By Scott Box

When it comes to Bipolar awareness, it seems to me that many people don’t want to know anything more than that I’m not going to freak out, embarrass them or do something dangerous that could hurt myself or others. The truth is, I want to know the same thing about people, and even the pets, in my life—“You’re not going to hurt me, right?” is the question I want to be answered most. I don’t intend to be reductive, but most people have their problems and don’t have the resources to process my mood disorder. I get it. I don’t have the time or even the capability to be mindful of every possible disorder, deadly cancer or threat to humanity on every day of the year. Therefore, I think Bipolar Awareness Day probably is not so much about eliminating Bipolar stigma as it is a day dedicated to people like my wife, family or friends who have chosen to love me and walk alongside me as a part of my team. Maybe Bipolar Awareness Day is a day for you, too—you’ve gotten this far into a blog post with an intentionally niche title, for goodness sake. So, perhaps a Bipolar Awareness Day would be most beneficial for us. Cool. 

There are a handful of things I find valuable to remember as I consider my Bipolar disorder journey in 2024. Here’s a short list: 

• The Gift: I need to remember to be aware that in the first five years after diagnosis, while I learned to manage my health, I felt like being sick with Bipolar disorder was a disgrace. But over those early years, I began to experience Bipolar disorder as a gift from God slowly. The gift of my “disgraceful” mental illness was that God guided me to reach the end of myself, to reach desperation that caused me to reach for Jesus—a gift. 
• The Angles: Ongoing awareness of Bipolar disorder reminds me that I could not depend on myself—my moods and actions were undisciplined and, sadly, wildly unpredictable. So my wife, Kariann, and I sought out a marvelous Christian counseling and psychiatric team to help me begin to bring my mind, body and spirit to a healthy place. Our team taught us that the best practice for wholeness was treating my sickness from each necessary angle—mind, body and spirit. They helped me realize that my health wasn’t only about belief in Jesus and prayer. My health wasn’t only about a consistent dedication to medication. Nor was achieving good health going to be about my diet and exercise only. And my health certainly was not going to be about doing things to self-medicate. Instead, achieving the health of my mind, body and spirit would take a lifestyle of slowly adjusting and refining aspects within all these areas. It would take a holistic approach to a new process that started with depending on Jesus, not myself.
• The Process: I couldn’t just say I “believed” in Jesus. Nor could I just know of Jesus or know things about Him. I had to become “disgracefully dependent” upon Him as my king and friend. I had to dedicate my life to changing my thoughts about a relationship with Jesus. Follow my logic: Instead of believing that Jesus would solve everything, I realized managing Bipolar disorder required Jesus’ involvement. In other words, I trusted Jesus through the process of diagnosis, the introduction of doctors and medications, the addition of exercise and modifications to my diet. I trusted Jesus would use the process to guide me into health, not save me from the process to heal me. Sure, Jesus could do what He wanted in my story. He could heal me, but He didn’t. Instead, Jesus was much more interested in the journey/process to get me to a healthy and whole destination. 
• The Tools: When I realized that God was using the process to move me toward health, I started looking for the tools He created for me to use. I needed handles to grab. I have always believed that Jesus did not want me to wave off the tools as unnecessary or unspiritual. I thought He intended me to hold the handles He put in front of my face. The Christian faith has always been about healing the mind, body and spirit in concert. That means doctors, scientists and pastors are all working to achieve the same ends in an ideal world. That also means people were to use tools like doctors, medication, counseling, exercise, and spiritual disciplines to gain wholeness. I approached my awareness of Bipolar disorder in this way—to use all the tools Jesus made available boldly.
• The Awareness: I understood that health was the outcome when I pursued Jesus as a way of life—a way of worship. I became aware that I could replicate Jesus’ lifestyle of worship by using His processes and tools. I knew that a lifestyle of worshiping Jesus required “spirit and truth.” So, regarding the process and tools, I would not eliminate truth to act like I was spiritual. Nor was I going to destroy my belief in Jesus to follow the science/“truth.” I have always benefited from a mindset that favored a lifestyle of worship—the benefit has been a hopeful awareness of eternal adventure that has put my sickness in context and kept me grounded in reality/truth. 

Life has always been dangerous for me and others when I do what is good by acting like a god. Eventually, I became tired of flirting with hopelessness in the course of living an out-of-control life by being my own “god.” Sure, I was a man who had Bipolar disorder. And sure, I would never have become the idealized, indestructible, godlike action hero who saved everyone—I couldn’t save myself, let alone live out my values consistently. Ultimately, Jesus Christ, the Great Hero, used Bipolar disorder as a gift that guided me into a new life. Bipolar disorder helped me understand that I could not only “believe in Jesus.”—Belief was only the starting line, not the finish line. I chose a lifestyle of worship where I submitted to His processes and used the tools that brought health to mind, body and spirit. And that is what I want everyone to be aware of on Bipolar Awareness Day 2024. Maybe you need to take a moment to become aware or to simply remember that you are aware that it is time to use your “gift.” Choose to use Jesus’ processes and tools. Then let your story of health and wholeness as a result of your worship and the “gift” God has given you become a gift to others.

“Your mess is your message.”—Al Egg, former Chaplin for the Portland Trailblazers

Scott and Kariann Box live in Redmond, Oregon. Scott serves as Pastor of Development at Shiloh Ranch Church and has been a worship leader for over twenty-five years. Kariann works as a Realtor in Central Oregon and supports Scott’s…creative spirit. They have two children, a one-hundred-pound Labradoodle and a four-pound Shih Tzu without teeth. Scott is the author of HEROIC DISGRACE: Order out of chaos. Hope out of fear. ― A Worship Hero Story 

By Mike Jacquart

Waiting on the Lord is always a good idea. This can be particularly true during challenging periods in our lives. This was particularly true for me roughly twenty years ago.

In large part due to my undiagnosed mental health conditions, the working world had long been challenging for me. This was an obstacle that reached its ugly apex after I lost two jobs in less than two years. (I explained how depression can wreak havoc in the workplace in my Voices of Hope presentation earlier this month.)

Unsure what to do next, I leaned on the Lord like never before. Jeremiah 29:11 states, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope” (NKJV). I memorized this scripture and recited it to myself each day. “At home, at the grocery store, in the car, wherever I was, the more I thought about the verse, the more I believed it and the better I felt,” as I wrote in my book, Climbing out of Darkness: A Personal Journey into Mental Wellness.

The book of Proverbs (3:5-6) provided another hopeful scripture that I committed to memory. The part about “lean not on your own understanding” particularly caught my eye because, in terms of jobs, clearly leaning on “my understanding” was not working very well.

I should note this was a period of unemployment unlike any other in my life. Not only out of work for months, at age 43 I was now utterly directionless, like a ship without a rudder. The Lord had slowly been revealing to me that there was something going on beyond just the job itself that was causing many of my problems. As part of this soul-seeing, sometimes gut-wrenching process, I finally sought counseling, which led to a diagnosis of “depression and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.” 

After being prescribed a useful prescription, I began feeling better. And BETTER. So much so that, even though I was still out of work, I was overcome with joy about the simplest things. My wife. The great weather. (It was early summer). Music had always enjoyed, but never like this! What an aha moment!

Finally, after eight months of unemployment, I accepted a position as editor at a Christian newsletter publishing company. It was a job I held for fourteen years, much longer than I held any previous job. I loved my work and the people there. What a giant blessing. 

The moral of the story: If you are reading this and struggling, do not ever give up! God has not forgotten you. There IS a plan – you just don’t know what it is yet!

Mike Jacquart is an author and retired editor who enjoys sharing his story of “pushing through” on blog posts, podcasts, and other presentations. For more information, contact him at madjac@tds.net.

By Peggy Rice

I’ve had a Gratitude Journal for over 10 years – just a little 5”x8” spiral notebook where I started writing down daily blessings.

2013

I started in January. For that month, I recorded 6 times. So clearly not a daily habit!

In February, I read a daily devotional called Choosing Gratitude – Abounding in Thanksgiving, and I took notes in this same journal, writing down Scripture verses about thanking God for what I was learning.  I wrote for 7 days.

I recorded 3 times in March.

I picked the devotional back up in April and wrote once, before I was distracted by a different book about gratitude. In April, I read Ann Voskamp’s 1000 Gifts. I was challenged by her practice of recording daily blessings – writing down the things that bring us joy – gifts from God that point us to His grace and generosity. So on April 11, I began strong – 5 days in a row. Then jump to May, and I picked the journal up again, and wrote twice. Then once in August. 11 times in October, because my therapist encouraged me to try again. 8 writings in November. 3 times in December.

2014

Nothing written in January 2014. Once in February, March, and April, each. Strong again in June and July. Then nothing for 6 months…

2015

Nothing written again until February 2015, when I dug the journal out of the back of my nightstand drawer and started again. On and off through November.

August 2017- August 2022

No gratitude recorded for all of 2016 – didn’t start again until August of 2017. 1 ½ years without recording my thankfulness! But then I did pretty well in 2018 – 2022, at least several times per month, sometimes weeks in a row!

There were a few “tricks” I discovered:

• having the journal handy, not letting it get buried by books on my nightstand, or pushed off to the side; for a while, I kept it next to my bathroom sink, where I’d write in it when I was done brushing my teeth at night.
• not requiring myself to write several things – just one was ok.
• it doesn’t have to be daily (though that might be best) – but consistency is important.

But life gets messy, my nightstand gets messy, and the journal was relegated to the far-right corner, away from my pillow. And there it sat for all of 2023. Nothing recorded. Again.

2024

I’m writing in my Gratitude Journal these days. I dug it out and put it next to my chair at the kitchen counter – where I sit to do my Quiet Time, eat my lunch, make my phone calls. It’s often in my way – which is a good thing! Then I write in it!

*****

So why is this important?

• Because expressing gratitude is known to be an excellent deterrent to depression and anxiety (Nicola Petrocchi & Alessandro Couyoumdijian, 2015; Iodice, Malouff, Schutte 2021, among many others).  A person can’t express gratitude and have an attitude of depression/anxiety in a simultaneous moment! The heart can’t hold both at the exact same time. One gives over to the other, even if just for the few seconds it takes to write down thanksgiving in a notebook.
• God tells us to be thankful: “…give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (I Thess 5:18)  It’s God’s will for us! You want to know what God wants from you? For one thing, He wants you to be thankful!
• Gratitude to God for what He’s given us reminds us of who He is: He’s our Provider (Phil 4:19), our Sustainer (Psalm 54:4), the Giver of All Good Gifts (James 1:17).

Obviously, I’m not the expert at recording daily gratitude. But I’m trying. And I know that when I focus on God’s blessings to me, even the littlest thing (something as small as noticing the bee on the bloom), it lifts my eyes to Him, puts my focus back on Him, reminds me of His love and care for me.

So I’ll keep trying. Keep writing. Keep thanking.

(Side note: at some point, I went back to the very beginning of my journal and started numbering each gratitude I’d recorded. My goal is 1000, like in Ann Voskamp’s book. I’m currently at 859.)

Peggy has been involved with Fresh Hope as a Group Facilitator for 5 years and as the Hope Coach trainer for 3. You can reach her at peggy@freshhope.us

By: Stan Popovich

Do you struggle with your mental health and have a difficult time in getting the people you know to be more understanding? In some cases, your friends and family members could give you a hard time regarding your anxieties and fears.

As a result, here are eight suggestions on how to deal with the people you know regarding your mental health issues.

1. Listen to the professionals and not your friends: Your peers may mean well, but when it comes down to it, the professionals are aware of your circumstances more than anyone. A counselor knows what you are going through and can help you deal with your problems. When you have questions about your mental health, consult with a therapist.

2. Don’t argue with others: It is important that you do not get into arguments with those who are giving you a rough time. Your number one priority is to get relief from your anxieties. It is not your job to worry about how others may view your circumstances. Your health is more important than what other people may think.

3. Your goal is to get better: Concentrate on how you can face your fears and anxieties. Don’t waste your time arguing with your colleagues who are giving you a difficult time. This isn’t a public relations event where you need to get approval from everyone. This is your life and you are the one suffering. Your main focus is to get better.

4. Ask your friends to learn about your situation: Explain to your peers that the best way for them to help you is to learn about your mental health issues. They could talk to a counselor, read some good books, or join a support group to better understand your situation.

5. Pick your friends wisely: Distance yourself from those who won’t make an effort to help understand what you are going through. You need to surround yourself with positive and supportive people. If you have problems or issues with a particular person, you can always ask a counselor for advice.

6. You are not alone: It can be very frustrating to manage your fear related issues when the people you know are on your case. Remember, you are not alone. There are millions of people around the world who struggle with their fears, anxieties, and depression.

7. Attend a mental health support group: There are many mental health awareness support groups in your area. Many hospitals, churches, and counselors in your area will be able to provide you with a list of these organizations. These groups will be aware of your situation and can give you additional advice regarding your problems.

8. You can’t manage your anxieties all by yourself: Your fears, anxieties, and depression can be difficult to manage and more than likely you will need some direction. Many people think that they can overcome their mental health problems on their own. This is a mistake. A person should seek assistance to start the recovery process.

Stan is the author of “A Layman’s Guide to Managing Fear” which will help you discover a variety of techniques that can drastically improve your mental health. For more information, please visit Stan’s website at http://www.managingfear.com