info needed on Schizophrenia, page 5

I try to be as devout a Christian as possible, and still have schiz to deal with. In respect to the pros of concentrating on yourself, I agree with it as you are in the early stages. As much as I would love to share Christianity with you, I know exactly what you are currently going through.

In fact, in the advanced stages of shiz (which I am now categorized as), I got asked the most profound question two sessions ago. When explaining my Bad Ugly Super Duper Secret Thoughts to a nurse, then explaining that I would never ACT on them because God would send me to ehell, I got asked the following:

What would happen if my illness/brain chemistry became stronger than my faith?

As I used to study science, I looked at the question from an objective point of view. I could easily have brushed it off and said, "Oh, God is stronger than Schizophrenia. He'll cure me." When in fact, I know in my heart that God gave it to me as a gift to help others. When my thoughts are bad (trust me, when I say bad, I mean reaaaalllllllyyyy bad), I do pray as I'm rocking back and forth in my chair.

I practice Christianity, and I'm a schiz. However, my advice to you is to educate yourself on your illness first and foremost. Your health comes first. Though one of the principles of Christianity is to share it with others, sharing Christianity must be done only if it does not physically or psychologically damage the non-believer.

Find yourself first. Then be yourself. If you wish to be a wiccan, pagan, etc., and you feel that helps you, than do it. My choice is to be a Christian. No, I'm not a psychologist nor a theologian, but I am a schiz. Even my doctors have told me that the only experts on Schizophrenia are the Schizophrenics themselves.

If you feel like skimming the Bible, there are passages on illness, suffering, faith, overcoming obstacles, etc. I use it as a guidebook for my life. It helps me...and it helps me act "normal" by telling me what's good and what isn't.

Just like one man's trash is another man's treasure, the opposite rings true. One man's treasure can turn into another man's trash.

To the Christians reading this.....would you give The Bible to a comatose person and tell them to read it? would you give it to a starving child in a third-world country and tell them to study up? would you give it to a recently-raped woman who is in shock and tell her that all of her answers are between the covers?

I wouldn't. Though it would benefit them, it would only benefit them once they had their druthers in order. Once they had the health to read it and acknowledge what it is saying. There is nothing wrong with giving people Bibles. What is wrong is telling them WHEN to read them, particularly when that person is suffering physically and/or psychologically.

Still a Believer,
Dot.