Are Mental Health issues a form of Possession????

[Femster]

I was recently diagnosed as Bipolar 2- something i  most definately did not ask for, now did i wish or desire to have.

 

Long road to it , too.

 

My thoughts- if a christian develops something like this, and no matter what Satan throws at them, will NOT walk away from God ( i have gotten angry and warned him i will walk), do you belive it could be the ultimate form of possession, designed to break one's spirit and mind so that no one will isten to them??? I can se eit as the ULTIMATEway for Satan to attempt to discredit testimony about God from these people, like me.

 

Thoughts? Ideas???

I can handle repsonses. its like i am operating on 2 levels- my logical "vulcan"mind, that knows God, and my emotional mind, but the 2 seem disconnected. ( ye si love Star Trek).

The more i seem to fight Satan the worse my depression gets- and i am scared if i let go, i will not come back to my right mind. Whihch i know is stupid as God has me- but its very scary.

 

I have had 2 nervous breakdowns- and always said i wouldnt come back from a 3rd- which is what i feel like i am in the middle of.

 

 

 

Edited June 7, 2015 by Femster

[LifeHiscost]

I was recently diagnosed as Bipolar 2- something i  most definately did not ask for, now did i wish or desire to have.

 

 

 

 

​I (we) had a friend that had someone she was acquainted with, who was diagnosed as bi-polar. The one who was bi-polar took advantage of the Christian's (SDA) graces, the efforts lasting nearly ten years till her husband set his foot down and wouldn't allow the bi-polar individual set foot on their property any longer. If this were the only reason I had to continue leaning on Jesus, that I might be a word of encouragement to my sister in Christ, to God's glory, I wouldn't desire to leave Him as I would feel I might be the one God had found to give the one suffering from the bi-polar, not to mention the stronger Christian sister, praying for both of them to find their way home in heaven.

Never discount the power of prayer, especially since it gives God the right to enter another person's life, according to the promises of the Word. If you don't know for sure that someone else is praying for the results you want to see, it always helps to seek out someone willing to pray with you.

19"Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. 20"For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst."...Matthew 18

God is Love!  Jesus saves! 

[Gail]

Prayer... And if it responds to medication count it a gift of God that the right doctor tried the right thing!

[B/W Photodude]

I had a chat with a missionary from another church once and we discussed demon possession. She noted that demonic possession was far more common in other countries and nearly non-existent in western countries in the usual presentation of demon possession. She surmised that part of why we do not see it as much in western countries is that we are too sophisticated (non-religous, non-believing). We discussed how the workings of Satan were tailor made for the culture he was working with. Interesting discussion.

I have also noted that you will incur a fair amount of derision is you attempt to draw a connection between demon possession and mental illness especially in a professional setting. I tend to believe that some forms of mental health issues are possession, but will not go beyond that and certainly will not judge any one specifically as being possessed. I think that the surest way to tell if someone is possessed is when Jesus is standing right there and the demons will then immediately let you know that a possession is present. Of course, it was also noted on one occasion with the Apostles:

"It happened that as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave-girl having a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing her masters much profit by fortune-telling. Following after Paul and us, she kept crying out, saying, "These men are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation."… Acts 16:16,17

[JoeMo]

Hi Femster,

My hearth goes out to you with the hell you must be going through.  My oldest son suffered from bipolar disease.  As long as he stayed the course on his medication, he was controlled and coltrollable.  However, after several months of feeling OK, he would think he was "cured"; stop his medication abruptly; and go off the deep end a few days later; only to be forced to take his meds again.

Bottom line - TAKE YOUR MEDS - even when you feel under control.

As far as deminic pocession and mental illness goes, I can't say whether or not mental illnes is the result of or the same as mental illness.  However, I will propose that at the very least, mental illness provides a huge channel for satan to "enteq'r someone;  and the disorganized mind may not be able to distinguish self-talk from the voice of satan.

 

Father God, in the Name of Jesus, set up a fortress around Femster's mind that cannot be penetrated by the evil one!  Quiet and calm her mind, Lord!  Give her the conviction to keep on her meds; and to NEVER give up calling out to you for help.  There is NO mental illness in heaven!  We claim "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven"!  We pray the Kingdom over Fem; that there will be no mental illness where she dwells, either.

[Liz]

The brain is an amazing organ, it functions 24/7/365, and it does literally everything to keep one alive. It deals with electrical impulses, fluids and chemicals. Sometimes when one or more of those things goes wrong, strange things happen, if the electrical impulse misfires then one can have a seizure, if the chemicals get imbalanced then mental illness disorders occurs. Drugs and psychotherapy will usually get this imbalance back on track.

People who are demon possessed normally don't realize that they are possessed or that they even have a problem. Other people can pick up on a possessed person though.

Work with your doctor and don't stop taking your meds, and please see a psychotherapist they can give you exercises to help with the depression and anything else you are dealing with. <3

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

mental illness is not a form of possession...

Satan can *use* the illness to do evil things, but he's much more interested in using "normal" people to do his work...

[Gregory Matthews]

Possession may be real.  However, mental illness is not a form of possession.  Minute changes in the chemistry of the brain can cause major changes in the person's perception of reality and their actions.  Medications often simply  attempt to normalize the chemistry of the brain.  this is in the same sense of a diabetic who takes medications to normalize physical functioning.

 

[joeb]

I was recently diagnosed as Bipolar 2- something i  most definately did not ask for, now did i wish or desire to have.

 

Long road to it , too.

 

My thoughts- if a christian develops something like this, and no matter what Satan throws at them, will NOT walk away from God ( i have gotten angry and warned him i will walk), do you belive it could be the ultimate form of possession, designed to break one's spirit and mind so that no one will isten to them??? I can se eit as the ULTIMATEway for Satan to attempt to discredit testimony about God from these people, like me.

 

Thoughts? Ideas???

I can handle repsonses. its like i am operating on 2 levels- my logical "vulcan"mind, that knows God, and my emotional mind, but the 2 seem disconnected. ( ye si love Star Trek).

The more i seem to fight Satan the worse my depression gets- and i am scared if i let go, i will not come back to my right mind. Whihch i know is stupid as God has me- but its very scary.

 

I have had 2 nervous breakdowns- and always said i wouldnt come back from a 3rd- which is what i feel like i am in the middle of.

 

 

 

​I'm really sorry you're going through this.  I think it is sometimes attacks by the devil.  Other times it can be caused by imbalances in the body. 

I've been attacked over the years by the devil.  It's not a pleasant thing to go through.  Hang in there and keep in a constant attitude of prayer.  What I would do is the second I felt the attack coming on I would go to God in prayer and tell Him this was beyond my power to fight and that this was His fight.  The attacks would often end in a very short time.  From having tears streaming down my face to being at peace in a matter of minutes. 

God is there for you.  Never, Never, give up.  I do believe that God can use you for when you come out the other side of this your faith and experience will be a mighty testimony for God. 

I will be praying for you.

[LifeHiscost]

Prayer... And if it responds to medication count it a gift of God that the right doctor tried the right thing!

​

God is Love!  Jesus saves! 

[LifeHiscost]

 

 

Father God, in the Name of Jesus, set up a fortress around Femster's mind that cannot be penetrated by the evil one!  Quiet and calm her mind, Lord!  Give her the conviction to keep on her meds; and to NEVER give up calling out to you for help.  There is NO mental illness in heaven!  We claim "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven"!  We pray the Kingdom over Fem; that there will be no mental illness where she dwells, either.

​In Jesus name we thank You for listening and answering this prayer, according to your will. Amen!

10'Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven....Matthew 6

 

God is Love!  Jesus saves!

[B/W Photodude]

Possession may be real.  However, mental illness is not a form of possession.

​I would not call mental illness a possession, but I also don't think some (or anyone) can really tell the difference between a psychotic break or other mental illnesses and possession. How would you be 100% sure what you were looking at?

[debbym]

those who went about to kill Jesus were demon controlled.  they lead very responsible, successful lives, held positions of power and influence in their society, they were still controlled by demons.

struggles with one's mental health is certainly an experience that can interfere with one's patterns of prayer, and devotion and lifestyle, but it cannot separate you from God's love, neither height nor depth nor angels no demons, ....nor anything else in all creation can separate you from the Love of God given to you in Christ Jesus.

May God grow you through these trials, he is faithful who will never leave you nor forsake you.

You are loved and perfectly understood by your redeemer and restorer.

God bless.

[Naomi]

In the first place, I do not believe that it is in any way a form of being demon possessed; it is a physical,  chemical issue.   To add to what others have posted and most recently Deb's, it can not separate you from God's love; only you can do that.  When we are ill, either mentally or physically it is often difficult to focus on Bible study, prayer or any type of spiritual meditation.   That is one good reason to work to keep our mind and body in as good of condition ... health wise ... as possible.  That being said, there are things we cannot control.  Your bi-polar is one; no you did not deserve it but it is the result of our living on a sinful planet.  Many of us here live with serious health issues, being in daily pain is difficult.  However, as with bi-polar we must trust in the Doctors to treat us with the best possible medicines and advice.  I understand that it is difficult ... sometimes I think I don't need that any longer and only make my issues more painful.  God gave us the professionals to help us along in this life ... it is our choice to follow their advice, and continue our walk with our Lord.  Tell the old devil to take a hike!

 

Edited June 9, 2015 by Naomi

[joeb]

In the first place, I do not believe that it is in any way a form of being demon possessed; it is a physical,  chemical issue.   To add to what others have posted and most recently Deb's, it can not separate you from God's love; only you can do that.  When we are ill, either mentally or physically it is often difficult to focus on Bible study, prayer or any type of spiritual meditation.   That is one good reason to work to keep our mind and body in as good of condition ... health wise ... as possible.  That being said, there are things we cannot control.  Your bi-polar is one; no you did not deserve it but it is the result of our living on a sinful planet.  Many of us here live with serious health issues, being in daily pain is difficult.  However, as with bi-polar we must trust in the Doctors to treat us with the best possible medicines and advice.  I understand that it is difficult ... sometimes I think I don't need that any longer and only make my issues more painful.  God gave us the professionals to help us along in this life ... it is our choice to follow their advice, and continue our walk with our Lord.  Tell the old devil to take a hike!

​The problem with this is that it is often difficult to find a professional who is also a firm believer in the healing power of God.  Many a professional will either outright tell a person that any religion in their life is one of the factors in their problem, or subtly influence them away from trusting in God.  I would say that professionals have a part to play, but first and foremost is our relationship with God.  Maintaining a constant attitude of prayer is the most powerful tool available to anyone. 

[LifeHiscost]

​

those who went about to kill Jesus were demon controlled.  they lead very responsible, successful lives, held positions of power and influence in their society, they were still controlled by demons.

struggles with one's mental health is certainly an experience that can interfere with one's

May God grow you through these trials, he is faithful who will never leave you nor forsake you.

You are loved and perfectly understood by your redeemer and restorer.

God bless.

​

God is Love!  Jesus saves! 

[CoAspen]

We should make careful that in no way is any disease even considered to be the result of a less than ideal 'relationship' w/God. God may heal someone, but that is not the rule. We leave in a world where the most perfectly healthy person can become stricken with cancer, even w/o a genetic component.  God has given persons the ability to study and understand the human mind. It is a truth that religion may have had had a negative impact on a persons life. That is different than saying the person should not trust in a higher power, if that is their choice.

Edited June 10, 2015 by CoAspen

[Lauralea]

Femster I am really really sorry you are having these problems and I would encourage you to get the best medical help available in the form of appropriate medications from a psychiatrist who has had experience treating this type of disorder. If you do not relate well to the first one you use or the first psychiatrist you consult, please do not give up.  I know 2 bipolar individuals who are also schizophrenic and are both Christians and who when they are on their meds it is like night and day. They cannot be off them or they just are a danger to themselves or are unable to function. I believe bipolar disorder to be based on a chemical imbalance. Talk therapy can help some, but as a secondary thing to help make good logical choices. Prayer is always a blessing when positive and constructive. A healthy balanced diet is also good, and getting enough polyunsaturated fats from fish if you eat it or  flaxseed if you don't, may be beneficial as well. Moderate walking is also helpful because it reduces both anxiety and depression

Satan harasses and causes problems for us in a lot of ways. This is one, but having problems is different than being possessed. Prayers, Laura

Edited June 10, 2015 by Lauralea

[Lauralea]

PS Even though drugs are necessary, they do need to be monitored  to reduce the risk of side effects.

[Naomi]

​The problem with this is that it is often difficult to find a professional who is also a firm believer in the healing power of God.  Many a professional will either outright tell a person that any religion in their life is one of the factors in their problem, or subtly influence them away from trusting in God.  I would say that professionals have a part to play, but first and foremost is our relationship with God.  Maintaining a constant attitude of prayer is the most powerful tool available to anyone. 

​You make a somewhat-valid point, Prayer is a most important tool.  Sometimes the un-medicated mind is  just not mentally able to stay in that constant attitude of prayer.  On-the-other-hand, most of the medical professionals that I know really do not get into the spiritual aspects of our  health.  It is a blessing to find a good christian Physician (if their theology is similar) who believe in prayer/faith healing.   However, for most issues, the Dr is someone who does the very best that they are capable of to take care of the chemical imbalance/pain/cancer/heart, etc. ... Their job is to emphasize the importance of  followup on a timely manner and give advice about good health practices, exercises, etc.

 Our  pastors, elders, trusted friends from church are those who will be the best prayer/study partners.  Opening and reading the Bible is a good practice for us all.

Edited June 10, 2015 by Naomi
correct incomplete thought

[Naomi]

PS Even though drugs are necessary, they do need to be monitored  to reduce the risk of side effects.

​ABSOLUTELY!!!

 

[JoeMo]

Don't worry about becoming "addicted" to your meds.  There is a difference between being "addicted" and being "medically dependent".  If you need your meds to effectively control your disease and are incapacitated without them, you are medically dependent. From my experience with my son, he was medically dependent on his drugs to function normally.  otherwise he constantly heard voices and saw "cellophane people" living between the window panes.  To me, seeing things and hearing voices is a potential sign of demonic harassment.  The devil can take advantage of a spiritually unprotected and imbalanced mind (my son wasn't a seeker or believer at the time).

[Femster]

Hello all,

Thanks for your replies. and Prayers.

 

it took over 10 years to getthis diagnosis. I admit that sometimes i havent picked up the bible in months, but God knows i have literally struggled, and i know that the almost electric shocks everytimne i did, or the bad things that happened just afterwards, were a direct attack from Satan.

Not that i am planning this- but especially for Christians to know- about suicide. If a mentally Ill Christian in one of the down periods takes their own life, because of the chemical imbalance, do you think God would for give them for it? It is out of theri control, and God knowing we live in an imperfect and sinful world, I am sure would love the mentally ill person eve more  because they have been fighting it for a long time.

 

I have been fighting depression for over 30 years- my parents ( who i no longer talk to), KNEW i had it, had the referral to a child psychologist, but REFUSED to take me- their belief was "she will get over it, she doesnt need medication, it wont make any difference etc etc. when the clearly KNEW better than that. So by the time i had my first breakdown/suicide attempt at 23, it had well and truly established a foothold to this day that will not loosen.

 

I have also been diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder, Anxiety, Major Depression, possibly now also PTSD, and a new possible one is Panic Disorder.

Quite a handful to deal with- i am sure my chronic pain levels ( which one doctor believes were all in my head however i was diagnosed as having Fibromyalgia over 10 years ago which the former GP didnt believe was a medical condition but a previous one i trusted did).

I like how my former Doctor also said all my physical ailments were in my head- yet when the pain became so unberable i wen tover his head to my specialsists, i was proved right every time. I have to ld the community mental health service here ( which unfortunatle he is the in charge of) NEVER to send any of my information or history to him. If he was the doctor in charge if i had a hospital admission, i would ask to see another one as i will NOT be seen by him to his constant misdiagnses of me- and there are a  FEW.

I am sure all of this has made my mental health conditions worse. 

 

I do know that God has everything in HIs Hands and under His control, and that i will not be allwoed to go through more than what i can handle, but this relaly has me wondering at what point God will say She has done enough, i will take it from her, or relive her pain,  etc etc.

 

Something to ponder.

I do know in my darkest days i have prayed for God to allow me to die overnight- as i said to Him in some tlaks- God i KNOW you love me and want whats best- but i simply cannot do this anymore with this. PLEASE let me die overnight, or never wake up, becaus ei know i am making things worse for family and friends aorund me with these conditions.

 

Even being on meds, i prayed this as little as 3 days ago.

If deprssion isnt a form of Possession but indeed a Satanic  attack tool, ( via the chemical imbalance/ electrical) , at what point does it start? where?  is Satan using the chemical imbalance to get to us, or is he creating it and then using it to his advantage????

 

Many questions only a Christian therapise  with a true udnerstanding of God could possibly comprehend.

 

I am seeing apsychiatrist as well as a psychologist- and under the care of a Mental Health team ( one of which i know through my alpaca breeding- he treates me with nothing other than respect and dignity). i do undertsand this is now alifelong condition- akin to Diabetes of the Brain- however i would relaly like NOT to have it for the rest of my life.

[LifeHiscost]

Hello all,

Thanks for your replies. and Prayers.

If deprssion isnt a form of Possession but indeed a Satanic  attack tool, ( via the chemical imbalance/ electrical) , at what point does it start? where?  is Satan using the chemical imbalance to get to us, or is he creating it and then using it to his advantage????

 

Many questions only a Christian therapise  with a true udnerstanding of God could possibly comprehend.

 

 

​Dear Femster,

Your story is not lost on me as a husband of 36 years to a woman who was chronically ill almost right from the "I do". I want to answer your post more thoroughly but I need to take a break from the computer in order to fix lunch. For now, just don't let go of God. Remember He is love and He only permits in our lives that which is designed to permit the greatest reward when we enter the kingdom. Remember, Samson came to the place where his circumstances were intolerable here on this earth, and yet he is listed among the faithful. And my own wife's reliance upon Jesus has made me a better person, with confidence in hope of the coming King.

Never give up and keep hanging on to the Lord of glory.

…3Trust in the LORD and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. 4Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart. 5Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.…Psalms 37

God is Love!  Jesus saves! 

 

[joeb]

​You make a somewhat-valid point, Prayer is a most important tool.  Sometimes the un-medicated mind is  just not mentally able to stay in that constant attitude of prayer.  On-the-other-hand, most of the medical professionals that I know really do not get into the spiritual aspects of our  health.  It is a blessing to find a good christian Physician (if their theology is similar) who believe in prayer/faith healing.   However, for most issues, the Dr is someone who does the very best that they are capable of to take care of the chemical imbalance/pain/cancer/heart, etc. ... Their job is to emphasize the importance of  followup on a timely manner and give advice about good health practices, exercises, etc.

 Our  pastors, elders, trusted friends from church are those who will be the best prayer/study partners.  Opening and reading the Bible is a good practice for us all.

​Ah, but in their moments of being in reality they can reach out to God, and God will always understand their situation when they cannot.  He is always ready, able, and willing to heal and He will make up the difference.  That's what He does with all of us.  When we were not following Him He was following us and reaching out to us to heal.  To not acknowledge that He will do the same for those who cannot always reach out to Him to fill their needs is doing Him an injustice.