I have been reading the book of Job, in the Old Testament, today. I must confess that I have found this a difficult book in the past, with its many speeches, and I found it difficult to know whether Job’s comforters were right about him. Now that I have finally got round to reading it […]
Insects called the Human Race
November 18, 2012 by Leave a Comment
And crawling on the planet’s face Some insects called the human race Lost in time, and lost in space And meaning –“Super Heroes” in The Rocky Horror Picture Show [1] I remember, as a child, looking up at the stars and thinking how very small and insignificant we on earth are compared to the vastness of […]
Drinking Alcohol
November 14, 2012 by Leave a Comment
The Christian world – or at least those parts of it I have come into contact with – has a funny view of alcohol. It ranges from those who do not drink at all and consider it a sin to drink alcohol, to those who say to have very little alcohol, to those who say […]
I Can’t Help You
November 13, 2012 by 9 Comments
I want to help you in your time of trouble. I really do. My heart burns for people suffering, for all suffering, for myself in times of illness. I long to answer the question “Why?” I wish I knew the words that would make everything all right, that would explain why we suffer for no […]
Review: Religion and Suicide
November 12, 2012 by 1 Comment
This is a review of the research paper “Religion and Suicide: An exploratory study of the role of the Church in deaths by suicide in Highland, Scotland” by Harriet Mowat, Cameron Stark, John Swinton and Donald Mowat (2006). I haven’t been able to locate a copy online, although the University of Aberdeen has a summary […]
Labels and Identity
November 10, 2012 by 4 Comments
Sometimes it is tempting to label myself, to claim the title “bipolar”, “anxious”, “depressive” and “self harmer” as being me. I went without declared diagnosis for some time, and I remember being keen to know what was wrong with me, to understand – to have some anchor point that I could read about. I was […]
What Do Chaplains Do? The report
November 7, 2012 by Leave a Comment
This is a review of “What Do Chaplains Do? The Role of the Chaplain in Meeting the Spiritual Needs of Patients” by Dr Harriet Mowat and Professor John Swinton, report number CSHD/MR001 Edition 2 from Aberdeen University, February 2007 and available online on this site (pdf). I was given a copy of this report when at […]
#Headroom conference
November 5, 2012 by 7 Comments
Note: I may have got some of the details wrong about speeches – I was transcribing on the day so if you think something sounds weird, it’ll be me not them! These are my recollections, any mistakes mine! Well, I’m back from my trip up to Edinburgh. I went to attend the Premier Mind and […]
Going to a Conference
November 1, 2012 by 2 Comments
I’m heading off to Edinburgh tomorrow before the Premier Mind and Soul Conference which, as might be suggested, is about Christianity and mental health. I’m really looking forward to it, hoping to meet some nice people and come back with lots of ideas for things to write about! So, till about Monday (because I’m having a […]
Creativity and Mental Health
October 31, 2012 by 3 Comments
It has long been thought that there is a correlation between mental ill-health and creativity. I’m sure everyone is familiar with the idea of the “mad artist” or “tortured genius” where the person’s “madness” is the supposed fuel for their genius. I am no scientist, so I don’t know how whether people in creative professions […]
Believer's Brain 