This is in response to Adrian Warnock’s conversation on mental illness (see here and here on my blog) and is specifically in response to this question from him: How do you think that faith communities and society as a whole can better respond to mental illness? Mental illness is a serious problem affecting millions worldwide. 1 […]
Is Self Injury a Sin?
May 23, 2013 by 1 Comment
I have self harmed, on and off, since I was fourteen. I have self harmed both before and after coming to faith, and I still struggle with, and often fail to resist, the urge to do it when I am depressed. As you may know, I have written my Guide to Self Injury, covering everything […]
Scrupulosity: Doubt, Obsession and Compulsion
May 20, 2013 by 2 Comments
I have discussed earlier in this blog’s life the concept of scrupulosity, sometimes referred to as religious OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder.) That particular post was a bit of a mish-mash of things I found online, and I felt it had some shortcomings. Nevertheless it remains the most searched-for and viewed article on my whole site. I […]
“High Flight”
May 19, 2013 by Leave a Comment
I have recently been reading a book called “Through Corridors of Light: Poems of Consolation in Time of Illness” (you can buy it at Amazon UK if you like) which includes lots of poems about illness, some with a spiritual element and some not, and which I would heartily recommend. I would definitely check out […]
Suicide and Religious Faith
May 14, 2013 by 1 Comment
This another question posed by Adrian Warnock in his post: Suicide and Religious Faith following on from his question about mental illness which I posted about in mental illness and my faith. This week, his question is: Research suggests that religious faith protects against suicide. Why do you think that is in light of how your […]
Mental Illness and my Faith
May 11, 2013 by 6 Comments
Apologies for the essay-like title, but I am writing this post in response to Adrian Warnock’s posts on Patheos (“A conversation about faith and mental illness” and “How has faith shaped our view of mental illness?”) He asks a question, in the light of the publishing of Amy Simpson’s book Troubled Minds and the suicide of […]
Christ’s is the World
May 5, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Sorry to post this so soon after the last one but I felt I had to! Someone I know on Facebook posted the lyrics to this song, which spoke so powerfully to me that I felt I had to include them here! The words were written by the Iona Community and I couldn’t find a […]
Gentleness and Stigma
May 5, 2013 by 3 Comments
To acknowledge ourselves as having a mental illness can make us vulnerable. If you read the website of Time to Change, the anti-stigma campaign, you can read about others who have experienced discrimination because of their mental illness, who have been told that they are “faking it” and that they have a flaw in their […]
Concerns about Age
May 2, 2013 by Leave a Comment
There’s not a joy the world can give like that it takes away When the glow of early thought declines in feeling’s dull decay; ‘Tis not on youth’s smooth cheek the blush alone, which fades so fast, But the tender bloom of heart is gone, ere youth itself be past. –Byron, Stanzas for Music [1] […]
If You’re 5 Minutes Late…
May 1, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Well, I had the first day of the Work Programme today. It started at 9am (which I am not used to getting up at any more!) Unfortunately I had an awful night’s sleep, what with coughing (I have a cold) and worrying about being sanctioned, I think I got a couple of uncomfortable hours but […]
Believer's Brain 