IN THE NAME OF JESUS When I talk to healthy friends, people who care about me, I realize they will never fully understand what it means to live with a mental illness, no matter how much explaining I do. The issue is not the illness itself and what it does to the person living with […]

IN THE NAME OF JESUS Everyone lives with bad memories from the past. It’s part of life. But some memories could be classified as traumatic. They’re the result of truly disturbing experiences like witnessing a horrific accident, being in the middle of a war zone, or seeing a vicious crime committed. Such memories tend to […]

IN THE NAME OF JESUS Supporters: Before we move on to the next topic in the In the Name of Jesus series, let’s stop and look at the purpose of these writings. What are they trying to do and what are they not intended to do? The writings won’t help people deal with specific mental […]

  IN THE NAME OF JESUS In her book Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World, Joanna Weaver relates Robert Boyd Munger’s story about how he showed Christ around his house room by room. When they got to the drawing room they both liked it best and decided to meet and start every day […]

IN THE NAME OF JESUS One of the best ways to help a friend in trouble—whether it is with emotional pain, grief, or mental health issues of any kind—is to sit down with them and let them tell you about it. I think the world is far too quick to criticize people for complaining about […]

IN THE NAME OF JESUS Problems arise when a person with mental health problems starts relying too heavily on a supporter. I’m ashamed to say that I speak as someone who has been guilty of excessive contact with people who were once dear to me. I speak as someone who has been deeply hurt by […]

IN THE NAME OF JESUS We have to be careful when we blame a family member for being lazy. When we’re not familiar with psychiatric illnesses and symptoms, it’s understandable to feel that way. But if this apparent laziness doesn’t lift within a reasonable length of time, the problem could very well be depression—an illness […]

IN THE NAME OF JESUS Just before he passed away, Narayan Vaman Tilak (1861-1919), a famous convert to Christianity in India, wrote the following to a missionary friend: “Cease to be fathers and mothers, be real brothers and sisters, know how to appreciate, trust people, and take the place of India’s revered saints.” Unfortunately, a […]

IN THE NAME OF JESUS When we see our friends with mental health problems living with low self-esteem, some of us might think it’s mental illness that makes them that way. That might be true, but chances are just as likely that it’s because of the way the world looks down on them. Your friends’ […]