Note: This is very serious subject matter dealing with mental illness, depression and suicide. Please listen to Cheslie Tryst mom’s story about her daughters battle with depression. Please be aware and sensitive to the people in your life and pray you can connect with them in their battle and lead them to Christian counseling, suicide prevention and deliverance. Depression and suicide are demonic spirits and they have been defeated by the Lord Jesus Christ. He is able to cast them out!
Journal Entry: Wednesday, April23, 2025
So, I woke up today, around the usual time, 10:30 am. I had no particular focus or even prayers to start my day. I just sat on my floor with my coffee and quieted myself. As I sat quietly, hearing birds calling in the woods around me, my thoughts went back to memories of my beautiful younger sister, Belinda. She died two years ago of Cancer.
I received a phone call from her husband and was shocked to hear the news. I knew that she had Graves Disease and also struggled with some alcohol problems. Belinda also had fits of rage and torrid fights with our other two sisters. Few of us can forget certain sibling relationship issues.
Since a quiet, peace-loving teenager, I suffered great grief from Belinda’s rivalry issues. She always competed with me in most areas and had a love-hate attitude towards me. Her anger towards me increased as my mother became more violent and hateful towards her. It grieved my heart that mom regarded her as the Black sheep. Whenever mom became enraged when Belinda played her music loudly and threatened to kick down her door, I would placate my mom by fixing her coffee and massaging her head. Often, mom would turn over the kitchen table, dishes, breakfast and all if Belinda or my other sister, Leslie made any noise in their room. It was very stressful to me to see the hatred brew in my own family.
My mind also went back to when I heard my mom constantly belittling and speaking mean words about my youngest sister Margarita, who was mellow. During one of my visits to mom’s house, she said, “When that bitch dies, I will S______T on her grave”.
I could not believe what I was hearing. Margarita was her youngest daughter and living and going to work with her every day. I could not understand hat mom’s mindset was and why she was aggravated and hostile to her own daughter.
Thinking all these heart-breaking thoughts, I started to cry and declared that I was more than a conqueror and would not slide into depression. I wept for all the losses and sufferings of my sisters. And so, after my grief was cleansed after speaking to Abba, I heard in my mind, “How do brain synapses affect logic and critical thinking?” I had never even thought about synapses, but knew that Holy Spirit was helping me to understand why people made poor life decisions, react violently and/or with hatred and seem to stay in a plateau of underachievement. I had many precious friends and family members in this state and felt compelled to understand and help them navigate into purposeful living.
In a nutshell, I deduce that some sort of unresolved trauma had interfered or damaged some part of the brain’s cognitive function. I researched GOOGLE and received an AI Overview.
The AI Overview:
Brain synapses, the connections between nerve cells, are fundamental to logic and critical thinking. They enable the brain to learn, adapt, and create complex thoughts by facilitating the transmission of electrical signals between neurons. These connections can strengthen or weaken, allowing for the formation of new neural networks and the modification of existing ones. This plasticity is crucial for learning, memory, and the development of higher-level cognitive functions like critical thinking.
Further research explained the prefrontal cortex.
The prefrontal cortex, specifically the left hemisphere, is largely responsible for critical thinking. This region of the brain is crucial for executive functions like reasoning, problem-solving, planning, judgment, and decision-making. It’s often referred to as the brain’s “executive center”.
The next question I asked was:
Is Post-Traumatic Stress disorder responsible for damage to the prefrontal cortex?
AI Overview:
Yes, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can lead to changes and potentially damage in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). The PFC plays a crucial role in emotional regulation, decision-making, and cognitive control, and PTSD can disrupt its normal functioning.
Elaboration:
- Structural and Functional Changes:Studies have shown that PTSD is associated with alterations in the PFC, including reduced gray matter volume and decreased structural connectivity between the PFC and other brain regions. These changes can affect the PFC’s ability to regulate emotional responses, process information, and make rational decisions.
- Impact on Cognitive Function:Damage or dysfunction in the PFC can lead to difficulties with attention, memory, and decision-making, all of which are common symptoms in PTSD.
- Resilience and Coping:While some PFC regions may be affected, others, particularly the dorsolateral PFC, may be more active in individuals who exhibit resilience and are better able to cope with stress.
- Other Brain Regions:PTSD also affects other brain areas like the amygdala and hippocampus, which are involved in processing fear and forming memories. The interaction between these regions and the PFC contributes to the complex symptoms of PTSD.
As I continue to pray about this article, rejoicing that the Holy Spirit opened my mind and heart to receive insight, I believe this information will aid trauma counselors and healing ministers to get to the root of an illness or mental-emotional dysfunction.
Renowned country music artist, Naomi Judd and former Miss USA, Cheslie Kryst, both died by committing suicide. Many ponder how such beautiful and gifted women would choose to end their lives. Buried soul wounds fester and grow like a cancer or mold, choking out joy, thankfulness and worth. Perhaps, somewhere and sometime in the past or even in early childhood, these women may have been molested or raped. Molestation is a powerfully venomous and thorough destroyer of the soul and spirit. Many children are so traumatized by this heinous act, that they lose all sense of worth. Many fall into the snare of substance addiction or promiscuity to drown the pain of their lost value and others immerse themselves in work or career.
I was raped also and the shock, (and shame) of how it happened led me to bury it for decades. I believe that incident caused my immune system to lose it’s resilience. Lyme Disease and CFS, (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) was able to set in and since then I’ve battled for three decades cascading illnesses which greatly diminished my divine destiny. Even now, I am working on solidifying my worth and value through meditation and application of God’s promises and word! My socialization and friendship also, with many wonderful prayer warrior friends have also helped me to heal.
My prayer is that this article will prompt anyone molested or raped to get counseling and healing ministry. If you have been assaulted, please do not accept satan’s lie that it is you fault or you deserve it. Ask Jesus to lead you to a compassionate counselor who can walk the journey with you into wholeness and deliverance!
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