Michele Gyselinck

 In our church all the doors of the rooms have windows in them.  Except the furnace room, but that door is locked and only those who have the key can go in there.  So unless, the prospective abuser has the key to the furnace room, they have to be careful what they do with children when they know that anyone passing by can see what is going on.

  Good article.  I especially appreciated the fact that mental illness was mentioned as an important factor in suicide attempts, particularly when it is under-treated or untreated altogether.  Having had suicidal thoughts myself when my illness was not diagnosed, let alone treated, I think it is very important that this issue be addressed by the church with compassion BOTH for those who are contemplating it and those who live with survivor guilt, "Why didn't I see the signs?"  Neither would benefit from a condemning attitude.

Thanks Mark.

Hi Brother! Welcome to the gang.

You’re welcome.

And I will miss you too, Staci.  So many times you solved my problems with accessing my blogs because I was ending on pages that said, « Not found «  or something like that.  I hope that whoever takes over will be as helpful as you have been.  Best wishes for your next move.

Hang in there.  I hope she’s taking medication for her depression.  I realize that it can be difficult to find a formula that works for her because not everyone responds equally well to what’s available, and these days pharmaceuticals are more interested in buying back shares to give their CEOs fat wallets than in developing new products, but I remain confident that an appropriate antidepressant will eventually lift her mood.

 In my blog “On Confusing Sadness with Depression,” I mentioned some things I do to boost my own morale, but what works for me would not necessarily do so for her, but she needs to make an effort to help herself.

I am a Disability advocate, and I have been living with schizophrenia since the age of 28, my dominant symptom being depression.  I have been blogging about mental health issues since 2014 on the Disability Concerns website. The Health and Wealth Gospel is a load of BS.  I’m glad that you are still alive and taking medication.  Hang in there, and read my posts. Michèle Gyselinck 

I hope that one day you will find your way to become a disability advocate because there will never be too many people to speak on behalf of those who struggle with mental health challenges.  You are living proof that there’s a need for that kind of work.  Please join us at Disability Concerns and add your voice to ours.  Michèle Gyselinck 

@Tricia Rhoda.  The concerns you voice can depend on a host of factors like how severe their depression is,; what they’ve been told, I.e. that the reason they’re depressed is unconfessed sin, lack of faith etc.  When people are made to feel guilty about an illness, they may be afraid to push back against platitudes.  Also, not all people are equally connected to their emotions or able to verbalise them.

 In the book Finding Jesus in the Storm: The Spiritual Lives of Christians with Mental Health Challenges, by John Swinton, the author wrote that in some churches believers who have mental illnesses are told by other people that they have a demon or are demon-possessed.  You have to investigate what their background is before you assume that people are content with platitudes.

 In French, we have this proverb or saying that goes,"L'enfer est pavé de bonnes intentions," that could probably be translated as, "Hell is paved [over] with good intentions."  People may mean well, but some comments still hurt when you're on the receiving end.

Congratulations on your award.  I am one of the people who have not learned your speech patterns yet, and I never seem to get the chance to do so.  I guess I would need more exposure, but so far it hasn't happened.