Religion and “Blessed with Bipolar”
The question, “When did this become about religion?” was recently asked on my book’s Facebook page, Blessed with Bipolar, and I felt the need to give some clarification. So, here are my thoughts about the place of faith and non-faith on that Facebook page:
- All are welcome to post their comments, suggestions, theories of man (and woman), philosophical anthropology, bipolar and non-bipolar experiences, and rules for living – regardless of faith or non-faith.
- I attempted to write my book, Blessed with Bipolar, in a way that would make it accessible to people of every faith and non-faith in the hope that all will be able to benefit from the book.
- I have learned from – and been helped by – people of various faiths, atheists, people whose faith never became known to me, Christians of numerous different denominations, and people whose faith is very similar to my own. The psychiatrist I have been seeing since the late 1990′s is a middle eastern man of Arab descent. He has never discussed his faith with me, but I doubt that it is the same as mine. That has not kept me from trusting him and being helped by him. My counselor was raised a Catholic and I do not know what his faith or non-faith is now. What is important is that he has sincere respect for my faith, works to understand the role it plays in my life, and knows that it is essential to my treatment.
- There is nothing more important to me than my relationship with Jesus Christ. I have given my life to Him and believe that He is the Son of God who died on the Cross to pay the penalty that we fully deserve for our sins, rose from the dead, ascended into heaven, and will come again to judge the living and the dead. I respect everybody’s right not to believe as I do, but I will never back away from my faith for anybody – not one inch. The attorneys who opposed me in my lawsuit against St. Thomas University School of Law attempted to use my faith against me. That only made me express it all the more fully.
- Christ appears right on the first page of “Blessed with Bipolar” and fills the book in a way that I believe can benefit all people. The book, in various places, will offend Christians, non-Christians, and Atheists. One person on another site wrote, “These Blessed with Bipolar ads on Facebook really piss me off.” And I wrote, “Any book that does not piss some people off isn’t worth reading.” I’m not exactly what you might typically think of when you think, “Christian.”
- Everybody is welcome to present well-thought-out disagreements with each other on any issue including faith – as long as those disagreements are supported by facts and sound, respectful reasoning. Personal attacks of any kind will be deleted and may result in the poster being blocked.
I gave my life to Christ in 1988 when I was first hospitalized for a severe episode of suicidal major depression for two months. I believed that I would never be discharged and nothing helped – not elavil, imipramine, trilafon, or ativan, not psychiatry or psychology – until a former alcoholic told me his story of how he had destroyed his life before coming to Christ. He left a booklet of scripture with me that I clearly did not fully understand – and never fully will – but the simple act of reading those bible verses made me feel a moment’s small bit of peace that I had not come close to feeling in a long, long time and did not deserve. A peace that I had believed I would never feel again. So, I kept reading until one day I literally fell to my knees on the floor of my psych ward room and gave my life to Christ. Things did Not immediately turn perfect. But I started to believe that my many sins could be forgiven and that I had some chance of not going to Hell. It took a good deal of time for me to be fully convinced. It was about 10 months after I came to Christ that my depression lifted. Since then, my faith has continued to grow through many doubts, trials, anger at God, fights with God, the sin that I still daily commit, changes in churches, mania, depression, rage, joy, job losses, an expulsion from law school, representing myself in a lawsuit against the school, and writing “Blessed with Bipolar.”
It is not my job to try to force anyone to believe in Christ. Jesus, Himself, never did that. But He did say, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me,” (John 14:6) and “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” (John 3:16-18) Those are not my words. They are the words of Jesus Christ.
I believe Jesus when He said that putting your faith in Him is the only way to get to heaven. And it is my obligation to God, as a Christian, to proclaim that message. You are free to accept or reject that message, but know that it is not my message. It is the Word of Christ Jesus that you accept or reject. Your agreement or disagreement is not with me, but with Him.
My relationship with Jesus is the most important thing in my life. I respect your right to believe differently and I welcome you to express your faith or non-faith on my Facebook sites. But Jesus Christ, His Words, and verses from scripture will most certainly be a part of my “Blessed with Bipolar” Facebook page. If that costs me readers, so be it. I follow a Man who was so thoroughly rejected by this world that it nailed him to a cross and let him hang there until it had killed him. So, it is quite “natural” that a good number of people will disagree with me. I’ll try to love you anyway, the best I can.
Richard Jarzynka Author of Blessed with Bipolar follow on Facebook
on May 4th, 2010 at 10:54 PM
Richard,
That was a well thought out response and reading posts on Facebook I can tell that you are a committed Christian, I am not but I do have a strong belief that if it works for you then there is nothing wrong with it, because I am not so single mindedly arrogant that I believe my beliefs (which by the way are still a work in progress) are the only ones which are correct. All I ask from anyone is they don’t ‘shove’ their religion down my throat… I don’t believe you or anyone here does that.
I believe we are here to gain some form of understanding and support for our condition and I will say again that I love the twist you have put on bipolar as it being blessed… for me it is just a part of who I am and it is up to me to not only accept it but to embrace it as well.
Am I perfect, no… Do I aim for perfection again no I strive to be the best person and mother I can be and as long as I don’t intentionally hurt anyone in the process there is nothing more I can ask of myself, also if I can offer someone an ear or my support and understanding then again there is nothing more I can ask of myself.
on April 1st, 2011 at 3:59 PM
Richard, you are an inspiration to me and I’m sure many other sufferers that you reach with your message. Christ DID die for our sins and He IS the way, the truth and the light. I lost my way but then found my faith again several years ago by way of a coworker who showed me the path back to God and my uncle Charlie, who I love so dearly and who is the most dedicated man of God I’ve ever known personally. Because of them and my faith, I am here today to tell my story. I was broken, so broken and hospitalized five years ago because of my bipolar disorder, but now I am most secure in my faith and my love for Jesus Christ and our Father in Heaven and want to assure those who do want to come to God to do so without hesitation. He will protect and provide for those who put their faith and trust in Him. Thank you Richard for speaking out on our mental illness and being so encouraging and helpful.
Many thanks,
Jeannie Hunt
on April 1st, 2011 at 4:30 PM
I was first diagnosed with depression and started going to a Christian Based Therapist and agonist Psychiatrist. It did not matter to me what they were. They were there to help me. I am a Christian by the way.
Since I have been on mood stabilizers approximately 2003 my manic episodes have decreased and I do not get as ‘high’ as I call it. Now it seems my low never ends. I feel empty inside most of the time. I know part of it is that I have drifted away from the church but yet I cannot find the ‘fight’ in me to start back. The other day I figured out how to describe myself. I am an ember waiting to became a flame. One starts a fire with a match that flares up and then you touch it to tender and baby it to make it grow and start giving of its warmth. I am waiting for something that will give me a reason to flare up so to speak. I know I need to start fighting again but I have no fight. I am just languishing. I live in a rural area so the choice of Doctors is very limited nor are there any Psychiatrist. I look at bigger cities for a Doctor but I really cannot afford the drive…I feel I am trapped and I do want out.
When I found this web site I felt it was the one place that I could really say what I felt and be understood. I hope it will help me to find my ‘fight’ again.
Judy Prather
on April 1st, 2011 at 7:40 PM
Judith, I was so touched when I read your comment. I am not bipolar but I am the grandmother of an 18 year old bipolar who has struggled, and is struggling with her disease. I am also a Christian and have spent much time in prayer for this granddaughter. My daughter and I live in a small town and there was no one who could help us either and we faced frustration every day. I know my granddaughter’s only hope is in Christ, because He can heal every disease and bring peace to every heart. The problem, as with you, is finding the strength to fight for faith. For that is what it is all about. If you grab just a little faith and start searching God’s Word, your faith will grow. I have faith and God takes wonderful care of me but it is so hard sometimes when we don’t see results! I just keep reminding myself that it will come in His time, not mine. Please don’t give up.
on April 1st, 2011 at 7:50 PM
Richard, you’re spreading and sharing with a community of peers, and maybe some nonpeers? But I believe you’ve got to have faith of some sort to have made it this far. I have been following you for years now, and I trust you speak from the heart. I appreciate what you do. May God bless you for that!
on April 3rd, 2011 at 6:03 AM
For Judy, I read ur post. I also read what a woman’s reply to you suggested. I know she means well. I also know that with depression comes a difficulty focusing. So, therefore, I do wonder if it might not prove too tedious a task….? Perhaps on CD you would find easier to comprehend, if indeed you have found yourself rendered so from depression’s effect on brain and reading comprehension. I have seen them at our goodwill, sometimes Christian bookstores have them marked down. Don’t get discouraged if that too doesn’t bring desired results, once listening. You won’t stay this exact mood forever, BiPolar cycles. Yes BP gives new meaning to “come full circle,” its one big hug of moods. God willing no psychotic breaks! Lol then the voices won’t be coming from the cd player…. hehehehehe God bless.