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 […]
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 […]
8 Ways You Can Help When Someone is Mentally Ill
October 29, 2012 by 5 Comments
Perhaps your friend, relative or someone else you know is having an episode of mental illness. Mental illness affects 1 in 4 people in the course of a year. Chances are that you know someone who is, or has been mentally ill. So what do you do when you find out? Firstly, it is really, […]
8 Steps to a Mental Health Friendly Church
October 27, 2012 by 4 Comments
These are things I would like to see in churches, things that would help me and, I think, others who are experiencing mental health difficulties. I will also point you to the excellent Mind and Soul listing of mental health friendly churches which has their draft ideas for what churches can do, and also the list […]
“It’s Ok, You Can’t Help It”
October 24, 2012 by 2 Comments
Remembering a comment my mother made some time ago when I was depressed has made me think a little. She said, “We didn’t know whether you were ill, or just being unpleasant.” It led me to question how much responsibility I really bear for my behaviour when I am ill. It is true that my […]
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 […]
Count Your Blessings
October 15, 2012 by 4 Comments
There is a hymn I’ve often heard, on the familiar theme of being thankful for what you have: Are you ever burdened with a load of care? Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear? Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly, And you will keep singing as the days go by. […]
A Black Dog
October 10, 2012 by 1 Comment
Today, October 10th, is World Mental Health Day, as set by the World Health Organisation. In honour of this, they have produced a video giving an overview of what depression is, and some tips for dealing with it. Given that 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem in a year, and depression […]
Believer's Brain 