Today’s post is going to be a little different than usual. I want to talk about something deeply personal but incredibly important: mental health.
What Do You Do When Prayer Doesn’t Work?
I’ve been struggling lately. With a new baby, four other kids, and being 46 years old, the stress has been piling up. But what’s really been happening is that all this stress has started bringing up things from my past that I’ve never properly dealt with.
For most of my life, I never looked at my experiences as “traumas.” They were just things that happened, just parts of my life story:
- Being molested as a child
- Losing my best friend (who was like a brother to me and whom my son is named after) in a car accident when I was 14
- Dealing drugs for several years and everything that lifestyle required
- Getting attacked by a dog that bit my face
- Experiencing combat
I never labeled these as traumas. They were just my life.
Recognizing the Need for Help
Recently, I met someone much wiser than me who pointed out that I needed to process these experiences, or they would keep affecting me. And he was right – I’ve been having nightmares that disrupt my sleep, which only adds another layer of stress to everything else.
Today, I start EMDR therapy. My first appointment is at 8:00, and I’m nervous about it. Going back down those roads isn’t something I’m looking forward to, but I know it’s necessary.
Biblical Wisdom on Seeking Help
Proverbs 11:14 tells us, “Without guidance people will fall, but with many counselors there’s deliverance.”
We’re not meant to go through life alone. We’re not meant to function on our own. We’re designed to live in community with people who are wiser and smarter than us, people God has gifted to help us through our struggles.
I didn’t even realize I was struggling with these issues until recently. But apparently, unprocessed trauma affects your sleep, your appetite, your mood – all the things I’ve been having trouble with. The professionals call these “Big T traumas,” and they’ve been impacting me in ways I never understood.
Reaching Out
If you’re struggling, please reach out. Don’t go through this alone. You might not be equipped to handle it on your own – I know I wasn’t. Sometimes we need to swallow our pride and let somebody else know what’s going on.
If you’re praying and praying and it doesn’t seem to be working, if you’re still struggling, that might be God’s way of telling you to reach out to the community He placed around you. That’s what community is for.
Send me a message, talk to me – I’ll help you find the help you need. Whatever you do, remember that you don’t have to do it alone.
Love you guys,
Sant
