2 Questions to Ask Yourself About Your Mental Health Struggle

While I’m not an expert on mental health, I understand mental health struggles on a personal level because I have Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). If you have a mental health struggle but don’t know exactly how to navigate it or manage it, this post is for you! I hope you’ll find these two questions helpful as you determine the best way to move forward:

Question #1: Do I Pray About My Struggle?

Not long ago, I made a bookmark for my prayer journal and wrote this Bible verse on it: “casting all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7 NASB1995). For several months, I’ve had doubts about God’s love for me due to difficult circumstances. However, this simple yet powerful Bible verse reminds me He does love me, even when I face challenges in life.

It may be difficult to remember God is with you in the ups and downs of your mental health struggle, but it’s true nevertheless. He cares about you and invites you to give your worries to Him. If you haven’t done that yet, now is the time. Whether you pray for encouragement and endurance or wisdom and direction, your decision to pray about your mental health struggle demonstrates your faith in God to work in it and through it. Even if it’s not within His will to “cure” your struggle, He can still use your struggle for your good and His glory.

Question #2: Do I Talk to a Christian Counselor About My Struggle?

While I was recovering from anorexia, I spent many hours in counseling. I actually had three counselors throughout the course of my recovery. Even though my counselors were very different, they had one critical thing in common: They loved Jesus.

While non-Christian counselors may have helpful things to say about your mental health struggle, they can’t approach it the same way Christian counselors can. The advice non-Christian counselors offer flows from their non-Christian worldview. If you want to get advice that’s grounded in the truth—God’s Word—I highly recommend finding a Christian counselor and talking to him or her about your mental health struggle. Opening up to someone who understands (and shares) your faith may change your life.

In next week’s post, I’ll share three more questions to ask yourself about your mental health struggle. See you then!