When You or Someone You Love has Mental Illness

A collection in honor of May as Mental Health Awareness Month

By Jessica Brodie

Do you know someone with mental illness and struggle with how to love them well in the midst of it? Or do you experience a mental health issue, whether depression, anxiety, trauma, mood instability, or something else?

Or maybe you’re wondering: Shouldn’t faith or prayer cure this? What can I do? How can I help?

I’ve shared before that several of my family members have mental illness, and over the last several years my daughter has been diagnosed as well. It started with anxiety and panic attacks when she was in the third grade, then depression when she hit puberty. As a mom, I’d love to trade places with her, but as I cannot, the best thing I’ve learned is to be as educated and compassionate as possible, and to make our home as Jesus-centered, grace-filled, and stable as possible so she knows she’s in a safe environment. She also sees a counselor and psychiatrist. 

Not everyone believes in taking medication for physical or mental illness, and that’s always a personal choice. I have friends who take no medicine, including basic vaccinations; other friends who believe firmly in the power of modern medicine and take whatever is prescribed; and still others who like a blend between natural, holistic therapies and pharmaceuticals. That’s all an individual choice, but in our family, we believe that if we take antibiotics for an infection, insulin for diabetes, or chemotherapy for cancer, then it’s perfectly in line to take medication for brain imbalances such as depression and anxiety.

We also believe firmly in the power of prayer to do what we cannot do, plus good old-fashioned fresh air, healthy eating, and exercise.

So much of what we know about mental illness is still being discovered, just as so much of what we know about all issues with the body, and the universe as a whole. But I know earth is not meant to be heaven, and so we humans have struggles. Mental illness is one of them. (And to address the above, “shouldn’t faith or prayer cure this?”, of course—just like it should and can cure cancer. But sometimes the answer to that prayer is in the medicine God gifted human beings with the ability to create and prescribe. Medicine can be an answered prayer, too. So please… if you or someone you love needs to take medicine for mental illness, do not feel bad about this. Having mental illness does not mean you are not a “good enough” or “faithful enough” Christian.)

The month of May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and given that, I want to share a few thoughts about mental health and how we can love each other in the name of Jesus in the midst of this.

Millions of people worldwide live with a mental illness. Some of it is situational, such as depression brought on from the loss of a loved one. Some of it is a genetic brain disorder passed on from one family member to the next.

The National Institute for Mental Health reports:

  • 78% of all people who die by suicide are male.

  • Although more women than men attempt suicide, men are nearly four times more likely to die by suicide.

  • Suicide is the second leading cause of death among people aged 10-34 and the 10th leading cause of death overall in the U.S.

  • The overall suicide rate in the U.S. has increased by 35% since 1999.

  • 46% of people who die by suicide had a diagnosed mental health condition.

  • While nearly half of individuals who die by suicide have a diagnosed mental health condition, research shows that 90% experienced symptoms.

All of these people have friends, family members, coworkers, or others who care for them and are devastated.

In an effort to help shine light into mental health and mental illness, I’m sharing a few things that might help:

Some blogs I’ve written on my Shining the Light blog about depression, anxiety, and other issues:

An article I wrote for Bible Study Tools on “What Does the Bible Say about Depression?”:

https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/what-does-the-bible-say-about-depression.html

An article I wrote for the South Carolina United Methodist Advocate about two recent webinars on “first aid for mental health,” including at the end a link to free resources, slides, a video and more all free to the public (so you can learn this, too!):

https://advocatesc.org/articles/first-aid-mental-health

Two other recent articles I wrote on mental illness and the church in South Carolina:

Also, I helped found a small press, the Advocate Press, for the South Carolina United Methodist Advocate, which to date has published 14 books. Last week, we launched a memoir authored by my friend who is a pastor, the Rev. Chrisie Reeves-Pendergrass, on her own experience of finding God after an abusive marriage, sexual assault, and intimate partner violence, including her experience with mental illness and post-traumatic stress disorder from all she endured. You can find the book here: https://advocatesc.org/store/books/betrayed-with-a-kiss

The best thing we can do as Christians is love each other, pray for each other, and strive to understand that everyone’s experience with mental illness isn’t necessarily similar. But we are all called to compassion and grace, and I believe we all should try to understand as much as possible about mental illness so we can be part of the solution.

If you struggle with mental illness or serve as a caregiver for someone who does, I’d love to hear from you. Email me at jessicajbrodie@gmail.com or comment below. Also, I have a free ebook, A God-Centered Life: 10 Faith-Based Practices when You’re Feeling Anxious, Grumpy, or Stressed, for anyone who subscribes to my weekly blog. You can sign up for my blog and get the book here, or if you are already a subscriber and want me to email you the book directly, just email me at jessicajbrodie@gmail.com and I will.

God bless you!

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Jessica BrodieAuthor Jessica Brodie10 Comments