Mental Illness and the Church

According to the interview below, 25% of Americans at any given time are dealing with mental illness. That means around 25% of the people in any congregation are dealing with some type of mental health issue. I would guess the guess number is even higher.

Many Christians believe mental ilness is a sin. The sin label stigmatizes the issue and the person.

I assure you it's no sin to have depression, anxiety, bipolar, or any other diagnosis--just as having a cold, cancer, or diabetes is not a sin either.

You can't always "pray away" mental health issues. Prayer helps. But so do counseling and non-addictive medications.

The travesty is that we are not always comfortable talking about mental health issues inside--or outside--the four walls of the church. 

I'm grateful that in my own congregation we can have some dialogue. I host a Parent Support Group for the parents of young people dealing with substance abuse and other mental health issues. 

I think it's important that we keep the dialogue going. This interview clip below helps.