I think I am losing my mind

Dear Pastor,

I have been having these bizarre dreams. I am imagining a man buying me a palace, a mall and a resort, all of which are located in the United Arab Emirates.

This man appeared in my life but then he vanished from my contact. I have been in and out of jail and hospitalised for bipolar disorder. The irony is, each time I was isolated in jail and hospital, the circumstances were falsified. I stopped receiving my mail from the United States Postal Service. I was evicted from my apartment and I lost my job. Due to unemployment and circumstances, I am receiving aid from the government of the United States of America.

Pastor, I want to know if I am okay. Because I really do not understand these dreams that occur in the midst of such a challenging time.

R.M.

Dear R.M.,

From your letter, I can say that you are not okay. You should be under psychiatric care and you should follow the advice of your doctor.

I would like you to know that I am sorry to hear that you have been in and out of hospital and that you spent some time in jail. Evidently, you went to jail because you did things that caused you to be arrested and then you were sentenced. I will pray for you and ask God to deliver you. But prayer alone is not what you need; you should receive medical care as I mentioned earlier. I am sorry that you lost your job. You should get help; emotional and psychological support from relatives and friends. You should not be living alone.

You did not mention anything about having a partner and perhaps your parents are not able to accommodate you. But, I repeat, you should not be living alone. You must follow your doctor's advice, and, if you are on medication, you should take them.

Concerning your dreams, I do not want you to take these dreams seriously. Do not yield to whatever you see in your dreams. Some dreams can cause folks to get into trouble. They may urge a person to commit suicide or murder. So, whenever you see a doctor, you should discuss these dreams with him or her. My prayers are with you. Whenever you feel very depressed, call your pastor or your priest or someone in whom you have confidence and discuss whatever is happening to you with them.

Pastor