Tis the Season for HOPE

 Around 2010, I went through a series of tests to figure out some things with my mental health and other issues I was dealing with at the time. 

I had to remember words or items and repeat them a few minutes later. I had to say things backwards. They'd give me little puzzles to solve. Another part was filling out a survey of sorts where I'd fill in the little bubbles saying what I feel in different situations or answering different questions. The entire thing took at least three hours. It was very intense. BUT... the results were very interesting and worth it.

One side of this bar graph showed that my depression was so bad that I should have been in a hospital. The doctor was surprised that I wasn't. My depression was WAY below average. 

On the flip side...

(literally the opposite side of the graph)

It showed that my faith was extremely high. My faith.. my HOPE... was the reason that I was not hospitalized. It was WAY above average. 

My hope is in Christ. 

We celebrate Christ's birth this season. Why did Jesus come to Earth? Why did He come so humbly, meekly, fragile, fully dependent on His Earthly parents? 

He wasn't born in a golden crib. 

He was born in a manger... a feeding trough. 

WHY did He become man?

Jesus was born as a baby to die. 

His whole purpose was to die for us! 

Can you grasp that?

There are so many miraculous parts of Jesus' birth (I could spend a lot of time on each one) but really, it's about the cross.

I like the picture of a Christmas wreath symbolizing the season... but a crown of thorns representing the reason.

This is where our hope lies. Not hope like I hope for Legos for Christmas. But instead a deep trust of security. 

I hope IN Christ not FOR Christ.

My sister and I sang a song by Go Fish called It's About the Cross. I'm going to post the video on my Facebook page so feel free to check it out. (We do not own the rights to the song and the only recording is the one on my phone.)

I love the song because it talks about why Jesus was born and that "every drop of blood that flowed from Him when it should have been me." He was born so that He could die and rise again so that we can live and have hope in Him.

We don't have to do anything for this gift. It's a free gift from God. All you have to do is believe. Trust in Jesus Christ.

We don't know how long we have in this world. Crazy accidents and sudden deaths happen all the time. Accepting God's gift is a life or death decision. Please don't wait.

Once you put your trust in God, there is a new hope that we have. When Jesus ascended to Heaven, days after His resurrection, He promised He would come again. Those that put their faith and trust in Jesus are promised to live forever with Him.. whether we have already passed away or still alive when He comes. 

This season of Christmas reminds us that God came to Earth and lived among us. 

Don't forget the reason!

I hope you all enjoy Christmas, celebrating with family and friends and all that comes with it. 

Have a very Merry Christmas!!

PS... If you are curious about what I'm talking about.. putting your faith in God to have eternal life.. PLEASE don't hesitate another second to reach out to me. My email is mannas.musings@gmail.com.

Facebook... Amanda Cannon

Also check out my YouTube channel!! https://youtu.be/9NPyB5o-6Sg

Mental Health and the Holidays

 Mental health does not take a holiday!

During the holidays, people with mental illness struggle more than they do other times of the year. It could be depression that comes from loneliness, comparisons to others or something else. Anxiety can rise when we think of being around other people. 

And we can't forget about the stress that comes from this season. Stress makes conditions of mental illness worse.

According to NAMI- National Alliance on Mental Illness- 64% of people with mental illness report holidays make their conditions worse. 24% of those people say it makes conditions a lot worse while 40% say conditions are only somewhat worse. 

I label myself as a Scrooge and a Grinch. 

I would love it if we could just pass over the holidays. All of my conditions get worse this time of year. I'm more stressed, tired and exhausted. My anxiety is very high and I have to work to keep depression at bay. I feel like I have to really watch what I say and do around others or at events. This in itself is exhausting! 

Others with mental illness will feel the same way... having to be fake for a period of time takes it toll. 

Here's my advice... be prepared.

When you are going to an event or know that you'll be around a lot of people, go prepared to be more anxious and more on edge. Give yourself permission to take a break when needed. Avoid things that might make depression worse... like social media or certain Christmas movies. Do what you can to keep your stress lower. I like to get my shopping done in October!

Grief during the holidays can make conditions worse but grief affects everyone whether they struggle with a mental illness or not. Whether it be divorce, the loss of a loved one or something else, it should be noted that grief is okay. Not having my grandma this year makes holidays a little harder. We don't want to ignore the fact that the holidays can be hard for anyone. 

I want to debunk one myth about the holidays. 

Myth: There are more suicides during the holidays

Truth: Suicides DECREASE during the holidays. 

Suicide actually increases more in the spring and summer. During the holidays there can be a lot more support and feelings of being loved. Even receiving one Christmas card can help a person get through the day. 

I hope some of this helps you get through the holidays. If you feel alone or not loved, reach out to me! I'd gladly encourage you and show you love. If you want advice or help getting through a specific part of this season, please ask and I'll do my best to help you!

My email is mannas.musings@gmail.com.

My YouTube link is https://youtu.be/C8bR1kJTXcI

Be prepared, have a wonderful Christmas and don't forget to give yourself a break!!

YouTube Introduction: Let's Chat!

 Hi!

Man, it's been a couple of crazy years, hasn't it? 

I'm starting a new endeavor and that's a YouTube channel. 

I will talk about Mental Health but also just life in general. I have an education but I'm far from an expert. It will come from my heart and my experiences. I will do some research on specific topics but overall, it's going to be just me. 

Natural me. 

Chatting about things that happen in this life. You know I want to help people. It is my passion. 

I don't want anyone to feel alone. I know what that feels like even when surrounded by several people. 

I don't want families to be divided when they don't understand. When my parents were able to see a mental health exhibit, it helped our relationship get even stronger. 

I want people to feel like they can have a voice... even if it's through me. 

As I've stated before in other posts, I feel that God has allowed certain things in my life to be used for His glory. He doesn't want me to sit around and wait to be healed or for the issue to be resolved. He wants me honoring Him in ALL that I do. 

Tony Evans said "If you keep your eyes focused on God's purpose for you, not your pain, God will use your trials for your good and His glory". I've felt this way for years but just read his quote a week or so ago. I love it!

If you don't know me, please feel free to go back through some of my old posts. It's been a while and some of it probably needs updated, but you'll get an idea of who I am and why I write.

I know that not everyone likes to watch videos and not everyone likes to read blogs. So I'm going to do both. They'll be connected and on the same topic each week. I'll always put a copy of the YouTube link in my blog but I'd love if you would subscribe to it as well! My blog link will be on my YouTube channel.

I also have an email address that I'd like you to use if you want to reach out to me. If there's something specific you want me to talk about or just need someone to talk to, whatever it is, please let me know!

Email address is mannas.musings@gmail.com

YouTube link is https://youtu.be/g_aSj-qwimM

Let's chat with Manna's Musings!

Life, Love and Mental Health