of grace in Madam Chan's heart. It is my regret that for the last 10 years I have lost contact with her. I am thankful that now God is enabling me to see once again His great work of grace in her soul, and give me the privilege to contribute a little in sharing His love and grace to her.

♥ I am thankful to God for providing precious people in my life ie. my family, church, friends and blogging friends who love and care for me in their very wonderful ways. These are tokens of God's love for me and I treasure very much.

♥ I am thankful to God once again for all of you, my dear blogging friends and visitors. I have been so greatly blessed by all of you and I thank God upon every remembrance of you. It is wonderful to read of how God is guiding and blessing you in your walk with our Lord and it encourages me in my walk with God too. Thanks again for your prayers and encouragements.

May God continue to bless you with His love and mercies in many wonderful ways every day :)

For more participants of Thankful Thursday, do visit Iris.

Thank you for stopping by. Take care and may God continue to bless you through this week!

Recent Posts:

Thankful Thursday : Free Calendars 2009 and Bookmarks

Out of the Depths - Psalm 130

God is our refuge and strength - Psalm 46

How to recover from Clinical Depression

Causes of Clinical Depression

Free Calendars 2009 and Bookmarks

2008-12-13T12:57:00.001+08:00

Dear Friends,

Thanks for stopping by. Thanks for all your prayers and encouragements.

Thank God for seeing us through another week.

♥ I have missed posting on Thankful Thursday for many weeks as I have been unwell and have to cut down the amount of time I spend on blogging and visiting. Thanks to all of you who have visited and encouraged me. Thank God I am better. I am looking to our faithful God daily. I do remember you in my prayers.

♥ I am thankful to God that I can serve Him through making some simple gifts with Bible verses. I have a small Homemade Gifts business. I am selling some Calendars 2009, Bookmarks and Cards with Bible verses. Do let me know if you are interested to purchase these gifts for yourself, your family or friends. And please do not hesitate to pass the words around and let your friends know about it too.

Homemade Calendars 2009 with Bible verses

Homemade Bookmarks with Bible verses and General Wordings

Homemade Cards with Bible verses

♥ FREE templates for Calendars with Bible verses and Bookmarks with Bible verses to share with you!

As the postage is rather high to post to some of you, I like to share some Free templates for Calendars with Bible verses and Bookmarks with Bible verses with you. You can make these small gifts for yourself, your loved ones, family and friends. You can also make them and sell them, if you wish to :-) My Free Homemade Crafts and Gifts website is at http://homemadecraftsandgifts.blogspot.com/.

I have the following 3 Free items to share with you.

1) Free Instructions of how to make a simple Homemade Hanging Calendar for 2009 with Bible verses

2) Free Instructions of how to make a simple Calendar Planner for 2009 with Bible verses

3) Free Instructions of how to make a simple Bookmarks with Bible verses

For more Free Bookmarks and Calendars, visit my Homemade Crafts and Gifts website.

Thank God that I can have the joy of serving Him in little ways like these. Hope you enjoy making them too.

♥ I am thankful to God for providing precious people in my life ie. my family, church, friends and blogging friends who love and care for me in their very wonderful ways. These are tokens of God's love for me and I treasure very much.

♥ I am thankful to God once again for all of you, my dear blogging friends and visitors. I have been so greatly blessed by all of you and I thank God upon every remembrance of you. It is wonderful to read of how God is guiding and blessing you in your walk with our Lord and it encourages me in my walk with God too. Thanks again for your prayers and encouragements.

May God continue to bless you with His love and mercies in many wonderful ways every day :)

For more participants of Thankful Thursday, do visit Iris.

Thank you for stopping by. Take care and may God continue to bless you through this week!

Recent Posts:

How to recover from depression - some helpful tips

2008-12-09T09:36:00.001+08:00

Dear Friends,

Thank you for stopping by. Thanks again for your prayers and encouragements.

Thank God for strengthening me day by day. I am feeling better and continuing to look to our Lord daily.

Recently, I shared about a very informative article by Dr David P Murray on "The causes of depression". Dr David P Murray did a series of 6 very useful and informative Lectures on "Depression and the Christian".

Another very useful and informative article by Dr David P Murray is his Lecture No. 4 on "The cures for depression".

Just as there is a spectrum of causes that can trigger off clinical depression, there is also a spectrum of means that can aid in recovery.

Recovery may also means different things to different people.

To some people, recovery means that they are totally free from relapses.

While for others, recovery can mean that they are more functional and able to revert to their activities for daily life at a moderate pace. Though symptoms may still appear every now and then, they are learning to manage their condition through various means and are no longer incapacitated by their conditions. I fall under the later group.

The following article provides us with some very helpful information on how we can work towards wellness and be more functional. However, different things may work at different rate and degrees for different individual due to our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual condition as well as our circumstances. Feeling well may be momentous but getting well takes time and effort, with much prayer and perseverance.

Hope you will find the following article helpful to your or your loved ones:

(These series of 6 messages on "Depression and the Christian" are also available on .pdf, .mp3 and video formats which can be downloaded from the website of Sermon Audio )

DEPRESSION AND THE CHRISTIAN

BY DR. DAVID P MURRAY

(5) THE CURES

In our last lecture we looked at some of the causes of depression. Now we will look at some of the cures. However, before we do so, we must ask the depressed person a vital question, “Do you want to be made whole?” This was the question Jesus asked of the lame man at the pool of Bethesda (Jn.5:6).

At first glance it may seem like a silly question. Surely every sick person wants to be made whole! However, Christ’s question may imply that the man was not making use of all the means available to get better. Or, perhaps he had given up hope of getting better. These are common scenarios with depression. Doctors and pastors are often faced with the frustrating situation of people who need the help they can give, and yet who are not taking the steps required to benefit from this help. Perhaps they have just learned to live with their illness. Perhaps they have given up hope of getting better. Perhaps they lack the will to play their part in the healing process. Perhaps they are frightened of all the responsibilities of life which would come upon them should they be viewed as “well” again. Perhaps they would miss the attention and sympathy which being ill may generate. These are all possibilities. So, if you are depressed, the first searching question you must ask yourself is “Do I want to be made whole?”

You have no hope of recovery from depression unless you want to recover and are, therefore, prepared to play your own significant part in the recovery process. We will look at four measures which should be considered as part of a “package” of healing.

1. Correct your lifestyle

It is vital to lead a balanced lifestyle in order to reduce the “stretch” that threatens our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. Some of the practical points made here also apply to depressions resulting from stressful life events.

a. Routine

One of the keys to a balanced lifestyle is regular routine. This is also one of the first things to fall by the wayside when someone becomes depressed. The depressed person often finds it very difficult to resist being guided by their feelings. When a person feels down they will often only do what they feel like doing and avoid what they don’t feel like doing. For example, if we don’t feel like getting up, we won’t. If we don’t feel like working, we won’t. If we don’t feel like doing the ironing, we won’t. If we feel we want to drink or eat to excess, we do it. A positive step in recovering from depression is to restore order and discipline in our lives. Regular and orderly sleeping, eating, and working patterns will rebuild a sense of usefulness and healthy self-esteem. It is also glorifying to God who is a God of order, not of confusion (1 Cor.14:33).

b. Relaxation

We need to build times of relaxation into our lives. This may involve finding a quiet spot at various times throughout the day to simply stop, pause, calm down, and seek the peace of God in our lives. Jesus recognised and provided for this need in his disciples when he took them “apart into a desert place to rest a while” (Mark 6:31). Also, moderate physical exercise helps to expel unhelpful chemicals from our system and stimulates the production of helpful chemicals.

c. Rest

Regular sleep patterns enable the body and mind to repair and re-charge. The Sabbath Day was graciously made for us (Mark 2:27), partly to ease the tension of our busy overstretched lives.

d. Re-prioritise

Examine your life and see what you can do to reduce your commitments and obligations. Areas to consider are your family, your work, your church, your neighbours and travel. Once you are better you may be able to pick up some of these activities again. But the priority is to get better.

2. Correct your false thoughts

As we have noted throughout these lectures, one of the most common contributory factors to depression is wrong and unhelpful thoughts. Many Christians, who wouldn’t dream of viewing God’s Word in a false way, yet view God’s world in a false way. As they view themselves, their situations, and their relationships with others, they tend to dwell on and magnify the negatives and exclude the positives. This distorted view of reality inevitably distorts and depresses their mood. Christians are obliged to challenge falsehood and distortions of reality, especially when found in themselves. In the appendix to this lecture you will find two questionnaires to help you do this. The first is to help you examine your thoughts, and the second is to help you challenge your false and unhelpful thoughts. Questionnaires such as these are recommended for use by many Christian and non-Christian psychiatrists. They may look a bit strange to you, and you may wonder, “Is this not all just psychological mumbo-jumbo?” However, I would like to show you here how each step is grounded in Biblical Christian experience. In Psalm 77 we have a perfect example of Asaph investigating and challenging his thoughts with God’s help, in order to raise his mood and spirits. There are also slightly more abbreviated versions of the same biblical strategy in Psalm 42, Psalm 73, Job 19, Habakkuk 3, etc. So, this is not “psychological mumbo-jumbo”, but true Bible-based Christian experience. Let us look at Psalm 77 to prove this.

Download the following file :

asaph.pdf

3. Correct your brain chemistry

This is not an area I have any expertise in and so I shall keep my comments to a minimum. I would refer you to sympathetic and trained medical personnel for diagnosis and prescription of appropriate medication. Even a low dose of anti-depressants is sometimes enough just to begin to restore depleted brain chemicals and so pick up your mood sufficiently to enable you to begin to take the steps necessary to correct your lifestyle, thoughts, etc. However, more serious depressions sometimes require medication for 2-5 years in order to permanently restore the brain’s chemistry and processes. There are a number of myths and false ideas about anti-depressants which have lodged in the public mind.

Here are some examples: “If I take anti-depressants I won’t be my true self…there will be horrible side-effects…I might get addicted…people will look down on me…it will mean I am crazy.” Your doctor should be able to refute these myths and reassure you. However, as mentioned above, anti-depressants don’t replace the need for you to identify and work at changing false and unhelpful thinking and harmful behaviour.

4. Correct your spiritual life

a. Correct the spiritual consequences

We have tried to emphasise that for Christians their depression is usually not caused by spiritual factors. However, there are spiritual consequences in all depressions. There are a number of steps a depressed Christian can take to help reverse at least some of the spiritual consequences. You may find Martyn Lloyd-Jones’ book Spiritual Depression to be helpful in this regard – although he can be a bit sweeping and dogmatic in his generalisations. Here are some practical things you can do to help address the spiritual consequences of depression.

(i) Accept that being depressed is not a sin and indeed is compatible with Christianity. Many Bible characters and many of the greatest Christians passed through times of depression.

(ii) Try to understand that your loss of spiritual feelings is not the cause of your depression, but rather the depression has caused a general loss of feeling in all parts of your life, your spiritual life included.

(iii) Patiently wait for the corrections in your lifestyle, thinking, or brain chemistry to have an effect on your feelings as a whole and your spiritual life will pick up at the same time also.

(iv) Have a set time for reading your Bible and praying. Depressed Christians may either give up reading and praying, or they may try to read and pray “excessively” in order to try and bring back their spiritual feelings. Both approaches are unhelpful. Instead, set aside a regular time each day to read and pray. If concentration is a problem, keep things short (5-10 minutes) until you feel better. Depression will only be deepened by setting unrealistic spiritual goals.

(v) Bring objective truth to mind (e.g.: the doctrine of justification, or the atonement), especially “positive” verses which set forth God’s love, mercy and grace for sinners (e.g.: Rom.8:1; 8:38-39; 1 Jn.4:9-10; 1 Jn.1:9). You may want to write out a verse and carry it around with you. When negative thoughts overwhelm you, bring out the verse and meditate upon it.

(vi) When you pray, tell God exactly how you feel. Be totally honest. Ask God to help you with your doubts and fears and to restore to you the joy of salvation. Thank Him for loving you and being with you even though you do not feel His love or presence. Praying for others who suffer can also help to turn your thoughts away from yourself for a time.

(vii) Keep going to church and seek out the fellowship of one or two sympathetic Christians you can confide in, and ask them to pray with you and for you. Be careful about who you talk to. Sadly, some Christians cannot keep confidences, and others will have little understanding of or sympathy for your condition.

(viii) Remember God loves you as you are, not as you would like to be.

b. Correct the spiritual causes

In the lecture on the causes of depression, we mentioned the possibility that a Christian’s depression may be the result of some specific sin or sins. If having examined your life you find that there is a sin which you are deliberately and stubbornly persisting in, or grave sins which you have never really repented of, it is time to fall on your knees and seek God’s pardon for the sin, and God’s power over the sin. See Psalm 32 and Psalm 51 for examples of how to do this.
APPENDIX

Download the file : Thought Investigation Questionnaire.pdf

Download this article in .pdf format - 5TheCures.pdf

Thanks for stopping by. Take care and have a blessed week!

Related Posts:

About depression, bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness) and mental illness or mood disorders:
1. About bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness)
2. Myths and Facts on Mental Illness
3. Treatment of bipolar disorder
4. Various pamphlets and articles on bipolar disorder for sufferer and carer
5. Recovery steps for depression and bipolar disorder or manic-depressive illness

For friends and carers:
1. Helping someone with mood disorder
2. Family and Friends' Guide to Recovery from Depression and Bipolar Disorder
3. How Carers and Friends can help

Other recent related posts:

1. Trust during rough times
2. Finding meaning in a life with bipolar disorder
3. Mental illness (depression, bipolar disorder, etc) is an illness like any other
4. Video on "Depression - A Stubborn Darkness"

Depression and the Christian

My Coping Strategies:

4a. Exercise

Out of the Depths - Psalm 130 Scottish Metrical Psalms

2008-12-05T19:50:00.003+08:00

(I took this picture at Changi Beach, Singapore)

Dear Friends,

Thanks for stopping by. Thanks for all your prayers and encouragements.

I am still learning to look to our Lord and to rest in Him daily.

Today the Lord reminded me of His goodness and mercies. Psalm 130 is one of my favourite Psalms in the Bible. In my struggles with severe depression, this Psalm has brought much comfort to me. From the depths of my dark and painful experiences, I learn to cry unto our Lord for in Him alone I can find salvation and deliverance.

Thank God that no matter what depths we may fall into in this life, we can cry unto Him and find comfort and deliverance in Him. And when He allows us to go through prolonged period of darkness, pains and sufferings, we can still have the assurance of His love and presence with us.

I thank God that He brought me to know more of Himself and His love for me through my darkest and most painful battle with depression. God is very real to me because of His presence with me and the way I see Him working in my life and delivering me time and again. I pray that I may be able to love Him and serve Him all the days of my life, and I will be able to love others with His love so that they too can know the saving grace of God and know His love and care.

And for us who have placed our trust and hope in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, we can have the assurance of God's love for us and His presence with us through all the changing scenes of life. Even when we cannot feel God's presence with us because of our depression numbing our brain and feelings, we can still have the calm assurance that God loves us and is with us, and He will deliver us. And one day, when our tasks here are completed, we can have the joy of entering into our eternal rest and we shall enjoy His love and fellowship forever more, never to be hindered by sins or sicknesses any more. What a blessed hope!

Psalm 130
Scottish Metrical Psalm

1  Lord, from the depths to thee I cried.
2     My voice, Lord, do thou hear:
Unto my supplication's voice
give an attentive ear.

3  Lord, who shall stand, if thou, O Lord,
should'st mark iniquity?
4  But yet with thee forgiveness is,
that feared thou mayest be.

5  I wait for God, my soul doth wait,
my hope is in his word.
6  More than they that for morning watch,
my soul waits for the Lord;

I say, more than they that do watch
the morning light to see.
7  Let Israel hope in the Lord,
for with him mercies be;

And plenteous redemption
is ever found with him.
8  And from all his iniquities
he Isr'el shall redeem.

Thanks for stopping by. May you find comfort in God's love and mercies daily.

Take care. May God grant you a very blessed weekend and Lord's day.

Psalm 46 - Scottish Metrical Psalm 1650

2008-11-30T18:03:00.001+08:00

Psalm 46
1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.
4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.
6 The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.
7 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
8 Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth.
9 He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.
10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
11 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

Dear Friends,

Thanks for stopping by. Thank God that He is our refuge and strength.

Thanks for all your visits, prayers and encouragements.

Thank God for preserving me daily. I have been feeling very tired in the recent weeks due to various commitments and have to limit the amount of time I spend on blogging. I do missed all of you very much and hope to return to more blogging and visitation soon.

Please continue to remember me in your prayers, if you can. Pray that God may grant me wisdom to seek and serve Him daily, to pace myself moderately and to seek first His Kingdom and righteousness.

I will continue to remember you in prayers too.

Thank God for the wonderful assurance in His Words of His love for us and His care upon us. He is our present help at all time and especially in time of trouble and need. Therefore let us go to Him always, casting all our cares upon Him for He cares for us.

May this lovely Psalm 46 from the Scottish Metrical Psalter brings encouragement to you as you remember afresh that God is our refuge and strength.

Psalm 46
Scottish Metrical Psalm 1650

To the chief Musician, for the sons of Korah,
A Song upon Alomoth.

1 God is our refuge and our strength,
in straits a present aid;
2 Therefore, although the earth remove,
we will not be afraid:

Though hills amidst the seas be cast;
3 Though waters roaring make,
And troubled be; yea, though the hills,
by swelling seas do shake.

4 A river is, whose streams do glad
the city of our God;
The holy place, wherein the Lord
most high hath his abode.

5 God in the midst of her doth dwell;
nothing shall her remove:
The Lord to her an helper will,
and that right early, prove.

6 The heathen raged tumultuously,
the kingdoms moved were:
The Lord God uttered his voice,
the earth did melt for fear.

7 The Lord of hosts upon our side
doth constantly remain:
The God of Jacob's our refuge,
us safely to maintain.

8 Come, and behold what wondrous works
have by the Lord been wrought;
Come, see what desolations
he on the earth hath brought.

9 Unto the ends of all the earth
wars into peace he turns:
The bow he breaks, the spear he cuts,
in fire the chariot burns.

10 Be still, and know that I am God;
among the heathen I
Will be exalted; I on earth
will be exalted high.

11 Our God, who is the Lord of hosts,
is still upon our side;
The God of Jacob our refuge
for ever will abide.

Thank you for stopping by and all your encouragements!

May God grant you a very blessed Lord's day and week ahead.

Take care!

Depression and the Christian : Causes of Depression

2008-11-29T08:34:00.000+08:00

Clinical depression is a complex condition and it is often caused by a combination of various factors.

Having experienced some 12 or more relapses of clinical depression which usually lasted some 3 to 6 months or longer, I know by experience how painful, confusing and difficult it can be.

The love and support of our loved ones are very crucial. After my diagnosis of proneness to Bipolar Disorder or manic-depressive illness last year, I began to read extensively about bipolar disorder and clinical depression.

My condition alternates between mania and clinical depression. Besides medical help, I actively read and use other coping strategies.

I have found that reading and equiping myself with the necessary knowledge and coping means is very crucial in getting better and maintaining wellness so that I can be functional and be a useful person in my society. It is helping me to manage my condition better. I am learning to identify early symptoms of possible relapses or early signs of worsening symptoms. I am learning what can make my condition better or worse. I am learning to do what is necessary to get better or prevent my condition from worsening.

I also share articles that I have found useful with my family and friends in order to enable them to understand my condition better and know how best to relate to me and help me in time of need. I also hope these articles will help them in their relationship with other family or friends who may suffer from similar condition.

It is only by knowing the symptoms can we know if we or our loved ones are suffering from mental illness, and so seek appropriate help. Many people suffer varying degrees of depression without knowing it, because they do not recognise the symptoms for what they are, and so go for years without getting help that is readily available and which would transform their lives.

Sadly, many who have the symptoms of depression, without identifying them as such, reason that, “If I have these thoughts and feelings, I cannot be a Christian!”

Dr David P Murray did a series of 6 very useful and informative Lectures on "Depression and the Christian".

I have found the following article on the causes of depression to be very helpful in understanding my own condition and that of others I know of. Hope you will find it useful too.

(These series of 6 messages on "Depression and the Christian" are also available on .pdf, .mp3 and video formats which can be downloaded from the website of Sermon Audio )

DEPRESSION AND THE CHRISTIAN

BY DR. DAVID P MURRAY

(4) THE CAUSES

In previous lectures we mentioned some of the causes of depression. We also noted the complexity of trying to analyse the causes of depression, and concluded that it is often a combination of various factors. In this lecture we will look in a bit more detail at the various causes of depression, and then we will consider some of the cures for depression.

Depression is often divided into two main categories – reactive or endogenous. Reactive depression is usually traced to some obvious trigger – perhaps a stressful life event or unhelpful thought patterns. Endogenous depression is the name usually given to depressions which seem to have no obvious trigger and are often traced to genetic pre-disposition. For no obvious reason, the brain chemistry becomes unbalanced and a person becomes depressed. However, this distinction between reactive and endogenous is not as clear-cut as it once was, as skilled investigation of many so-called endogenous depressions will often reveal a “trigger event”, though a genetic pre-disposition may mean that the trigger is relatively small. We will consider four triggers of depression: stress, psychology, sin, and sovereignty.

1. Stress

When you stretch a piece of elastic, you can often extend it to two or even three times its size. However, the further you stretch it, the greater the tension on the rubber, the less flexible it becomes, and the greater the danger of it eventually snapping. Like rubber bands, we are all “stretched” from time to time. We are stretched by life events, which we have little control over, and by our lifestyle which we do have considerable control of. Let’s look at each of these stretching forces.

a. Life events

Life events include marriage, moving house, exams, bereavement, illness, unemployment, birth of children, etc. Each of these events put a strain upon us, to one degree or another. When we are “stretched” in this way, our body and brain chemistry changes, and one of the results is often a dip in or lowering of our mood. This is normal. And, as the stressful events pass, our chemistry usually returns to normal along with our mood.

Sometimes, however, these stressful experiences can continue over a lengthy period, or they can occur one on top of another, or they can affect us more seriously than other people. The result is that our brain chemistry remains abnormal and so also does our mood. We just can’t “pick ourselves up”, no matter how many people urge us to. This is depression. At the very worst, like an elastic band, we can “snap”, sometimes unexpectedly. This is what some call a “nervous breakdown”.

Changes in brain chemistry greatly affect our ability to think and feel in a balanced way. Stressful events make our minds go into overdrive, exhausting and depleting the chemicals we need to think and feel in a normal and helpful way. Think of a computer with too many programmes open and working at the same time, and how this slows down all the processes until eventually the machine “crashes”.

b. Lifestyle

While we have little if any control over life events, we do have substantial control over our lifestyle – the proportion of time and energy we give to work, socialising, shopping, travelling, recreation, exercise, rest, sleep, etc. Much of the increase in depression and anxiety today is largely the result of an unbalanced lifestyle where people are on the one hand working too hard and spending too much, and on the other hand are exercising, resting, and sleeping too little. This deliberate overstretch

beyond our capacities and abilities is not glorifying God in our body and spirit (1 Cor.6:20). It is also in breach of the sixth commandment which requires us to take “all lawful endeavours to preserve our own life” (Shorter Catechism 68). The effects and result of a stressful lifestyle will often be the same as that of stressful life events – depression.

2. Psychology (the way we think)

In Lecture 3 we looked at 10 false thinking patterns which contribute to depression. It cannot be emphasised enough how vital it is to learn to recognise these unhelpful thoughts by prayerful self examination. It is also important and useful to note that some of these habits of thinking may be involuntarily absorbed or learned in early life and so may be deeply ingrained. When we feel down, or when we are stressed, these latent false thinking patterns tend to occur more frequently and tend to dominate. This can often lead to depression, worsen an existing depression, and, if persisted in, make recovery from depression so much harder. Sometimes, the Church can reinforce or add to false thinking patterns by over-emphasis on the negatives in the Bible and in people’s lives, or by setting standards of commitment which may discourage or depress those who are unable to attain them.

3. Sin

A non-Christian may be depressed because of their sin, in which case the cure is repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. Sadly, many depressed unbelievers are being treated with chemicals when what they need is conversion. If you are unconverted and depressed then seriously consider whether your depression is related to a guilty conscience and conviction of sin. If so, then what you need is repentance from sin and faith in Jesus Christ. There are many Christians who will testify that this was the key to relieving their depression.

While sin may be the last thing an unconverted person may think is causing their depression, the opposite is true for Christians. When a Christian becomes depressed, there are often spiritual consequences, and so the depressed believer jumps to the conclusion that there is also a spiritual cause – usually their own sins or hypocrisy or failures of one kind or another. Skilled and experienced Christian pastors, doctors, and psychiatrists unite in affirming that depression in Christians is not usually caused by problems with their spiritual life. In Christians, depression is usually caused by stressful life events and lifestyles, or unhelpful thought patterns (see 1 and 2 above). Here are some sample quotations from various experienced Christian pastors, psychiatrists, counsellors, and doctors to prove this point:

“For Christians, depression hardly ever has a spiritual cause…In Christians, spiritual

effects follow from the depression, and seldom the other way around.”[1]

“True spiritual causes of depression are not common. Most Christians with an apparently religious content to their depression in fact have one of the mental/emotional causes rather than a true spiritual cause. I cannot emphasise enough that solely spiritual causes of depression are infrequent in Christians.”[2]

David and other psalmists often found themselves deeply depressed for various reasons. They did not, however, apologize for what they were feeling, nor did they confess it as sin. It was a legitimate part of their relationship with God. They interacted with Him through the context of their depression.”[3]

“We completely agree that there are always spiritual aspects to anxiety and depression (as there are in everything in life for a Christian). However, we see these as being a secondary consequence of the emotional distress that is part of these illnesses. Strong claims that all anxiety and depression is spiritual in origin are unhelpful because they miss the point that the actual problem is anxiety and depression.”[4]

I emphasise this point again and again because blaming our depression on our sin is not only usually wrong, it is also very harmful. It is harmful because it increases false guilt and deepens feelings of failure. It also makes depressed Christians seek a spiritual solution to a problem which is actually being caused by life events, lifestyle, or unhelpful thinking patterns. However, having said all that, we must still leave open the possibility that the depression may sometimes be the result of specific sin or sins (e.g. Ps.32). The Westminster Confession of Faith says: “The most wise, righteous, and gracious God doth oftentimes leave, for a season, His own children to manifold temptations, and the corruption of their own hearts, to chastise them for their former sins…” (WCF 5.5).

How then does a Christian know if his depression has a spiritual cause or simply spiritual consequences. The Practical Handbook for Depressed Christians puts it like this: “For the Christian, truly spiritual causes of depression usually involve behaviour which the Christian knows to be wrong, but which he still deliberately and arrogantly persists in…I am not talking about repeated sins that the Christian wishes he could control but can’t…but a deliberate and continued rebellion against God….”[5]

4. Sovereignty

One final cause of depression in the Christian is the sovereignty of God. Hard though it may be to accept, the ultimate cause may be, “It pleased God.” This however is not some sheer arbitrary, sadistic and pointless infliction of suffering. Not at all. God has wise and loving motives and aims in all His dealings with his children. The Westminster Confession of Faith proposes another reason why God will sometimes allow his children to descend into the depths of depression. It is “to discover unto them the hidden strength of corruption and deceitfulness of their hearts, that they may be humbled; and, to raise them to a more close and constant dependence for their support upon Himself, and to make them more watchful against all future occasions of sin, and for sundry other just and holy ends (5.5)".

A well known example of this is Job. A lesser known example is Hezekiah. “God left him, to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart” (2 Chronicles 32:31). This does not mean that God actually left Hezekiah. God will never leave nor forsake His people. This, then, is not an objective leaving, but a subjective leaving. God withdrew Himself from Hezekiah’s spiritual feelings, so that he lost his feelings of God’s presence, protection, and favour. So, Hezekiah felt God had left him. But God had a wise and loving purpose in this. It was to test Hezekiah and to reveal to Hezekiah what was in his heart when God’s felt presence was withdrawn.

Sometimes we can take God’s presence in our lives for granted. We forget what we might be without him. And so He wisely, temporarily, and proportionately withdraws the sense of his favour and presence to remind us of our state without Him and to lead us to greater thankfulness and appreciation for Him

[1] Dr John Lockley, A Practical Workbook for the Depressed Christian (Bucks: Authentic Media, 1991), 53-54.

[2] Ibid. 58.

[3] S & R Bloem, Broken Minds (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2005), 204.

[4] C Williams, P Richards, I Whitton, I’m not supposed to feel like this, (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 2002), 121.

[5] Dr John Lockley, A Practical Workbook for the Depressed Christian (Bucks: Authentic Media, 1991), 57

Depression and the Christian

My Coping Strategies:

4a. Exercise

Recent Posts:

My Homemade Gifts

A Tribute to my Counsellor in remembrance of her

Lesson from a Storm - the voice of Jesus in the Storm

Enjoying Nature and Photography (Thankful Thursday)

Finding meaning in helping others and loving them with God's love

Resting On God

2008-11-23T18:47:00.001+08:00

In this world, we have many ups and downs. It is a mercy to be able to rest in God Who is almighty and sovereign. It is a comfort to remember that He is in control.

Our Lord Jesus Christ said: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30

Let us continue to cast all our cares upon our Lord Who loved us and gave His life for us. May we rest in His love, faithfulness and mercies.

The following encouraging prayer/poem is taken from "The Valley of Vision", A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions, Edited by Arthur Bennett, Published by The Banner of Truth Trust, 1997, Page 129.

Hope this prayer/poem will encourage you.

Resting on God

O GOD MOST HIGH, MOST GLORIOUS,
The thought of thine infinite serenity cheers me,
For I am toiling and moiling, troubled and distressed,
but thou art for ever at perfect peace.
Thy designs cause thee no fear or care of unfulfilment,
they stand fast as the eternal hills.
Thy power knows no bond,
thy greatness no stint.
Thou bringest order out of confusion,
and my defeats are thy victories:
The Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
I come to thee as a sinner with cares and sorrow,
to leave every concern entirely to thee,
every sin calling for Christ's precious blood;
Revive deep spirituality in my heart;
Let me live near to the great shepherd,
hear his voice, know its tones, follow its calls.
Keep me from deception by causing me to abide in the truth,
from harm by helping me to walk in the power of the Spirit.
Give me intenser faith in the eternal verities,
burning into me by experience the things I know;
Let me never be ashamed of the truth of the gospel,
that I may bear its reproach,
vindicate it,
see Jesus as its essence,
know in it the power of the Spirit.
Lord, help me, for I am often lukewarm and chill;
unbelief mars my confidence,
sin makes me forget thee.
Let the weeds that grow in my soul be cut at their roots;
Grant me to know that I truly live only when I live to thee,
that all else is trifling.
Thy presence alone can make me holy, devout, strong and happy.
Abide in me, gracious God.

Thanks for stopping by. May God grant you a very blessed Lord's day and week ahead!

Myths and Facts about Mental Illness

2008-11-17T07:32:00.001+08:00

Dear Friends,

Thanks for stopping by. Thanks for your prayers and encouragements.

I am thankful to God for preserving me day by day. I am still learning to pace myself and finding it a great challenge.

I am thankful to God that I can continue to serve Him in this blog. One of the missions of my blog is to share with others God's goodness and mercies to me in managing bipolar disorder, and resources that I have found helpful.

I am thankful to God for many kind family and friends around me who have shown extra-ordinary love, patience, understanding, kindness and forgiveness towards me. Having Bipolar Disorder or manic-depressive illness means that I have extreme mood swings (clinical depression or mania) every now and then. I am thankful to my family and friends who are willing to learn and understand these extreme mood swings and help me to survive every episode. They are tokens of God's love for me and I praise Him for His goodness to me!

I am thankful to so many of you too for accepting me as your friend even though you know that I have bipolar disorder. You didn't reject me or despise me :-)

You have demonstrated the great love of Christ by praying and encouraging me in so many wonderful ways. I thank God for everyone of you! You too are tokens of God's love and mercies to me! Praise Him! May He bless you for your kindness to me!

I realize through this illness, the importance of having the support and prayers of my family and friends, besides professional helps from Doctors, Counsellors and Support Group. The people I love, and who love me, will see me at my best. When my symptoms reappear, they may see me at my worst.

Whenever possible, I will share with them my illness. I give them articles, pamphlets and books to read about bipolar disorder so that they will understand that my behaviour is not always under my control. It will also help them to understand why I am sometimes so different.

There's a lot of myths on mental illness that greatly affect both the sufferers and their carers or friends. Thank God for the following informative article that is available in the public domain. Hope it will help to dispels some myths and enable more people to be informed on how to love, care and relate to someone with a neurological disorder. Do free free to pass this article around!

The following is taken from the website of Mental Illness - What A Difference A Friend Makes:

Myths and Facts about Mental Illness
Mental illnesses are very common. They are also widely misunderstood. People with mental illnesses are frequently stigmatized by others who think it's an uncommon condition. The truth is, mental illness can happen to anybody.

Arm yourself with the facts, then use your knowledge to educate others and reach out to those around you with mental illness. Understanding and support are powerful, and they can make a real difference in the life of a person who needs them.

Myth: There's no hope for people with mental illnesses.
Fact: There are more treatments, services, and community support systems than ever before, and more are in the works. People with mental illnesses lead active, productive lives.

Myth: I can't do anything for a person with mental illness.
Fact: You can do a lot, starting with how you act and speak. You can create an environment that builds on people's strengths and promotes understanding. For example:

Don't label people with words like "crazy," "wacko," or "loony" or define them by their diagnosis. Instead of saying someone is "a schizophrenic," say he or she "has schizophrenia." Don't say "a schizophrenic person," say "a person with schizophrenia." This is called "people-first" language, and it's important to make a distinction between the person and the illness.
Learn the facts about mental health and share them with others, especially if you hear something that isn't true.
Treat people with mental illnesses with respect and dignity, just as you would anybody else.
Respect the rights of people with mental illnesses and don't discriminate against them when it comes to housing, employment, or education. Like other people with disabilities, people with mental health problems are protected under federal and state laws.

Myth: People with mental illnesses are violent and unpredictable.
Fact: Actually, the vast majority of people with mental health conditions are no more violent than anyone else. People with mental illnesses are much more likely to be the victims of crime. You probably know someone with a mental illness and don't even realize it.

Myth: Mental illnesses don't affect me.
Fact: Mental illnesses are surprisingly common; they affect almost every family in America. Mental illnesses do not discriminate—they can affect anyone.

Myth: Mental illness is the same as mental retardation.
Fact: These are different conditions. Mental retardation is characterized by limitations in intellectual functioning and difficulties with certain daily living skills. In contrast, people with mental illnesses—health conditions that cause changes in a person's thinking, mood, and behavior—have varied intellectual functioning, just like the general population.

Myth: Mental illnesses are brought on by a weakness of character.
Fact: Mental illnesses are a product of the interaction of biological, psychological, and social factors. Social influences, like the loss of a loved one or a job, can also contribute to the development of various mental health problems.

Myth: People with mental illnesses cannot tolerate the stress of holding down a job.
Fact: All jobs are stressful to some extent. Anybody is more productive when there's a good match between the employee's needs and the working conditions, whether or not the worker has a mental health problem.

Myth: People with mental health needs, even those who have recovered, tend to be second-rate workers.
Fact: Employers who have hired people with mental illnesses report good attendance and punctuality as well as motivation, good work, and job tenure on par with or greater than other employees. Studies by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) show that there are no differences in productivity when people with mental illnesses are compared to other employees. (Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General, 1999)

Myth: Once people develop mental illnesses, they will never recover.
Fact: Studies show that most people with mental illnesses get better, and many recover completely. Recovery refers to the process in which people are able to live, work, learn, and participate fully in their communities. For some individuals, recovery is the ability to live a fulfilling and productive life. For others, recovery implies the reduction or complete remission of symptoms. Science has shown that hope plays an integral role in an individual's recovery.

Myth: Therapy and self-help are a waste of time. Why bother when you can just take a pill?
Fact: Treatment varies depending on the individual. A lot of people work with therapists, counselors, friends, psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses, and social workers during the recovery process. They also use self-help strategies and community supports. Often they combine these with some of the most advanced medications available.

Myth: Children don't experience mental illnesses. Their actions are just products of bad parenting.
Fact: A report from the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health showed that in any given year five to nine percent of children experience serious emotional disturbances. Just like adult mental illnesses, these are clinically diagnosable health conditions that are a product of the interaction of biological, psychological, and social factors.

Myth: Children misbehave or fail in school just to get attention.
Fact: Behavior problems can be symptoms of emotional, behavioral, or mental problems, rather than merely attention-seeking devices. These children can succeed in school with appropriate understanding, attention, and mental health services.

For more Mission 4 Monday posts, visit Peggy.

Thanks again for stopping by! Thanks for all your prayers and encouragements!

May God grant you a very blessed week!

Take care.

Related Posts:

About depression, bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness) and mental illness or mood disorders:
1. About bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness)
2. Myths and Facts on Mental Illness
3. Treatment of bipolar disorder
4. Various pamphlets and articles on bipolar disorder for sufferer and carer
5. Recovery steps for depression and bipolar disorder or manic-depressive illness

For friends and carers:
1. Helping someone with mood disorder
2. Family and Friends' Guide to Recovery from Depression and Bipolar Disorder
3. How Carers and Friends can help

Misc related posts:

1. Trust during rough times
2. Finding meaning in a life with bipolar disorder
3. Mental illness (depression, bipolar disorder, etc) is an illness like any other
4. Video on "Depression - A Stubborn Darkness"

All things for good and Scottish Metrical Psalms - Psalm 147

2008-11-08T14:00:00.002+08:00

Dear Friends,

Thanks for stopping by. Thanks for your prayers and encouragements.

I am thankful to God for working all things for His glory and our good.

I just reread this short except and felt much encouraged to remember God's love and faithfulness in working all things for His glory and our good even when we don't understand it. Our faith is based on Truths that are revealed in the Words of God. God is unchanging and His Words stands forever.

Hope this excerpt taken from Thomas Watson’s “All Things For Good”, The Banner of Truth Trust, 1991, 1st Published 1663, pages 25 to 26 will encourage you too:

To know that nothing hurts the godly, is a matter of comfort; but to be assured that ALL things which fall out shall co-operate for their good, that their crosses shall be turned into blessings, that showers of affliction water the withering root of their grace and make it flourish more; this may fill their hearts with joy till they run over.

“We know.” It is not a matter wavering or doubtful. The apostle does not say, We hope, or conjecture, but it is like an article in our creed, WE KNOW that all things work for good.

Hence observe that the truths of the gospel are evident and infallible. A Christian may come not merely to a vague opinion but to a certainty of what he holds. The Spirit of God imprints heavenly truths upon the heart as with the point of a diamond.

We have arrived at a holy confidence. Let us not rest in scepticism or doubts, but labour to come to a certainty in the things of religion. It concerns us to be well grounded and confirmed in it.

So all God’s providences, being divinely tempered and sanctified, work together for the best of the saints. He who loves God and is called according to His purpose, may rest assured that every thing in the world shall be for his good.

The result of the text is this. ALL THE VARIOUS DEALINGS OF GOD WITH HIS CHILDREN DO BY A SPECIAL PROVIDENCE TURN TO THEIR GOOD.

“All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant” (Psalm 25:10). If every path has mercy in it, then it works for good.

May God enable us to praise Him always as we remember His love, goodness and mercies to us daily and how He is working all things for His glory and our good, and all His paths are mercy and truth.

From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD's name is to be praised. Psalm 113:3
(my friend, Sau, took this lovely picture at Saipan)

Hope you enjoy this lovely video on Psalm 147:1-11 posted on Youtube:

Psalm 147:1-11

1 Praise ye the Lord; for it is good
praise to our God to sing:
For it is pleasant, and to praise
it is a comely thing.

2 God doth build up Jerusalem;
and he it is alone
That the dispersed of Israel
doth gather into one.

3 Those that are broken in their heart,
and grievèd in their minds,
He healeth, and their painful wounds
he tenderly up-binds.

4 He counts the number of the stars;
he names them ev'ry one.
5 Great is our Lord, and of great pow'r;
his wisdom search can none.

6 The Lord lifts up the meek; and casts
the wicked to the ground.
7 Sing to the Lord, and give him thanks;
on harp his praises sound;

8 Who covereth the heav'n with clouds,
who for the earth below
Prepareth rain, who maketh grass
upon the mountains grow.

9 He gives the beast his food, he feeds
the ravens young that cry.
10 His pleasure not in horses' strength,
nor in man's legs, doth lie.

11 But in all those that do him fear
the Lord doth pleasure take;
In those that to his mercy do
by hope themselves betake.

Thanks for stopping by.

May God grant you a rested and refreshing weekend, and blessed Lord's day!

Take care.

Recent Posts:

My Homemade Gifts

A Tribute to my Counsellor in remembrance of her

Lesson from a Storm - the voice of Jesus in the Storm

Enjoying Nature and Photography (Thankful Thursday)

Finding meaning in helping others and loving them with God's love

Thank God for the joy of serving Him

2008-11-06T12:39:00.003+08:00

Dear Friends,

Thanks for stopping by. Thanks for your prayers and encouragements.

Thank God for seeing us through another week.

♥ I am so thankful to God for giving me the joy of enjoying nature and photography. About 1 year ago I began brisk-walking for health purposes. By God's grace, I began to enjoy flowers, plants, birds, nature, etc in many wonderful ways. I started to use a digital camera to capture some of these beauties of God's creations. They remind me of what a mighty God we serve!

♥ I am thankful to God that I can serve Him by making some Homemade Gifts for my friends as well as to sell on my Homemade Bookmarks, Cards and Gifts website:

http://homemadegifts2008.blogspot.com/

If you are interested to purchase some of these gifts for yourself, your family or friends, please do not hesitate to visit my Homemade Gifts website and email me at homemade.nk@gmail.com.

If you know of some friends who may be interested to purchase these gifts, please forward my website to them. Thanks!

Here are some samples of the Homemade Gifts that I am selling. Just click at the picture to go to the link on my website:

Cards

Bookmarks

Calendars 2009

Homemade Bookmarks with English Bible verses:

1) Bookmarks with English Bible Verses (Flowers)

2) Bookmarks with English Bible Verses (Animals)

3) Bookmarks with English Bible Verses (Sceneries)

4) Long Bookmarks with English Bible Verses (Animals)

5) Long Bookmarks with English Bible Verses (Sceneries)

Homemade Bookmarks with Chinese Bible verses:

1) Bookmarks with Chinese Bible Verses

Homemade Bookmarks with General wordings:

2) Bookmarks with General Wordings

Buy Homemade Bookmarks:

Pricing and Ordering Details

Buy Homemade Cards with

1) English Bible Verses
2) English Bible Verses - Sets of 5 Cards each (special offer)
3) Chinese Bible Verses

Buy Homemade Calendars for 2009

1) Hanging Calendar 2009

2) Table Calendar 2009 (coming soon!)

3) Planners for 2009 (coming soon!)

Thank God that I can have the joy of serving Him in little ways like these.

♥ I am thankful to God for providing precious people in my life ie. my family, church, friends and blogging friends who love and care for me in their very wonderful ways. These are tokens of God's love for me and I treasure very much.

♥ I am thankful to God once again for all of you, my dear blogging friends and visitors. I have been so greatly blessed by all of you and I thank God upon every remembrance of you. It is wonderful to read of how God is guiding and blessing you in your walk with our Lord and it encourages me in my walk with God too. Thanks again for your prayers and encouragements.

May God continue to bless you with His love and mercies in many wonderful ways every day :)

For more participants of Thankful Thursday, do visit Iris.

Thank you for stopping by. Take care and may God continue to bless you through this week!

Recent Posts:

A Tribute to my Counsellor in remembrance of her

Lesson from a Storm - the voice of Jesus in the Storm

Enjoying Nature and Photography (Thankful Thursday)

Finding meaning in helping others and loving them with God's love

A tribute to my Counsellor in remembrance of her

2008-11-04T06:32:00.002+08:00

Dear Friends

Thanks for stopping by. Thank you for your prayers and encouragements.

Today the Lord brought to my remembrance a very dear and wonderful person whom He had used to be a great blessing to me last year.

When I first sought medical help and was diagnosed with clinical depression and Bipolar Disorder (Manic-depressive illness), I had benefitted from a group of counsellors at Counselling and Care Centre, Singapore. I am thankful to God for providing me with a team of very compassionate, kind, understanding and encouraging Christian counsellors who are trained to manage bipolar, depression, OCD and other brain condition.

For me besides prayers, medication, exercise and other helpful means, one very important element in my treatment and recovery was Counselling. Counselling may be talk therapy, psychotherapy or Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. It can be one of the very important tools for a person with bipolar or depression to get well. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a form counselling with a focus on understanding how our thoughts affect our behaviours. Bipolar alternates between 2 extreme mood swings ie. mania and depression, and our thoughts and behaviours are shaped by these mania and depression episodes which can at times be very confusing. CBT helps to make sense some of these confusions, and help to pick up skills to manage these mood swings so that one can be more functional.

Through CBT, I do realized that I have quite a number of character traits and faulty thought patterns which might have contributed or aggravated my relapses. They become even predominant during a relapse of clinical depression and all my thoughts turned very negative and against me. I am now learning prayerfully to identify and to correct Faulty Thinking Patterns.

I am also somewhat a perfectionist which means my expectation of myself can be rather high, and indirectly I stressed myself up unknowingly. Besides that, I am not a very assertive person. I have problem saying “no”. So very often I unknowingly put myself through a lot of difficulties or take on more than I can handle. I used to have difficulty relaxing or taking breaks. In some sense, I am a workaholic. I am also fulfilling the role of care-givers in quite a number of context, and having little respite. All of the above or the combinations of some of these, could well have weakened my body and mind, and lead to the relapses of clinical depressions.

I know it is not easy to find a good counsellor and not every one will benefit from counselling or CBT. I am thankful to God for providing for me a very compassionate, kind and caring counsellor, Sarah. My time with my counsellor, Sarah and her team, was most meaningful and useful. Sarah and her team were helping me to trace the history of my relapses in the past 20 years which I could remember better, the possible causes of them so that I can learn to manage my illness better. During the counselling session, I was alone in a room with Sarah while her team were following our sessions in another room through a video recording. These are with my permissions.

In actual fact, Sarah was under training and supervision by her team but I didn't know that part at all. And providentially that worked out good for both of us. I have prayed and God provided Sarah. I didn't have any apprehension about her ability to counsel me and that allows her to be used by God in a very wonderful way to help me.

My time with Sarah became life-changing experiences for me! It began for me a journey of self-discovery, of knowing God, myself and others better. Each session with Sarah and her team have yielded some positive results. Accumulatively, these knowledge of self and God’s mercies in them, are changing my life in many wonderful ways. Thank God! My counselling session ended in April 2007 when Sarah who was a trainee at that Centre completed her training. I am deeply indebted to Sarah for the help that she has rendered to me. They have been invaluable to me as I journey on.

At the moment, I am not seeing any professional counsellers. I do seek my Pastor’s counsel and some other friends or family members’ counsels when necessary. I also read books and internet articles to understand my condition better and how best to manage it. Thank God that there are a lot of resources available on the internet. One such website is Bipolar and Depression Support Alliance which has very useful information on symptoms, treatment, resources, etc etc.

I have tried out some other counsellors and am, in particular, indebted to Dr Spencer Lee and Yvonne Ying of Association of Christian Counsellors of Singapore for their valuable helps for some weeks in July and August 2007. They are most compassionate and helpful.

The above counsellors are all trained in cognitive behavioural therapy, etc and they have been helping many people who suffer from depression, bipolar and other mental illnesses. The reasons why I sought their help, besides receiving pastoral counselling from my Pastor, was because I needed someone who understands mental illness and therefore able to help me to manage my illness and symptoms. I am thankful to God for providing them at such times when I needed them the most.

Now I am not seeing any of these professional counsellors but just receiving pastoral counsellings from my Pastor, elders and brethren in my church. I am learning to look to God and use other available means too ie reading God’s Words, prayers, medications, regular exercise, Omega-3 fish oil supplements, learning to manage stressful situations in my life, learn to pace myself more slowly and realistically, learn to take breaks and to relax whenever necessary, etc.

I have written 2 emails to Sarah and a tribute to her as follows:

——

Dear Sarah,

Warm greetings to you in the name of our merciful Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ!

Just a short note to thank you and your team for the help and support you are giving me as I seek the Lord’s guidance to understand and manage my condition better. I really appreciate what you are doing to help me. Your sincerity and warmth really touched my heart. Though we have met only for 3 sessions so far, I thank God that I have been helped by every one of the session. I appreciate what we have been able to discuss so far and the way you & your team are helping me to see things from a different angle. I am learning to be more thankful daily!

I thank God for His goodness and mercies in leading me to your centre and placing me under you and your team. The care and helpfulness of all of you and the other staffs at your centre really impressed me. Thank God for using all of you to help me and others who are in need of help.

May God continue to use you, your team and all the staff at Counselling and Care Centre for His glory. May all of you continue to be used in many wonderful ways to help others and especially God’s suffering people. I am praying for all of you too.

Many thanks again for your enthusiasm to help me and your prayers. It is one of the factors that gives me a lot of encouragement and motivation to come for the sessions. I thank God for you. May you continue to serve our Lord joyfully and faithfully for His glory.

Wish you and your family a blessed Chinese New Year.

With sincere thanks & prayers,
Nancie
15 February 2007

——

Sarah’s reply to me:

Dear Nancie,

Warm greetings to you too in the name of our loving and gracious Saviour, Lord Jesus!

Thank you very much for your lovely, thoughtful and heartwarming email. I am touched by your gracious gesture. It is a privilege to be used by God to extend His presence for His precious ones. And you’ve been a great joy to come alongside with. I thank God too for you and for giving me this privilege.

I am greatly encouraged to hear that you have been helped through our sessions. Your words give me impetus to continue and persevere in the work with and for others in the offering of presence and support .

Thank you for praying for us and your continual prayer support is much appreciated. Glad to hear that you have experienced the help of prayers. Indeed, our Lord is the source and the enabler of all we do. All praise and glory to Him!

I shall relay your email to my team. I am sure each one will be encouraged by your words.

Wishing you and your family a Blessed Chinese New Year too.

With grateful thanks and prayers
Sarah
21 February 2007

—–

Dear Sarah,

Thanks for your kind and encouraging reply! Glad that the email has encouraged you. Thank God.

May you and your colleagues continue to press on in the good work that you are doing for God’s glory. I know your work can be very difficult and draining at times. I am glad you work in a team and can discuss and pray with your colleagues. Do take care and may our Lord continue to bless your labours in Him. May you continue to find much joy in helping and supporting others.

Looking forward to see you again soon on Monday, 26th Feb 2007 for our next session! Trust our Lord will continue to bless our time together. Many thanks again for all your help and support.

“For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.” Hebrews 6:10

“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Galatians 6:9

With appreciation,
Nancie

—

A Tribute to my Counsellor, Sarah

16 April 2007 was my last session with my Counsellor, Sarah because she has ended her training attachment and will be returning to her actual work. I am grateful to God for placing me under Sarah’s care for the last 3 months (since 29 January 2007). I would like to express my deep appreciation and gratefulness to Sarah for helping me to embark on a new journey in my life which is changing my life and my relationships with God and the people in my life in many wonderful ways. Sarah, I will never never forget you. I thank God always for you. I hope you get to read this Tribute I have written especially for you. May God bless and keep you.

Dear Sarah,

Warm greetings to you in the name of our beloved Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ!

Thanks once again for your prayers, listening ears, counsels and encouragements. I have learnt much from our sessions together in the last 3 months. Thank you for your willingness to help me and to go along this journey of self-discovery with me. I will forever thank and praise God for you and your team in the way our Lord is wonderfully using you to help me.

I am thankful to God for causing our paths to cross in such a wonderful way at Counselling and Care Centre during your training sessions there. Surely this is not by coincidence but by God’s providence that I should be seeking help at this particular point of time and you should be under attachment there.

I am grateful to God for hearing my prayers and provided someone like you who is very gentle, caring, sympathetic and encouraging to be my Counsellor. You always see something positive and encouraging that God is doing in all my difficult trials. You constantly seek to help me to see the many mysterious outworking of our faithful God, Who loves us dearly and gave His Son for us, in the various paths I have gone through in the past or are going through now. You have helped me to discover some faulty patterns in my thoughts and feelings which have affected my life and various relationships for so many years. Thanks for slowly helping me to recognise these faulty thought patterns, and change these faulty ways of thinking to more biblical ways, by God’s grace. These are beginning to have such tremendous effects on my life, my relationship with God and others around me. I am thankful to God for providing such a help in you and your willingness to walk through this difficult journey with me. By God’s grace, each session yields some positive outcome. Accumulatively, these new discoveries of self and God’s mercies in them, is beginning to change my life in many wonderful ways. I do look forward to each session with you because I get to know myself better each time, can see more clearer God’s love, mercies and faithfulness and am enabled to improve in my relationships with various people, and also learning to improve in managing the various challenges in my life. Thank God for His mercies and faithfulness!

I trust that when you return to your actual work environment, God will continue to use you to be a blessing to others in need just like the way you have been to me. I have no doubt at all that they will be blessed as I am in their acquaintance with you. You are a very special person who is always gentle, kind, encouraging, uplifting, full of faith and hopeful in the Lord. I will never never forget you and hopefully, by the grace of God, will never forget the precious lessons I am now learning through our sessions together too.

Thank you for sharing my joy and sorrows as I recounted my past history to you. I could sense the deep anguish and pain you feel for me in all my sorrows and trials, and also your delight and joy with me in all my joy. I felt very privilege that you cared for me in this way and I thank God for your kind friendship. It is a tremendous source of strength and support to me in this difficult trial. I know you are praying with me and I want to encourage you, as well as give praise and Glory to God, for His faithfulness and mercies by assuring you that the Lord in His faithfulness is strengthening me each day as I look to Him. Thanks for helping me to identify some of the possible causes of the relapses of my illness and discuss with me how I can better manage them. The many precious lessons we have learnt together in the past months is helping me now to cope better with my illness, with the various challenges in my life, and improve in my relationship with God, my church, my family and people around me. Praise God!

It was hard for me to say goodbye to you yesterday, being our last session together but I know it was necessary in God’s sovereign plan for us. I wish we can remain as friends and keep in touch always. But as you have explained to me that due to some professional ethics, yours and my contacts have to be restricted to this centre and as yesterday was our last session together, our contacts have to terminate there too. I hope I will get to meet you again one day, if God wills, on this earth or if not then, by His mercies, in Heaven when we both see our Lord face to face.

Please take care. I will remember you in my prayers always. May God keep you in His loving care always and bless you in all your various callings. May He continue to make you a blessing and encouragement to His suffering children.

With sincere thanks and prayers,
Nancie
17 April 2007

———————-

Contact Information for Counselling Helps

i) Counselling & Care Centre
Block 536 Upper Cross Street
#05-241 Hong Lim Complex
Singapore 050536
Tel: (65) 6536-6366
Fax: (65) 6536-6356
Email : info@counsel.org.sg
Webwsite : www.counsel.org.sg

ii) Association of Christian Counsellors of Singapore
c/o 422-A Telok Blangah Road
Singapore 098848 (Near Grace Methodist Church)
Tel: 6274-7480 Fax: 62760024
Email: info@accs.org.sg
Website: http://www.accs.org.sg/

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My Coping Strategies:

4a. Exercise