I meant to post more often after my last post, but things haven’t been too good here. The UK has been going through a heatwave, so I haven’t been able to sleep very much, although it has cooled down a bit now. I’ve started volunteering for the Citizen’s Advice Bureau in my town, which should […]
Ambition
June 12, 2013 by 1 Comment
What did you want to be when you grew up? My earliest ambition was to be an acrobat – which made my mum laugh, as I was an abnormally clumsy child! Later, I dreamt of writing a novel, of being a politician (!), of finding a fulfilling and intellectually stimulating career where I would be […]
7 Ways Faith Communities Can Respond to Mental Illness
May 27, 2013 by Leave a Comment
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 […]
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] […]
Believer's Brain 