When you think of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), who comes to your mind? Often we associate this condition with soldiers, but it can affect civilians as well. It can follow a life-threatening situation, sexual trauma, a natural disaster, caring for a terminally ill child, and many other traumatic experiences. However, it also does not happen…
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People with depression need your love and support. The best way to help is to be there for them. Depression hurts physically and emotionally. It impacts the one experiencing it and the loved ones surrounding him or her. It is not discriminatory and can affect anyone, regardless of age, economics, social status, gender … the…
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We all know someone who struggles with depression. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America reports that 322 million people worldwide struggle with depression. Knowing how to support someone with depression is a skill set we all need to develop. It shows our loved one that they are not alone, something that is vital for…
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The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” Yet in our society, we rarely talk holistically about the mental and physical well-being of an individual. Instead, physical health gets the main stage. Perhaps this is in part…
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According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), “Mental illnesses are health conditions involving changes in emotion, thinking or behavior (or a combination of these).” These health conditions impact one’s day-to-day life in social settings, work environments and/or family activities. There is some question within the psychiatric field as to whether mental illness is in fact…
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When you are struggling with mental illness, please do not think you can handle it alone. Seek help. Reach out to someone near you whom you trust, a friend, a family member, a peer. Make sure it is a safe person who will help you find the resources you need. Mental illness requires a holistic…
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Church should be the most life-giving place you’ve ever encountered. If you are dealing with anxiety, know that you are loved and accepted by God. Acknowledging your struggle is the first step. We all experience anxiety to a certain degree. It could be situational, centered around a specific difficult season. We often mix up the…
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The church plays a part in the spiritual and physical life of its members and the community in which it resides. Often you’ll find the church rising to the occasion following a natural disaster, collecting food for the hungry, adopting a stretch of road for cleanup, taking meals to sick members and organizing help for…
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When trauma of any kind occurs, it is imperative that you take care of yourself. Just as your body needs healing from a physical injury, your spirit needs healing following emotional pain. Often stigma, shame and fear overpower the drive to seek help. This isn’t your fault. It’s a problem within our culture, a problem…
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Whether the church should take a position on gun violence or gun rights arises following every mass shooting. It is a question worth addressing following the recent tragedies in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio. For those of us in Florida, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and the Pulse nightclub will always be fresh on…
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