When I was younger I had a marked fear of being touched, to the point where, if someone touched me unexpectedly, I would freeze up and be very uncomfortable. This presented some problems, particularly when I visited churches where the peace was exchanged and, especially, some of the continental churches were congregants kiss one another […]
Demons and Mental Illness
November 29, 2012 by 3 Comments
I write this post with some trepidation, as the mentally ill have for many, many years been accused of demonic possession and treated harshly. I have seen in the news where brutal “exorcisms” have been performed on the sick, sometimes leading to death – a few of these are listed on the website “What’s the […]
Words Matter
November 24, 2012 by 6 Comments
As Cher sang, “words are like weapons, they wound sometimes.” [1] We can hurt or help with our words, as well as our actions. All of us have been in situations where, in the heat of the moment, we have said things we do not mean, things calculated to wound, to harm the person we […]
Why, Lord? The Book of Job
November 22, 2012 by Leave a Comment
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 […]
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 […]
On the Road to Emmaus
October 22, 2012 by Leave a Comment
(Luke 24:13-35) The story of what happened to the disciples Cleopas and an unnamed other on the road to Emmaus in Luke’s Gospel is quite a famous one. The scene is just after the crucifixion – Jesus has, apparently, died. His followers are bereft, and they don’t know what to do. Verse 17 says they […]
Is it a Sin to Take Medication?
October 19, 2012 by 1 Comment
Some people, if you say that you are suffering from a mental illness, will tell you not to take medication. Some say that the drugs will make you worse, that you will be addicted, that you should be able to “man up” and deal with whatever you are experiencing. Some Christians who believe this will […]
Forgiveness and Mental Health
October 8, 2012 by 2 Comments
The Bible speaks frequently of forgiveness. Jesus taught that we should pray “forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Matthew 6:12) and explains, “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your […]
10 Ways to Cope with Depression
October 2, 2012 by 2 Comments
Including Scripture references. Seek medical assistance. “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.” (Mark 2:17) If you are sick mentally, then you need to speak to a doctor, and follow the treatments they give you. This may include medication, therapy, or both. Look beyond. “This too shall pass.” Christian […]
Do Not Worry
October 1, 2012 by 1 Comment
In my life, I fight a constant tendency toward anxiety. I worry about things both rational and irrational, and sometimes those worries twist in me and produce nasty depressions. I have been searching my books for biblical examples of anxiety, and I found an interesting sermon outline in “Sermon Outlines on the Sermon on the […]
Believer's Brain 