Bramble

Good on you for making an appt with Bishop. Be open and honest about how your illness affects you. Your Bishop may not be knowledgable in mental illness, it would help if you could refer him to some useful info. on your own illness. Paranoid schizophrenia has specfic sorts of symptoms, but many people people have preconceived ideas about it. Often hallucinations and delusions are aggressive and terrifying to the sufferer. Have you been t councilling to help you deal with the voices? Telling the bishop the type of things you experience and how it makes you feel might help him understand. I know I have had patients who have terrible threats from the voices and it is very challenging for them. Maybe your Bishop can help you find something you can do.

Only ordinary wards and branches in the Uk. The UK has some funny attitudes to single members.

Sometimes the victim may feel it appropriate to disclose personal information about their health, other times it may be best not to.And, of course leaders have confidentiality. People through ignorance often stereotype those with mental illnes and this makes it even harder form them. There is a good book by elder Morris emeritus of the seventy called 'Valley of Sorrow' which is a balanced viewpoint of mental illnes acrose the board. But yes in answer to the point about satan making use of our weaknesses...I would say mental illness is a sickness rather than a weakness, but yes, satan makes the most of it. One of the saddest things i have seem is someone tortured by voices telling them to do terrible things, they are in torment. I know that the chemical balance in the brain with dopamine caused the hallucinations, but I am sure satan makes the most of them to add to the pain. However, it is know than there are far more crimes committed by those without mental illness than those with it, so there is rarely anything to fear...but getting the message across is the problem.

I am new here too. I am a registered nursing lecturer with a lot of experience in mental health in particular all the variants of schizophrenia. You have my full sympathy in what is a dreadful illness. Our church advises that all 'worthy males who are capable of serving a mission , do so'...that means if you are not capable, then you do not need to serve a full time mission, though there may be other ways youcan serve if you wish and it is agreed. One of the most important therapies for those with a psychosis is to be involved in activities. Many of my patients have joined college classes that suit their needs or clubs that have a project or they do voluntary work suitable for them.SO, it may be possible that you could serve in other ways. Some of your anxiety about serving could be because sometimes this illness when the person feels a bit better, makes them think they are capable of more than they are and it is ok to accept this and take a step back and not feel guilty. Of course you need to speak to your bishop, stake pres and your doctor and the church also has its own doctor. You said you dont trust your bishop or stake pres. without making a judgement on you, and knowing that no one is perfect even priesthood members, could it be that your perceptions of these two people is skewed by your illness? maybe someone you do trust could go with you , someone who would understand you and help put yoru feelings across if you find your own mind going in circles as it can do. I hope that you find peace and comfort in whatever decisions you make.

I think this probably suits places with lots of members, but where we are there isnt even the scope to date, as there are not many men available and those that are usually arent the sort you would take to the temple.SO I figure I must be stuck in stage 1 and not happy about it..unless I choose a non-member...and after my divorce to a non-member after 15 yrs of him messing around...I doubt I would do that again...so kind of stuck really:(

Hello, I am new here. I have been a member of the church form 30yrs and was coming to church a good five years before that as a child. I live in Scotland though I am English. My son is serving a mission in New Zealand and comes home in March. I cant wait to see him. He has been a remarkable missionary , though the trials have been exceptional...quakes, tsnami warnings a gun pulled on him...just plain boring to me now! Got used to it! But he has been protected for sure. I have another son just graduated from college and a teenage girl. We own a golden retriever and a siamese cat and we are all quite doting on animals. I work part time as a lecturer and enjoy music, and baking and cooking , and other crafts.