Hello from Sweden

[iang]

I've just found this place and as I suffer from BP (I'm stable at the moment) thought I'd pop in and say hello and also try to get some advice from fellow Christians. I live in Sweden (but have dual English/Swedish nationality) and was first diagnosed with BP about 15 years ago. I became a Christian 20 years ago after an existential experience. The problem is I know that BP can trigger religious experiences and I'm not sure if mine was genuine or not. How can one tell? My journey has been through just about every mainstream denomination (I eventually became a Catholic, but was very high at the time...) and also new age and Buddhist traditions. I was very ill last year (2 suicide attempts) and spent several weeks in hospital. Like I said, I'm ok now, but I keep feeling the call of Christianity but I'm scared it will make me ill again. I believe in God and Jesus, and Christianity that is gentle, inclusive rather than exclusive, active rather than passive, contemplative and even mystical. But like I said, I'm scared. I'm in the process of buying a new house and just can't afford to get ill at the moment. And anyway, am I really a Christian?

I realize that what I've just entered may not make a lot of sense but I would really appreciate your thoughts and comments.

Blessings
Ian

 

[Alaskamomma]

Hello Ian,

Welcome to this BP subforum. ohhh, your questions are kinda hard ones for someone else to answer in my opinion. The way I see it is that God sees and knows your heart which no one else can. People see the outward appearance and they judge that. God sees and knows your thoughts and how you choose to live your life and He judges that. Having Christ in your life as the Lord of your life, heart, mind and soul is paramount and I would think you would need to weigh that in as the foremost ponderances of your heart. Is He Lord of your life? Do you accept the fact that He died on the cross for your sins and that He rose from the dead to show that death cannot hold him down.

I understand what you mean about not being sure and certain if you are really having a religious moment or not. Is it BP or is it God? I struggle with that myself, but I try my best to leave my fleshly thoughts and listen and wait for His Holy Spirit to confirm in that still, small voice that I trust is God, indeed.

I hope you will stick around and share your thoughts. They are really great people on this BP subforum who share their daily lives about their BP and their relationship with God.

I, myself, am diagnosed with bipolar I a little over two years ago. I have been hospitalized twice in the last two years. One for three weeks and one time for one week. I still struggle with the meds, still struggle with whether or not I "really have it" and I struggle with God because I have it. It has not been an easy journey and I can honestly say that if it had not been the love and unyeilding devotion of my family and a very close friend, I probably would not have made it.

Again, welcome here. You are amongst friends. Post often.

AM

 

[rushingwind62]

I've just found this place and as I suffer from BP (I'm stable at the moment) thought I'd pop in and say hello and also try to get some advice from fellow Christians. I live in Sweden (but have dual English/Swedish nationality) and was first diagnosed with BP about 15 years ago. I became a Christian 20 years ago after an existential experience. The problem is I know that BP can trigger religious experiences and I'm not sure if mine was genuine or not. How can one tell? My journey has been through just about every mainstream denomination (I eventually became a Catholic, but was very high at the time...) and also new age and Buddhist traditions. I was very ill last year (2 suicide attempts) and spent several weeks in hospital. Like I said, I'm ok now, but I keep feeling the call of Christianity but I'm scared it will make me ill again. I believe in God and Jesus, and Christianity that is gentle, inclusive rather than exclusive, active rather than passive, contemplative and even mystical. But like I said, I'm scared. I'm in the process of buying a new house and just can't afford to get ill at the moment. And anyway, am I really a Christian?

I realize that what I've just entered may not make a lot of sense but I would really appreciate your thoughts and comments.

Blessings
Ian

I believe that you are, after all you asked Christ into your life and you are serving Him today and honoring your commitment to Him. I know what you mean though because I too was going through things when I had my encounter with God. I battled it for a while and questioned. But I decided a long time ago not to doubt my experience because God is bigger than my illness....... Welcome to the forums, there are a lot of really good people here and we are all learning about ourselves and our illness. Look forward to your comments on things and getting to know you...God Bless You!!

 

[Jeshu]

Hi Ian,

Yes to be a Christian means to put your faith in Christ and how He taught us to walk in life - to love the Truth and love fellow human beings in particular those who suffer.

Please be careful how you think about your faith in God. Satan - a voice in my head - always told me that my religious feelings were illness related - not worthy of consideration even. Yet when I doubted God because of such thinking and feeling - He wasn't there - I wouldn't be able to see or experience - a black cloud instead. That is because God is the TRUTH - and when you disbelieve the truth, you can't see or experience it.

God is very real - look at extreme suffering and think of Jesus on the Cross - love and goodwill dying - because the truth of our hearts can be so wicked and wrong - full of lies and half truths. So also your suffering can find meaning and purpose in your life - if we take it to the Master of everything.

I always think - manic thinking and feeling is reality out of bounds - and that is why we so often experience God there - as He is out of bounds as well. However that doesn't make our manic seeing and feeling obsolete - on the contrary - it re-enforces the truth of God's omnipresence - the truth that He is in/with/stands by/cares and loves us through everything - including attempts to take our lives. (Been there too and understand - instead of condemn.)

Hope you will see that God, through Jesus, is with us and that God's Spirit will complete the job the truth of love for God has started in your life - be of good cheer and hope on - forever more.


Blessings

Gerry

 

[DoubtingThomas29]

Welcome to the forum, Alaska Momma is right, you are among friends, feel free to post often. Remember no matter what happens lifeis still worth living, imagine the worst thing happening to you, and you are worried about it happening, then guess what it happens, you still wind up okay.

Life will always be worth living.

Tell us about Sweden what is it like there? Is it true that hardly anybody in sweden goes to church? I here a lot of them are not religious.

 

[iang]

Thank you all for the welcome and the thoughtful and extremely useful comments. I need to inwardly digest for a while, pray and chat with my wife (who isn't a Christian). I'm also going to look around at the rest of this place. Its just so huge, but it feels already like it could be my new online home. Again, thanks.

 

[Jeshu]

Thank you all for the welcome and the thoughtful and extremely useful comments. I need to inwardly digest for a while, pray and chat with my wife (who isn't a Christian). I'm also going to look around at the rest of this place. Its just so huge, but it feels already like it could be my new online home. Again, thanks.

You are more than welcome here. Chill out and have a good read - there are many people who visit this site and you can make many friends and swap much information with others - indeed this site is huge.

Catch ye.

Gerry

 

[DoubtingThomas29]

The web site has thousands of people coming here every day, but in this section it is limited to a selct group of people tha come here, all real great to talk to. Remember you are among friends.