Depression (mood), I couldn’t sleep, relationship with God, the voice of faith,
Rafaela Bernini had been a member of the UCKG HelpCentre for three years and had seen positive changes in her life – from breaking free from depression and restoring the relationship with her family, to overcoming the abuse she had suffered as a child. However, an unstable relationship with God led her to eventually leave her faith and family behind to live with her boyfriend in Brazil.
‘That is when everything I had overcome in the previous three years, crumbled before my eyes,’ she said.
‘I became depressed again and started taking antidepressants. I even went to psychologists, but nothing worked. My health became so bad that I would faint for no reason, and doctors could never diagnose the problem. I also became addicted to pornography, which made me feel like rubbish.
There was a period when I couldn’t sleep because I was afraid of dying in my sleep. To make matters worse, I felt empty inside and in an attempt to fill my void I spent time going to parties, shopping and going on holidays, but none of that worked.
One of my lowest points occurred when my mum and sister went to visit me in Brazil. In the end, they decided to leave me. They couldn’t stand to be around me because I was very anxious. That’s when I realised that I couldn’t solve my problems on my own. On the outside, I seemed happy and strong, as though my life was perfect, but in reality, every area of my life was a mess!
My love life, in particular, was a nightmare, and it was there that I had suffered the most – fights and betrayal were the norm. At one point, I even wanted to commit suicide. Fortunately, I didn’t have the courage to go through with it. I visited the UCKG HelpCentre once in a while to escape my worries. But I soon decided to take things seriously.’
When Rafaela heard about the Campaign, she saw it as an opportunity to find a solution for her problems.
‘I gave my all and asked God to remove everything from my life that wasn’t a part of His will, and that is exactly what He did.
When I returned to the UK, I understood that Jesus needed to be my best friend. It wasn’t easy and change didn’t happen overnight, but it was essential that I let go of things from my past, including my boyfriend. I had to stop listening to my heart and listen to the voice of God; the voice of faith.
Today, I am no longer addicted, I don’t suffer from depression or have any health-related problems. I sleep well at night and I have peace. My mum is now my best friend. I love being close to her and my sister. Today they both tell me that I am a good example.
I don’t need to be surrounded by others to be happy. I have found true happiness and God is moulding me more day by day.’
Rafaela Bernini
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