Marja Bergen

author, mental health advocate, follower of Christ

Category: Stigma (page 3 of 14)

How can we help . . . as Jesus once did?

HEALING THE EFFECTS OF STIGMA Introducing a booklet that will show you how. This 48-page book follows upon the recent publication of my book, In the Name of Jesus: Spiritual Support for Mental Health Challenges, which shows the pain and suffering of those who have been stigmatized because of their mental health challenges. It shows […]

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Do you hear our voices?

  IN THE NAME OF JESUS This is what people with mental health challenges want to tell us: We are looked down on. We are not understood. Our truths are not believed. We are shunned rejected, excluded. We are made to feel ashamed. Our abilities are often underrated. Our opinions are not respected. We are […]

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Addressing the pain – part one

IN THE NAME OF JESUS How can the pain of stigma be reduced?  How can the good in those of us with lived experience be recognized and affirmed? We need to have caring people to build us up. And followers of Christ are among the best individuals to make this happen because they have Jesus […]

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Followers of Christ can help

IN THE NAME OF JESUS You have probably heard me say the following before, but it bears repeating. Much is being done to reduce stigma. But reducing stigma is not nearly enough. Something important is being overlooked. The voices of those who are to benefit, those with lived experience, are not being heard. And it’s […]

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A message to the Church

IN THE NAME OF JESUS I am concerned. Because I, and others with mental health conditions, are not being heard. Although I’m not a trained counselor or pastor, I have known Jesus for a very long time, especially close to him during times of suffering. Through him and the words he has given me, I […]

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Let us love one another

IN THE NAME OF JESUS I speak with the love that Jesus, in his gospels, taught us to have for those the world wanted nothing to do with. I speak for my brothers and sisters. It is a well-known fact that people with mental health issues suffer a lot of stigma. But little attention is […]

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Do you dare to be a radical?

May 2018 Do you dare to follow Jesus and be a radical like he was? Do you have the courage to overcome the stigma? Dishonest tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus’ sermons; but this caused complaints from the Jewish religious leaders and the experts on Jewish law because he was […]

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In fellowship with a stigmatized person

IN THE NAME OF JESUS More than anything, I’d like to help caregivers understand what it’s like to experience the pain caused by stigma—to get into the heart and mind of the sufferer. Only then will they know how important it is to fill their needs. But the one who wants to give care needs […]

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As Jesus healed, so must we

People with mental health challenges live with the following: They are looked down on, They are not understood, Their truths not believed, They are shunned, rejected, excluded, They are made to feel ashamed, Their intellect is often underrated, Their opinions not respected. They are not taken seriously in the way well people are. This should […]

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Why reduce stigma?

  HEALING THE EFFECTS OF STIGMA I only wish I were younger so that I would have more time to speak to the wrongs I see in the world – to help a well-intentioned world see that there is something important missing in their efforts to reduce the stigma of mental illness. What is missing […]

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