LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Don't force yourself to battle this alone. That's the message from the latest member of our Biola Athletics community who shared with us for Mental Health Awareness Week.

"I tend to be the type who wants to fix things myself - one of the hardest things to get over was the tendency to fix it myself," he said. "Mental health does not mean you're crazy. It means that you're just like anybody else...I've seen a big difference in my own well being and relationships within my family, and even just in my desire to go out in the world and do things  since i started getting help and going on medication for it."

This person compared the work of mental health professionals to that of surgeons. You would not attempt to mend a broken ankle by yourself because you lack the training to do so, so why is it so easy to fall into the trap of trying to "mend" your particular mental health issue without seeking the help of a trained professional?

"There are tons of really qualified, highly-capable people that are trained to help you feel better," he said.

This individual struggles with nagging anxiety and has for his entire life. He shared with us that it took a long, long time for him to realize that what he was going through was more than what most go through.

"I just assumed everybody always thought about things the way I thought about them," he said.
"It wasn't until late in life that I realized I was constantly living in a state of anxiety that was impacting my well-being on a daily basis."

After coming to that realization he shared with us that he immediately sought professional help and ultimately ended up utilizing medication to combat the symptoms of the anxiety. The mix of support and medication have allowed him to enter into a fuller, more fruitful life and truly impacted his family relationships, professional relationships and even his spiritual walk.

"Our spiritual walk can have an impact on our mental health, but I think we also can carry guilt with us if we feel like 'Well, I read my Bible and I am not getting better so something must be wrong with me,'" he said. "In reality, we live in a world that is sinful and impacted by sin. That includes our brain chemistry and emotions.. I've found that the more I know about myself and what leads me to make the decisions I make, the better I can relate to God. I can be a better servant to my Savior in that aspect."

He's a big advocate for the thoughtful use of medication to treat mental health. Brain chemistry plays a role in some people's journey with mental illness and without medication that can be impossible to overcome. The Biola Counseling Center can offer more feedback on the use of medication to treat particular mental health struggles.

For more information on the Biola Counseling Center and it's services visit its webpage at http://www.biolacounselingcenter.org/.