Mental health stigma in the church

I’m concerned about the situation in the Church in Canada today. Although most think that the amount of stigma towards people with lived experience has been reduced I, as such a person, am feeling the stigma more than ever before.

Christians are being equipped to support people with mental health challenges.  Yes, we are being better accepted and loved than in years past, but there is something very much missing in the delivery of support that we’re receiving.

I, as a person with such challenges, feel that the picture that’s unintendedly being painted of us too often makes us seem like “needy”—victims of illness who need mentally healthy people to give us their support. It causes me to feel looked down on, considered weak—a person for whom there’s little hope. Most in the Church are not recognizing that problem, content with the good work they’re doing. But there’s a huge gap in how our needs are being addressed.

Supporters are hearing about us but are not given opportunities to hear our stories firsthand. We are seldom asked about what our needs are. My personal efforts to point out the needs of those they’re trying to help, not receiving response from the organization that is promoting church support.

I have sent many writings to Christian magazines but am usually ignored. As a person with a mental health diagnosis, my perspective is not understood or trusted, although it’s as valid as any other—just different.

If we’re truly going to be accepted and loved as Jesus taught, we need to be treated with dignity and the respect that is due to any human being. We should be encouraged to be whole individuals, valued as people who can contribute—people who want a meaningful life. It’s called capacity building. It’s about helping victims become victors. It’s about giving them hope.

I believe that part of the roles of supporters should be to build us up, encouraging our confidence to grow. We need such confidence to live in this world where we are so often stigmatized.

Jesus and his unconditional love for us, especially for those on the margins, is the greatest healer of all. And people with lived experience have a greater hunger for God than anyone. They responded well at the Living Room groups where they heard unique Christ-centered messages. Those messages brought them healing. Where are those messages now? Three small Living Room groups are not nearly enough to meet the demand.

We who have found healing through Jesus and his unconditional love for us have stories to tell. But we are not given opportunities to do so. There was a time when hearing such testimonies from a person with lived experience was welcomed and made an impact. People came to understand us. It was the best way to reduce stigma.

Today, I only see stories of recovery being told in the secular world. Why not in the Church? Why is the importance of faith in our mental well-being not being addressed?

I’ve been a member of LinkedIn for a while now, virtually touring the globe and witnessing how people with lived experience are making out on the world scene, I’m seeing wonderful things happening. Leaders with lived experience abound, contributing in ways that only those with lived experience can because of their unique perspective.

Africa is a continent where professional care for people with mental health challenges is extremely low. Peers with leadership abilities in countries like Ghana and Uganda are picking up the slack by taking upon themselves ways to support their counterparts who are struggling. They are creating peer support groups where their members gain the confidence to lead the best life they can, despite the lack of services for them.

I’ve seen many examples of people with lived experience holding responsible positions, particularly in the mental health field where their perspectives are valued. A recent webinar from King’s College in England examined the effectiveness of lived experience workers. Much was said about the social justice of having peer involvement in the community. One of many examples of the opportunities they’re given is as paid workers on mental health wards in hospitals. They’re able to understand the needs of patients in ways that clinical staff aren’t able.

The Global Mental Health Peer Network, based in South Africa, has active members worldwide, using their voices to make a difference. GMHPN’s vision statement: “Strengthening and empowering the voices of persons with lived experience worldwide to inspire respect and acknowledgement of their experiences, views, and opinions throughout the global mental health sector and around the world.”

The world is marching forward, increasingly recognizing the value of the lived experience perspective. It’s too bad that Christians with mental health challenges are not part of that world, not being given such opportunities. In the world where we practise our faith, it’s difficult to have our voices heard at all. Our perspectives aren’t trusted. Only those who talk about us are listened to, heard, and believed.

And I wonder why the Church is so hesitant to let us speak? I’m a writer with much experience writing about mental health and faith. I’m a survivor with much to contribute but my voice has been silenced for many years now.