Mental Illness & Saints
You are not alone
Did you know?
In the United States, one in five Americans struggle with mental health illnesses. The most common issue is anxiety.
If you are someone who struggles with mental illness, please know that you are not alone.
One struggle some people have is feeling shame for having their struggles. It can stem from how the family has dealt with struggles or a lack of conversation around mental illness. That sometimes feels isolating, which can lead to worsening feelings. As humans, we are wired for connection. We are not meant to be alone.
Something that has helped others feel less lonely is looking for other examples in life. For Catholics, saints serve as examples. Some saints also struggled with mental illness. There is even a patron saint of mental illness. Saints are helpful in life as they are people who lived a human life, struggled with normal human struggles, and serve as a reminder that we are not alone in our struggles. Praying for a saint’s intercession is like asking a friend to pray for us or to help us.
Below is a list of saints who have struggled with mental illness or family problems.
St. Dymphna is the patron saint of those struggling with mental illness. Her feast day is May 15.
If you struggle with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), look to St. Oscar Romero and St. Therese
If you struggle with Postpartum depression (PPD), look to Servant of God Rose Latrop
If you struggle with Depression, you can look to St. Louis Martin and St. Jane Frances de Chantel
If you struggle with suicidal thoughts, you can look to St. Edith Stein
If you have attempted suicide in the past, Servant Of God Dorothy Day did as well.
If you struggle with scrupulosity, St. Benedict Labre did as well.
If you struggle with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), St. Alphonsa Muttathupadathu is there for you.
If you struggle with anxiety, St. Albert and Venerable Rutilio are good examples.
If you struggle with addiction, look to St. Mark Ji
If you are struggling in your marriage or family life, St. Rita de Cascia and St. Monica are the saints for you. They also struggled in their family life. St. Monica prayed for her son to make better choices and he became one of the most influential saints, St. Augustine of Hippo!
Below is a prayer to ask for St. Dymphna’s intercession.
Good Saint Dymphna, great wonder-worker in every affliction of mind and body, I humbly implore your powerful intercession with Jesus through Mary, the Health of the Sick, in my present need. (Mention it.) Saint Dymphna, martyr of purity, patroness of those who suffer with nervous and mental afflictions, beloved child of Jesus and Mary, pray to Them for me and obtain my request.
(Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be.)
Saint Dymphna, Virgin and Martyr, pray for us.
References:
www.NAMI.org
www.Catholic.org
https://www.ourcatholicprayers.com/