I have many many testimonies. But the one I wanted to speak on this post about is a testimony about one of my patients. I work at a psychiatric unit of a large hospital since 2017. In 2018 there was a young man who came in, 18 years old who had a diagnosis of acute psychosis. I spoke to his mom on the phone when he was admitted and she told me that he was hearing voices, hallucinating, and exhibiting bizarre behavior. I was already used to seeing this in patients all the time, however I have a special place in my heart for young people who struggle with this type of debilitating mental torment.
His mom added that he was also having angry outbursts and being very aggressive. Breaking things in her home, and threatening to physically assault her. She explained that she was growing very afraid of him and that she couldn’t take him back into her home.
So after the young man came to the hospital. I waited a few days to do my assessment while he was calming down and detoxing off whatever street drugs his mom said he was taking. I sat across from him and spoke to him. He said he was really embarrassed about his behavior and that he was afraid of being homeless.
I found him a youth shelter that took people up to 20 years old. He went there and I thought that would be the last I heard of him.
Then in 2020 he came back. In worse condition then I saw him before. He ended up getting diagnosed with full blown schizophrenia at that point. He was neglecting himself physically and looked ungroomed and very disheveled.
He ended up being homeless again after getting too old to be in the shelter. At this point his eyes were sunken low, and you can tell his mental anguish was really taking a toll on his spirit.
I made it my mission to help him. He was always very sweet, and kind after a few days at the hospital. After some meals and showers, he was a sweet soul deep down inside.
I applied for him to go to this housing mental health community where he could live permanently. But the wait they told me would be 2 months. So I applied with the psychiatrist signature for a state petition to keep him in the hospital until he got a bed.
One month turned to two. Two to six, six to 9. Every time I called they claimed the waiting list was long and they had no beds.
He was getting so anxious. No outside time. No sunshine. No visitation from anyone at all. He spent Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years and Easter in a locked, high level activity psychiatric ward. A young man, just locked up in this was.
It was wearing on me. And I could see what it was doing to him. The light had completely went out of his eyes and he was feeling more and more hopeless everyday.
He stopped coming out his room for groups. He was refusing to eat. He started sleeping all day and night.
Then a whole year went by.
He came up to me one day and looked at me through the window of the nursing station while I was filing some paper work and said, “Why is this happening to me? Why am I going through this?”
My heart felt like it broke to pieces. Looking back at him I said, I’m going to get you out of here.”
I went back to my office and picked up my phone. I sent out an emergency prayer text to every single person in my church, all my Christian friends, my mom; my pastor and his wife. Everyone i know that prays. And I asked for a heavy dose of prayer for this young man.
I myself prayed and prayed that day. I wanted to see the Lord’s hand move in a big way. Not just for him to get a bed at housing but to release him from the demonic torture that was invading his spirit and mind.
I came to work the next day. Thinking not much of it. And at 3pmI received a phone call. The housing agency called and told me that a patient had eloped from their facility out of nowhere and that they had a bed!
I was so shocked at how fast God worked I was almost speechless.
When I got off the phone, I literally went to the private bathroom in my office, dropped to my knees and cried. I was crying and thanking God over and over. He is worthy to be praised!
When I broke the news to him I’ll never forget his face. He looked like a kid that was told that he was going to a theme park on the brightest sunniest day ever.
I’ll never forget this patient.
He was evidence of the power of corporate prayer.
After I started praying for the demons to be loosed from him, and shortly after he was discharged from the hospital: all hell broke loose in my life.
I ended up going through sudden and immediate personal hardships that were unexplained, and unexpected. Which would be a whole other story on its own.
Thankfully God brought me out of each one. But it showed me that demons don’t like when we want to see others freed in Jesus’s name.
God is so so good.
Hope someone who comes across this is blessed. In Jesus mighty and matchless name.
-Valar