bipolar and religion

[glory333]

does anyone have or had any experience with religion while being bipolar

[zzzmykids]

Dear LetaB,
Religion is the search of man for God and to connect with Him.  Is this what you are seeking? Christianity is God searching and connecting with man.  Over the history of time man has messed up and given religion and christianity a bad name.  You can believe nothing begat the universe, the big bang in which there must be an igniter, or christianity where the igniter is God.
What is my experience?  Grew up lonely sitting under the side of an organ or the front pew and when the doors were open, yes my brother, sister and I were there as organist kids. As a teen had an emotional experience, which I believe was my first manic attack.
Walked away when the feeling left. Drugs, sex, small thefts, hitch hiking all while working, and pulling down a 3.5 grade average...oh I totalled my parents car during this time. That was then.....do you want to know about now 35 years later? And the lead up to here?
zzzmykids......yes?/no?

[LetaB]

  It certainly is a comfort to have some higher power to believe in (and blame) but it really is not an option if you... don't believe. See what I mean? I was not damaged by religon either - just very disappointed. Aadel, it sounds like you might still have some things you need to forgive yourself and your parents, etc. for. You must have been in a very uptight heavy handed sect and that can so warp a person. Not that you are warped. I'm just saying to try to let all that go and feel yourself calm when you think of all that. My church actually sees me as being afflicted with demons! Talk about living in the dark ages! They tell me to stop being full of self pity. Stop being lazy. To try harder. Mental illness does not exist in their world but it's not just religons who don't comprehend our condition. The concept that most mental illness is bogus is very popular - go on YouTube. It is easy to prove you have mumps and difficult to prove you have BP to the willfully ignorant. I am so glad there is a name for what is wrong with me instead of being a "jezabel". Yeah, I was actually laid hands on for having a jezabel spirit as a teenager. But I sure do miss the feeling of support I got from being (in theory) accepted as I am by a large group. People who are purposefully trying to like you.
Guess it's one of my "rant" days. Sorry.

[Twelvesgirl]

I think that when some of us were growing up we were pounded over the head with the bible and all of these ideals of what we were supposed to be. I am not what my parents exactly wanted me to be, and what my parents church wanted me to be. I didn't agree w/ it. But I do believe that believing in something can help, no matter what it is. I too went off on my own because after praying and praying and praying for these depressions to go away, they just wouldn't. My parents didn't know what else to do except to pray, maybe? I don't know. I don't fault them for that I just wish they would have sought medical attention for me. I found that I do believe in God but don't need to be in a church on Sunday for him to love me and take care of me the same as the guy w/ the microphone! Anyway, I have no idea really even where I'm going w/ this and why I felt compelled even to write back to you, don't think that I'm disagreeing w/ you because I'm not, really. Although I wasn't damaged by religion, I was mildly hurt by the ideals of someone I was supposed to trust, really he was just an ***, and saw me as lower because of my depressive manner, so I said screw him and bailed. Anyway, I'll stop rambling! Contact me if you'd like to talk!

[whimpy2]

What is on your mind? I find it hard myself because my church is very structured and my bipolar doesn't get being structured. So many times I did not get to church but I asked my Priest and he said do the best I can I am always welcomed. That was a comfort.

[aadel]

As the son of a minister, I was surrounded by --even walled in-by-- religion in my vulnerable formative years.  Puberty isn't exactly smooth sailing for most boys, but if you add guiltifying preachings and teachings to the bubbling and troubling hormones, you create ideal conditions for depression and other emotional turmoil.  

Thoroughly convinced of my abject sinfulness, I sought refuge in prayer.  "Ask and you shall receive" sounded promising.  So did "Knock and the door shall be opened."  After a lot of asking and knocking, I finally realized that nobody was listening.  

"Ahhh, but," I can hear you say.  "Of course it doesn't work if you ask for worldly goods.  God doesn't provide sports cars."  I knew that.  I only asked to be delivered from my own sinfulness, about which I had heard so much on Sunday mornings. Sin was everywhere: disobedience, lustful thoughts, sloth,  and of course masturbation, which ranked just behind murder.  Sin was bad, guilt was good, because guilt keeps you trotting to church in search of forgiveness for real and imaginary trespasses.

It took me decades to heal from the damage inflicted by religion.  I can't describe the rest of the journey here,  but I can say that, after many wanderings, it ended in a destination where inner peace is possible.  Only I could have found this place much sooner had it not been for the pernicious influence of Mother Church.

[Twelvesgirl]

I was raised in a religious church going home. It was a very loving nurturing environment. Unfortunately, for me, my rebellion and now as I see it my illness kept me from something that may have helped me to cope a little better as a teenager. I do get very "religious" now that I think back, when in an episode. I start going to church again, but the Christian religion that I was raised with is not the only thing that I start getting interested in. I start doing Tarot and get interested in Astrology and Psychic ability and other things like that. That is what I've realised over the last couple of weeks as one of my warning signs of a possible manic episode (I think!) I am kind of new to this so I am just learning, I was diagnosed quite some time ago, but like I've said so many times, lived in denial. So anyhow, the church religion part may or may not be a manic thing for me, but when it all starts happening I think I will be contacting my doctor next time to make sure I'm OK! I think thats what you're talking about, sorry about the tangent.