Worship Leader Scott Box offers a different approach to battling mental illnesses specifically bipolar disorder, claiming that overdose of drugs was unnecessary.
Despite the stigma he had received due to his mental illness, Box believed the need to share his story of defeating his bipolar disorder II through his new book "Heroic Disgrace."
Box served God as a worship leader for 25 years. Despite that fact, internally he was suffering driven by his mental illness. At first, he was unaware of the dilemma, pointing the problem to his lack of faith and self-medicating through eating, drinking alcohol, and pornography.
He was struggling to love himself and that hard season of his life affected his marriage and ministry. He started defying his morality which made him a questionable church leader and a husband. He indulged himself in unhealthy addictions which he said, would eventually lead him to destruction.
Seek Medical Help
His diagnosis paved the way to learn more about his sickness and gradually picked up what he lost, especially his marriage with Kariann. According to him, talking about the mental illness "felt like a fraud," so no one in their circle would like to support him, aside from his wife. So, he emphasized the need for people who undergoes the same situation to check themselves medically.
In his journey, he shared that setting the mind as a whole person would be a great help to understand how cravings and desires affect the person. Some might not know, but it would be a challenge for a person living with bipolar disorder, for it contributes to emotional fluctuation. Good Nutrition would help manage emotions and having stable emotions lead to becoming spiritually healthy. As he shared that it's important to know that people are composed of body, mind, and spirit.
Also Read: Christian Churches Should Play Crucial Role In Fight Against Mental Health Issues, Pastor Says
Church As Support System
Lastly, he urged churches to minister to those people afflicted by mental illnesses. To him, many church leaders and members went away from the church thinking that they were sinning instead of addressing the underlying issue of mental health. The risk of ending one's life could also be the reason for the churches to equip themselves on handling such situations and not merely spiritualize mental illness.
As reported, depression was all-time high during the pandemic, so it was an easy decision for Box to tell his story. Most especially the rate of deaths from drug overdoses had reached a record-breaking number of some 108,000 in 2021, according to Preliminary New Data.
Now that he became aware, he said the "alarming overdoses of drugs were unnecessary," pointing people that mental health can be managed with the right medical and spiritual support. So, he further appealed to churches saying, "This is why Christians in the Church have to figure their crap out. You can quote me on that."
In his pursuit to make his pain become his purpose, he hopes that his book would help other people reconcile their faith and mental illness.
Related Article: Frequent Church Attendees Report Better Mental Health Amid Pandemic: Gallup Poll
