Today, we live in a ‘me’ driven society.  We zero in on me, my, and mine – even in our Christian life and this is how many land in the Kingdom of Satan and why the mental illness level is high among those in Christendom.  Satan will always have people focus on the Self.  He will always make it about them.  Where the Kingdom of God is about Christ and why He calls us to give to Him our worship – we take our eyes off of ourselves and put them on Him in the posture of a worshipful life.  This is our safeguard and the ground that Satan cannot contend.  In Timothy, Paul describes our world today and take note that what he lists all stem from a SELF world view (not a Christ worldview) and the absence of worshiping God:

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:  For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power.  And from such people turn away! 2 Timothy 3:1-5

I believe Paul was talking about people among the believing members of Christ.  In Titus the exhortation is similar:

To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled.  They profess to know God, but in works, they deny Him being abominable, disobedient and disqualified for every good work. Titus 1:15-16

 Fear is a spirit. What is the basis of mental illness?  Fear.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.  1 Timothy 1:7

Fear can only operate in the absence of love – and it torments.   Is this not the description of mental illness?

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18

A good visual of fear is when Peter asked Jesus to walk to Him on the water.  He became distressed and fearful, when He took His eyes off of Christ and looked upon his circumstances (that would affect him) – and fear took hold of him.  Matt 14:22-33

Could the reason for the rise of mental illness among us be the result of preoccupation with Self?  It quite probably does.

Self-absorbed thinking is to be put off (Romans 8:5-6, Ephes 4:21-25) and further to this, considered to be unacceptable to those who profess to be the Lord’s followers as it is not compatible with Christ who now has become what is true for us, as He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.  We put on the Lord Jesus Christ now, no longer living from our old nature and way of thinking.

put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. Romans 13:14

Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. Galatians 5:1