A manic episode can seem to be better than depression, for depression is so debilitating, but it is a false positive experience. It whoops the spirit of the person into a plethora of conflicting feelings and thoughts. It is very difficult to work out but the Scripture is clear…
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”
Proverbs 3:5-6
The feelings are a false positive. The episode leads you to megalomania and a strange kind of paranoia where you think you can do anything. It can cause serious damage to a delicate mindset and lead the suffering down a false road and cause them to do and say things that are out of character. It is not the sufferers fault, but the accumulation of false teaching and doctrines that have been fed into the mind, especially a young mind. It is such a blessing to be brought up in a Christian family and be taught the way to God, but when you throw abuse into the mix, which many people, especially women, have experienced, then it becomes really hard to untangle.
It takes the sufferer years to work out and try to come to terms with their suffering. I don’t believe we can manage it without the loving guidance of our majestic God. Only He can cover the hurt and debilitating guilt and shame that surround this illness.
Mania is very destructive and causes the sufferer to experience large ideas about what they can or cannot do. It can lead the person to think they can do anything and manage every scenario in life for their own benefit. It is really a selfish illness that takes the mind off the law of God and the sufferer thinks they are free from that and “forgets” how to behave. It causes the person to do things out of character and hence the phrase “diminished responsibility.” Unfortunately this is only used and viewed as a reality by the courts and popular society seems to prefer to blame the sufferer for their misdeeds and sins. It is really important that the sufferer repents and gets on a firm footing with God so that they can fight back to full health. Other issues in the life will require good counselling and therapy. This is expensive so often the sufferer must rely on their own wits to get through. The Christian sufferer will be greatly helped by faith but will need the deep love of a church family to support them. Let us pray for sufferers that God will draw close and rescue them from all blame.
