Perspectives in Mental Health Week 3 - Faith

It took me a while to sit down and write this week’s article. This is a little ironic because when I was sketching out the topics for this series, I was most excited for this week. If you know me at all you probably have heard me say this statement a billion times — but as someone who was not born or raised religious, I find that I have a really special relationship with my faith. I’m Christian and I love that I am.

What gave me the push and confidence to write this article was a conversation with a close friend of mine named Kate. Kate is spectacular at asking questions. And when I talk with her I know that I am “seen” (she’d laugh at how cheesy that is) but she’ll ask questions like no other — she gets to the core of one’s character. And after making some gingerbread houses and drinking cups of peppermint lattes, we began talking about our faith. Personally, my faith plays a huge role in my mental health journey. Despite not having gone into detail about my personal life and connection with mental health, all you really have to know is that my faith became the thing that helped me heal from everything that I experienced in the past.

This past Monday marked the one-year anniversary of my baptism. So, this whole journey of “coming to God” is relatively new to me. I find myself still critiquing the way I live my life to be in accordance with what I believe. And I think that is where faith and mental health come hand in hand. I want to recognize the reality of religious trauma and deeply hope that this article doesn’t come off as “forceful” in any way. I just want to be honest about what helps my personal mental health. In my research, I talk to people from all over about their mental health. And it’s only fair of me to ask that question if I am able to answer it myself. In the conversations I have had, not surprisingly, each person has had different answers to what helps their mental health. They all view it differently. And that’s why I have been so adamant about not providing a solution. I think we are so quick to say that XYZ is the “solution” toward “fixing” mental health. And personally, I don’t believe that is the best way to go about things.

We have much to learn from those around us. In this, I have come to sketch out some conclusions in my research. Mental Health is a matter of relationships. Mental Well-being is made up of the relationship we have with ourselves, with others, and with our passions. If we have a good relationship with ourselves but a poor relationship with others or with our passions, we won’t feel satisfied or content. If we have a good relationship with our passions but a poor relationship with others and ourselves, we won’t feel fulfilled with our lives. And obviously, there are levels and nuisances to this framework but these three pillars are often what people talk about when speaking about mental health.

Each pillar requires a level of work, it fluctuates with time and circumstance and can be affected by prior experiences. And in the midst of all of this people often turn towards something that gives them hope to pursue better and healthier relationships. And therefore, while religion and spirituality are arguably good, one can still struggle in the midst of their goodness. Food is good, water is good, enjoyment is good, the community is good, education is good, faith and religion are good, but just like anything in the world, while something may be inherently “good”, it can be used by people to create damage. It is not to say the object itself is bad; but the execution of how it is experienced, equipped, or used can make it harmful. And so it’s good to make that distinction early on. You will struggle with the relationships you have even in the midst of something good because that is just part of the human experience we call life.

And so there is something to say about how mental health is still relevant and real in the spheres of religion/spirituality. While it can be stigmatized in circles, mental health undeniably exists. Our solutions or avenues of conversation may differ depending on our culture, religion, or background, but ultimately health is health and it exists no matter what.

All of this is to say: you may have faith, and you may struggle with it, but that does not eliminate its legitimacy. After all, that is part of the “journey”.

My life has grown exponentially better because of the people in my life — Kate is a reminder of that. Through faith, I have learned that all the good, the bad, and the things in-between, rest in a pool of joy. I have found great joy in all the trials faced. And have found great gratitude in all the relationships I have!