Faith and Mental Health

Hello and welcome back to my blog! It’s officially Easter Weekend, and I know many of you will be celebrating Easter this weekend. I, myself, am a practicing Catholic, and am looking forward to Easter and the celebration of the resurrection of Christ.

I am writing this blog for people of all faiths and religions, particularly for those who are struggling with their mental health or know others who are struggling with their mental health. During my dark times with my mental health, during my bouts with depression and even when I was experiencing negative side effects from the medication that I took to treat my diagnosed bipolar disorder, I prayed to God for help and guidance. I believe that without my steadfast faith in God, I would not have had the strength to overcome my struggles with my mental health and the negative side effects from my medication.

Now I realize that not everyone is religious, but I have always adhered to one particular Bible verse that has always given me strength. Jeremiah 29:11 states, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

I essentially believe this Bible verse could be titled “God’s Plan” because I truly believe that God has a plan to prosper every single person on Earth, whether that person believes in God or not. God loves everyone and wants the best for everyone. This is important to understand because when one struggles with one’s mental health, one may not realize that the hardships will not last eternally. Our struggles with mental health is definitely equivalent to adversity that we can and will overcome, and faith in God (whichever religion one may believe in) only helps us become strong in the presence of mental health struggles.

For those of you who don’t believe in God, I am not trying to impose my religious belief on you. For those of you who aren’t Christian or Catholic, I am not trying to make you believe in the God that I believe in. I am aware and respectful of the various religious beliefs, as well as those who don’t believe in a religion at all. This blog isn’t meant to induce a debate on the power or existence of God either. Instead, this blog is meant for me to demonstrate how my faith in God has given me strength to overcome my mental health struggles, as well as the fortitude to overcome my negative side effects from the medications that I took to treat my bipolar disorder. These side effects were definitely difficult to manage, as they resulted in me gaining a lot of weight, dealing with memory loss as well as drowsiness and occasional nausea.

In short, I hope this blog helps you to gain faith in God and in turn strength when experiencing mental health struggles. Trust me, God has done wonderful things and only wants everyone to live prosperous lives. As Easter approaches us, I wish you all who celebrate Easter and happy Easter!

Thank you for reading my blog! If you would like to subscribe to my blog, you can do so by providing your email at the bottom of the home page. Also, I’d appreciate it if you shared my blog with your friends and family. In addition, if you would like to ask me questions about my mental health experience or would like me to write about specific mental health or fitness topics of your choice, feel free to email me at jessepliu@gmail.com. I am definitely always looking forward to writing about topics that are of interest to others!