Meet Lillian, a Christian Who Struggles with PTSD – A Celebrate Recovery Story

Hello, my name is Lillian, and I’m a grateful believer in Jesus Christ that struggles with depression and PTSD.

Did you catch that? I identify first as a believer in Jesus Christ, not my struggles or addictions. As a young adult, my difficult journey became my identity.

I believed and identified with what the world called me. Trash, a waste of space, a kid with an attitude, a problem child, not good enough, a bully, a teen up to no good. My old list is extensive and painful.

As I grew into a young teen, depression and PTSD crept into my life. I needed help; I needed a way to unpack my struggles. I had nowhere to go. As a young girl, everyone around me had levels of brokenness I couldn’t wrap my little head around. So, I developed habits for what I thought would create normalcy.

Amid my suffering, I had the tendency to become selfish and make it all about me. As I’ve done in the past, while in the midst of the destructive trials I see nothing but that. It consumed me with a crippling invisible force.

As I grew older, I knew I needed help. I needed to look past this invisible force and take a step forward toward freedom. So, one day, as I walked my street in the Bronx, I shouted at God at the top of my lungs – asking him to do something with the life he gave me.

That prayer of desperation, expressed so long ago changed my life today. Today I get to share the hope Jesus has given me through The Landing – a program for teens through Celebrate Recovery.

I get to share with teens that they don’t have to live in despair, but can rely on Jesus to carry them through the struggle.

This program is specially designed to work with the Celebrate Recovery program. It is a continuing 52-week program that runs concurrently with your Celebrate Recovery group. As your Celebrate Recovery group teaches the denial lesson, the teens also learn the denial lesson on that same night.

The teens at The Landing, also work the eight principles and 12 steps. The Landing program is specifically designed so that the entire family can work on the same lessons and principles at the same time.

What I have learned about God is this. He will never waste a hurt. He was there during my struggles. So I know without a doubt that God can meet every teen with this program. If you have a Celebrate Recovery in your church, and feel called to minister to a teen, I encourage you to look into The Landing.