Marja Bergen

author, mental health advocate, follower of Christ

Month: May 2016

Strength in all circumstances

I want to tell you about a man named Paul who lived and worked not long after Jesus died. He suffered much in the process of spreading the news about Jesus. One thing I found amazing in his story is that in spite of being hated so much, suffering  imprisonment, hunger, thirst, mob attacks, beating, […]

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Grieving evermore

This morning – as it has been increasingly so – I am grieving the prejudice that exists towards people with mental illness. And experiencing it firsthand in a way I never have before, I’ve come to know the deep pain that comes with it. Too often now I’m doubting my self-worth. I’m feeling the hopelessness […]

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Enduring opposition

I’m going to be very personal here, but that’s ok in a blog once in a while, isn’t it? There’s a tiny little three-word snippet of a phrase in the Bible that drew my attention and encourages me in my effort to raise awareness about mental illness. It tells about Jesus’ crucifixion, something that involves […]

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Maintaining respect

This morning, as I considered the great need individuals with mental illness have for respect, I recalled some of the problems my research showed me in the frequently poor medical care given to BPD patients. These problems can crop up anywhere – not only in the medical community. As I’ve said before, many practitioners consider […]

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Me? Really? Having fun?

  Photo by Wes Bergen I never thought it possible for a group of adults to have such a wonderful time! To be as free as children in our silliness and in our laughter. But it did happen here last night on the island of Santorini in Greece where my husband and I were vacationing. […]

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Still a child

What keeps me so much a child, Lord? with a child’s sensitivity and loneliness inside. Children love in ways that grown-ups don’t. I remember special people who came into my life. They had an aura of love around them, a warmth and kindness I hungered for. I held them in reverence; they filled my need […]

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Stigmatized or something else?

This morning Church for Vancouver published my article, “Breaking Down Walls.” I was asked to write and submit this after telling the publisher that I had experienced the effects of stigma. I had felt many times that this had been the reason for the emotional pain I had suffered as the result of insensitive and […]

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