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What Christians Should Know About Mental Illness
I want churches to be places where my friends and loved ones with mental illness will be accepted and welcomed.
I am always happy to see religious groups address issues surrounding mental illness and offer support such as workshops and support groups. A few years ago, one organization decided to have a mental health day. The idea behind it was to offer people with mental illness a safe place to talk to someone.
I volunteered to support whoever showed up. Mental illness is an important issue to me. I was deeply depressed as a teen and had people in my life with severe conditions such as schizophrenia, chronic depression, and bipolar disorder. I will not identify them to protect them from the stigma of having a mental illness and to protect their privacy.
A small group of volunteers showed up at a briefing before the mental health event — a great group of people who really cared. However, I was dismayed when a leader pointed to the chairs and said that we needed to move them nearer the door in case we needed to make a “quick exit.” Really?
I discovered later that the leader had a scary encounter with someone with mental health issues. The misconception that people with mental illness are dangerous is one of many myths that I see out there.
