From Darkness to Light: Therapy Through Works

By Krista McGuire

Krista believes everybody has a story of their struggles, experiences, goals, and accomplishments, and God wants to turn it into something beautiful. Her story started in 2003 when she was a junior in high school. She developed an eating disorder. A few years later she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. By 2009, she had also been treated for obsessive compulsive disorder, borderline personality disorder, and severe anxiety. Krista went through three psychiatrists, got checked into a behavioral hospital, and tried every prescription medication the doctor had. Nothing worked. So she turned to God and put it in His hands. She hit rock bottom and couldn't handle it on her own. This is when Krista started painting and writing poetry for therapy. This book is a collection of her art and poetry that has accumulated through the years, and it tells her story and how her Christian faith brought her through it. The poetry is about every day struggles, but it is also educational of mental illnesses. We all struggle with something, and Krista has created a new approach to handle hard times: to use our gifts and talents to get through our struggles. She can be contacted through email at [e-mail]/

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Feb 10, 2011
• ISBN: 9781449751128

Krista McGuire

Krista McGuire is a poet, artist, and communication major in college. She has dealt with mental disabilities since she was 18 years old, including an eating disorder, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, and severe anxiety. Throughout her journey, she refused to give up on her Christian faith. Krista acknowledges her disability as a blessing because it keeps her dependent on God. To contact author, email her at [e-mail] or visit her website at www.kristamcguire.com

Book preview

Copyright © 2011 Krista McGuire

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.westbowpress.com

1-[phone]

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any Web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-4497-0876-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4497-5112-8 (eBook)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2010941192

WestBow Press rev. date: 2/1/2011

Westbow%20Black_wTN.ai

Acknowledgements

I dedicate this book to my parents, Greg and Cynthia McGuire, and my brother and sister, Jason McGuire and Keisha Erwin, who have been by my side from the very beginning of my journey. Thank you for your unconditional love. Thank you, Jeremy, for loving the real me and not giving up on me. Thank you Pearl and Teresa for making this book possible.

Preface

I believe everybody has a life story of their struggles, experiences, goals, and accomplishments, and God wants to take their story and turn it into something beautiful that glorifies Him. My story I am going to tell started in 2003 when I was a junior in high school. I developed an eating disorder. A few years later I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. By 2009, I was being treated for an eating disorder, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, borderline personality disorder, and severe anxiety. I’d been through three psychiatrists, I’ve been checked into a behavioral hospital, and I’ve tried every prescription medication my doctor had. Nothing worked. So I turned to God and put it in His hands. I hit rock bottom and couldn’t handle it on my own. It was so much bigger than me. This is when I started painting and writing poetry for therapy. This book is a collection of my art and poetry that has accumulated through the years, and I encourage my readers to dig deep inside and find what God put in them that make them unique. Once a person finds that special gift, he or she should use it to get through their struggles and glorify God.

Contents

Chapter 1: Dealing with an Eating Disorder

My Disease

Beautiful God

Chapter 2: Depression and Being Overwhelmed

Meaningless

Go Away

Unasked Prayers

Still Standing

Chapter 3: Giving Up

I Hate My Life

"Growing