The Faith Thread

[Hot_Tamale]

If you subscribe to a particular brand of faith, be it Christianity, Catholicism, Buddhism, which ever it may be, how has it helped your anxiety or depression? If you're an atheist how has your lack of faith in a higher being helped you or not helped you? If you do believe in a higher power how has it helped or not helped you in life?

I have been a member of this forum for over a year now and it appears to me that I am the only one that holds to a particular brand of faith to help them with their anxiety struggles. I'm wondering if there are any others like me out there. Share your stories no matter which side of the debate you are on but respect each others opinions.

I have been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, OCD, ADHD, have a neurological disorder since I was a little kid and have been almost blind in one eye since I was born. Believing in a higher power I can rely on doesn't make me feel as alone on most days when I don't have a reliable friend to turn to - call me crazy if you'd like, you won't offend me, haha.

 

[FountainandFairfax]

I was raised Christian, and though I identified as agnostic for about twelve years in my twenties and thirties, I could never really get it to work for me. Basically, my thoughts of "What if there's nothing after all of this?" were just replaced with "What if there's something after all of this?"

Anyway, I find myself a little less troubled when I'm being a relatively good protestant, and the thought of being reunited with my lost loved ones is an incredible comfort to me. Like you, I also like feeling that I'm not alone in all of this and that there's someone out there who actually understands me.

 

[PugofCrydee]

"If you're an atheist how has your lack of faith in a higher being helped you or not helped you?"

Atheist's do not 'lack' anything. In fact, being an Atheist gives me more security about my place in the universe than any imagined stories.

Intelligent design? There are over 4000 known genetic diseases..
Gods plan - Bone cancer in children? Whats that about?
Meh.. I could go on and on...

But I won't. I respect that others have the right to peacefully worship what they wish.
Atheism has given me inner strength about my place in the universe. Everything - every molecule, including your hair, teeth, the chair at your desk, the housing you're in, the cities that we build, the rocket ships we create, the elements to all these things are forged in the heart of dying stars. Supernova.

So when I die, I know that I will break down into the elements again and eventually be recycled back into the universe. My elements will one day become part of something else.Maybe a part of another planet, star, a rock... a tree.

I think it's a beautiful way to see us for who we are. We are part of the universe. We are in fact, stardust recycled and reborn time and time again over eons.

 

[Hot_Tamale]

@ Pug
I didn't mean to suggest you "lack" anything in your life. That's a poor choice of words on my part.

 

[PugofCrydee]

@ Pug
I didn't mean to suggest you "lack" anything in your life. That's a poor choice of words on my part.

All good, no offence taken :thumbup:

 

[theslowesthand]

I think having a believe system, or a faith, helps a bit with general anxiety about life. But i have a feeling that it really needs to "sink in" to one's consciousness, to help in more ways than that.

For instance, i believe in a variety of things from different systems of thought (whatever that's called), but currently they don't seem to be helping me in any way; perhaps as they are still quite new to me .. might need a decade or so, for them to sink in?

So i do believe in having a believe system, but one that's "very believable" (that is, scientifically verifiable, or at least verifiable by common logic). But in saying that, i'm also open-minded to the more bizarre belief systems, within reason.