If you're like me, and have a mental or physical disability, and also have religious parents, then you know what I'm talking about.
"Just pray honey, and your [depression, anxiety, etc] will go away!"
So you try it, and surprise, it's not gone. It may lighten up if you're of the faith, but it;s not completely gone, and the response when you mention it?
"Well, you just didn't try hard enough!"
"Oh, you didn't believe it'd work, so of course it didn't!"
"You're just not trying hard enough."
I cannot even begin to explain how mad this makes me. I am a Christian who practices witchcraft; I'm bigender and pansexual, and I would easily date someone not of my own race. In my parents eyes, I'd be an abomination, which is why I haven't told them yet.
Religion is great, if you choose it. If you want to praise a God or Gods or Goddesses, that's great. But don't make it sound like just because you believe in a higher power, that said higher power is the answer to every problem.
In my opinion, God knows I have this illness, and he expects my parents, to give me the correct help to deal with it. That's not happening in my household, nope, and my parents would rather cover their ears and block themselves off in their little world of excessive pride and a holier than thou attitude instead of actually helping me with my problems. My mother doesn't even want me seeing my therapist anymore because,
"You don't need that; you just need to pray more!"
Tip: Don't say that. Please, you're not helping, and if you WANT to help, then educate yourself on the real ways to help and support someone with a physical and mental illness.
