What Hope Can Do (Recovery From Schizophrenia)

Last week I was watching a show on channel 8 about a couple whose son had Autism.  I know Autism is a controversial topic these days, with stories about it being caused by immunizations, and arguments that there is no cure for this disease.  I've always been one to look at things differently.  Simply put, I don't like to take no for an answer, but I like to call it hope.  And apparently this couple felt the same way.  When I watched the two of them, torn by the struggles with their son, what I note most of all was this hope.  I mean if they didn't have hope, and accepted that there was nothing to be done for their son, would they have traveled to Mongolia to see the best healing shaman's?

Now I can't say I've traveled the world for "voodoo" remedies, but I have spent a lot of money on unconventional treatments for a disorder that I was told was 'incurable'.  To me, both of these actions are not what some would call a waste of time, a waste of money, or 'quack' ideas.  To me, these actions are hope, strengthened to faith, put into works.

Now where in the scriptures do they say where we should or should not exercise our faith?  We may be told by a doctor, an 'expert' in the area we seek advice in, one thing, but if we seek healing and we are told it is not possible, isn't it possible that the 'expert' simply doesn't have the knowledge or the faith that this is possible?  What if it is a good and righteous thing--to hope for our child to recover from something like autism, or in my case, to recover from schizophrenia so that I could be there for my family--wouldn't the Lord provide a way, if we have faith?

Back to the couple with autism.  They did indeed travel to Mongolia and participate in rituals that people here in the Western world would call strange.  You could definitely see this was a very emotional roller coaster.  I can't even do the story justice.  You have to watch it, but keep an open mind.

Anyways, what came of this trip?  Low and behold the child did begin to recover.  Little by little at first, but he began using the toilet on his own, playing and interacting with other children, and progressing closer to the milestones of peers his own age.

It was easy to see this trip was difficult.  The parents had to have a translator to speak to any of the Mongolians, their son was very distraught the first parts of the trip (and which made the parents doubt their decision to come), and then came the first progress, after which their son seemed to relapse, before continuing to progress.

I'd like to say that I can relate.  It's been about a year since I began my recovery from schizophrenia.  Yes, after the first two treatments I began thinking rationally, but that doesn't mean I didn't go through severe bouts of depression, difficulty and adjustment to the fact that I wasn't able to be mentally there for the first part of my daughter's life (or for any family members for awhile, still sometimes), and even the adjustment to reality after having such a severely disjointed and frightening state of mind has been extremely difficult.

But when I can't read the scriptures because it reminds me of the nightmares I had while 'crazy' and I can't attend church because I'm trying to recover from insomnia so I can at lease take care of my kids during the week, or even when I can't feel the spirit because my mental frame of mind is still so fragile at times, I do know that there are miracles.

The key is hope.

I used to think I had great faith, and lived peacefully in my testimony because of that.  But I've learned many things from the past year and a half, one thing being that faith without works is dead.  And sometimes the Lord knows we have more potential, and it takes great trials to see this.

Also, because I haven't heard many stories of people recovering from schizophrenia, one of the biggest things I hope for others to know is that it is possible.  Don't let doctors or 'experts' tell you otherwise.  I'm living proof.  In the bible, in the book of James, chapter 5 verse 15 it says that the prayer of faith shall save the sick.  Even if it is in consolation only, this is true, though it literally came to pass for me.

(I was also excited to find this story online the other day about another person who recovered!!)

I just hope that I can get a break from such intense exercise of faith, for a just a bit.  The past year and a half has been incredibly exhausting!!