May is Mental Health Month; and the month of Mary…how the two are linked
On more than one occasion I have shared with a patient or parent who is struggling about my own mental health struggles, especially when I was younger. What I talk about less often, unless I know a patient or family will be receptive, is the role that faith played in my recovery. I consider myself lucky; I know that one reason people drift from their faith is when they have been hurt by a person or multiple people in the church they were affiliated with. Although I didn’t always feel like I knew my place, I never had an experience that drove me away; in fact my conscious decision to get involved in my church community when I arrived at college probably saved my life.
We all have wounds; some have more obvious wounds, sometimes called the big T trauma, and some of us have more subtle wounds. In my life I have tried to cover my wounds with all sorts of things. The first thing to come to mind is food, but others include staying so busy I can’t think, trying to soothe a heartache with alcohol, and trying to lose myself in relationships. I cringe when I think about these things, as I have always prided myself on being responsible, studious, and independent…but that word pride is likely where I go wrong time and time again.
So what is the answer to pride then? Trust me, I think there are times that we just have to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and put one foot in front of the other. But as humans, we were never meant to manage this life alone, even the most introverted of us. More often than not, people are put into our lives, right when we need them, if we have our eyes open. The answer to my question is humility, which is how I bring this back to the blessed virgin Mary. For Catholics and other Christians, Mary is our ultimate example of humility, of accepting the unknown, but putting one foot in front of the other that God will provide whatever is needed for our particular journey. I think my own healing began long before I ever started feeling better…it was when I stumbled into the campus chapel, not knowing what I was looking for, as I knew daily mass was over, but I knew I was looking. Our campus minister happened to be there, and just sat next to me. I don’t think I shared a word, and she didn’t say a word, but I think it was the start…the start of realizing that I had become ungrounded, and that I needed to make a conscious decision to either ground myself or lose myself forever. From that point on, even though I had (and still have) a lot of growing to do spiritually, I knew where my home base was. With time, including spending time in music ministry, in prayer, and quite a few medication changes, I did find my way out of that darkness.
If you are struggling, please take a look at what is keeping you grounded, and if the answer is nothing, your first step is to find an anchor. Some may not want to hear this, but the data is clear that having a strong faith life improves outcomes for mental and physical health. If it’s been a while since you’ve been to church, your temple, your mosque, or other religious home, I highly recommend you start there. If you have wounds related to an experience you had in a religious community I highly recommend you talk to a pastor (or similar religious person) for support in processing those wounds. Lean in to your faith, look at the saints and find one that speaks to you. In this month of the blessed virgin Mary, pray the rosary (especially if it’s been a while), go to adoration of the blessed sacrament, or find a form of consecration to Mary that speaks to you. When it comes to the worst of mental illness, none of us can do it alone, but with help, we can. For me, the blessed mother shows me, what I’m blind to when I try to do it alone.
OUR LADY OF MENTAL PEACE PRAYER
O Lady of Mental Peace,
Mother of Tranquility and
Mother of Hope,
look upon me in this time
of disquiet and weakness.
Still my restless spirit,
teach my searching heart to know
that God’s love for me
is unchanging and that the suffering
which He may will for me now
is to draw me closer to Him.
Let thy gentle peace and His —
which the world cannot give —
be always with me, that I may
be sanctified: and then:
I beseech thee
for the grace to bring this
peace to others.
Jesus, My Savior, I give myself
entirely to Thee through Mary:
Our Lady of Mental Peace,
pray for me!
(Credit to https://www.catholictradition.org/Mary/mental-peace.htm)