Faith Or Medicine
Faith Or Medicine to treat Mental Illness? Why not both? Studies found that patients who believe in God or a higher power. Have a better response to treatment than patients with very little or no faith. Many clinicians believe this plays an integral part in treating patients and have adjusted their treatment plans accordingly. Patients who believe in something other than themselves tend to be more optimistic and worry far less. The specific religious affiliation didn’t matter either. The commonality of having one was the only similarity that mattered.
Faith Or Science
Pharmaceutical scientists manufacture and create medicines that can help save lives. They discover, prepare, test, and dispense them in an attempt to treat, cure, and help extend patients’ lives. The purpose of a longer and better quality of life should be the primary reason medications are designed. Unfortunately, that’s often not the case, and the pharmaceutical industry has become a trillion-dollar for-profit business. However, there are still a lot of great medicines that help treat a multitude of diseases.
Medicine For Chemical Imbalance
When sin entered the world, God knew we would need Medicine for various reasons. Chemical imbalance happens when the brain has too many or not enough norepinephrine (noradrenaline), serotonin, or dopamine, the brain’s primary neurotransmitters. The first two are related to mood disorders like depression and bipolar. At the same time, dopamine is related to psychotic disorders like schizophrenia. People with schizophrenia and bipolar disorders may need psychotherapy, behavioral therapy, and medication to help combat the symptoms. There are ways to try and balance the brain naturally (in other words, increase dopamine levels), like getting enough sleep, exercising, and eating a balanced diet. But, of course, God can heal all of our sicknesses or disease, which is why he sent Jesus to die for us.
Faith And Therapy
The decision to take Medicine for any illness is a personal one, and you should spend time in prayer to hear what God has to say. In my twenties, medication was recommended for anxiety and depression when I was going through therapy. I was never against it. It just never happened. I found techniques that have worked for me thus far. However, If I found it difficult to function and felt like God was leading me to try medication to be my best self, I’d certainly give it a try.
Medicine For Sickness
My Sister was in her late thirties when she started to experience heart palpitations. Her heart would start racing out of nowhere even while she was resting. Around the same time, she started complaining about an overall feeling of not feeling well. For weeks, she would complain about being congested, with an itchy throat and clogged sinuses. Being a person who suffers from allergies, I told her it sounded like she was now dealing with them too. So she began taking allergy medication but was still suffering from the symptoms.
Her doctor ordered some bloodwork and suggested she see a cardiologist and an allergy doctor. The cardiologist performed an EKG and instructed her to wear a heart monitor. Both tests came back normal, but the heart palpitations persisted. In addition, she had developed allergies, so she began allergy shots to help combat those symptoms. A thyroid issue that the doctor wanted to watch closely was also discovered.
Faith Over Peri-Menopause
The heart palpitations continued and remained a concern. You couldn’t be near my Sister for long before she asked you to feel her heart racing or check her pulse. Then she started experiencing hot flashes along and insomnia. She wondered if the allergies were causing insomnia (the allergy shots were not working at this point) or something else.
My Sister was having a difficult time for her, and she had become slightly paranoid with every new change in her body or symptom. Finally, after telling one of our Aunts what she was dealing with, my Sister discovered that my grandmother went through peri-menopause in her late thirties. Armed with that information, she spoke with her doctor, who said it was early for peri-menopause. But, early or not, based on what other women who had or were going through peri-menopause told her, she was sure this was the cause for the medical issues she was experiencing.
Faith Over Disorders
Before this, my Sister only went to the doctor for her annual check-ups. Now she was dealing with heart palpitations and a thyroid issue (which, thank goodness, she wasn’t having problems with), but it was still a lot. She went back and forth to doctors to ensure there wasn’t anything more serious. It was around this time that she experienced her first anxiety and panic attack, and while that was her first and only panic attack, the anxiety remained.
It didn’t take much research to discover that anxiety can be a symptom of peri-menopause. During peri-menopause/menopause, there’s an imbalance of estrogen and progesterone. Other side effects are insomnia, hot flashes, mood changes, and weight gain. In addition, my Sister had started noticing a shift in her mood. She would be fine one minute and in a rage the next like she was swinging back and forth on a pendulum.
God Plus Medicine
My Sister and I are only four years apart, it’s just the two of us, and we are close. Growing up, we fought(mainly because she was always in my stuff). She was 16 when I had my daughter, and she always wanted to spend time with her. So, whatever disagreements we had always ended quickly, and over the years, we’ve gotten closer, which is nice. When we moved, and it was time for her family to purchase a bigger home, they moved closer so we could spend more time together. Our husbands and kids are close too, and it’s nice to have a sister and best friend. I realize how blessed I am because I know not everyone has that.
Faith Over Health
I was concerned when all of this was happening to her health. I knew she was on the right track thinking the symptoms were part of peri-menopause since I was also beginning to experience some symptoms. She went to the doctor again and explained her panic and anxiety attacks. They factored in all of her symptoms and agreed it probably was peri-menopause. Because her anxiety attacks were happening so frequently, her doctor suggested she try Medicine to help with the symptoms. She has a master’s degree in social work, so she understands the benefits of medication and how it can help mental health. She also was excited to get her life back on track and experience some normalcy.
God Is A Healer
More importantly, she has a relationship with Jesus. So after prayer and spending time with God. She decided to try Medicine to see if it would help with the anxiety attacks. I’m happy to report that it worked, and the heart palpitations she was experiencing diminished over time as well. My Sister is living life to the fullest. The combination of faith and Medicine has helped her continue to live her life to the highest potential. What will it take for you to live yours?