1. Talk About It

Start with the preaching from the pulpit (that’s you, pastors!) Include stories about those who have personally experienced mental illness as testimonies, to how they have experienced hope and healing in practical mental health treatment and results. Normalize its reality from the pastor’s perspective. Have a guest subject matter expert or success story from a church member who’s managed their illness to come in and speak to the congregation on a Sunday morning or Wednesday night. Hold a panel discussion inviting multiple field experts and host a talk on what the church can do to help those with mental illness. Make these events open to the church and the community.

 

2. Learn About It

If you are church leadership, look into material on mental illness and ways the church can help. Read books like Mental Health and the Church, Grace for the Afflicted, Troubled Minds, and Fresh Hope. Make these resources available and recommended for your ministry leaders to read and learn from. Invite a guest speaker to teach on it for a church leadership program or open it up to the congregation and invite the outside community for a conference.

 

3. Hold a Support Group

There are support groups like Fresh Hope for Mental Health, and Grace Alliance that can help your congregation and church members who struggle. The groups are usually member-initiated, pastor-approved, and peer-led. That means the ones facilitating must have a diagnosis and be maintaining a healthy functioning lifestyle. The support group curriculums are provided in the programs. If you are going to start your own group without a pre-existing organization’s curriculum program, research those that have done this before like Dr. Stanford’s, Dr. Grcevich’s, and Tony Roberts’ ministries found in this post on BipolarBrave.com. 

 

4. Advertise and Share about the Success of the Group

Make sure your congregation and community find out about the group and you have the resources to advertise and spread the word. You might advertise by investing in Facebook ads, a vinyl banner in front of the church, a blurb in the Sunday bulletin, an ad in the local newspaper, and through your denomination’s communications/newsletter. Get the word out.

 

5. Love and Support Each Other Practically

Be the hands and feet of Jesus and personally get to know other people who have mental illness. Form friendships, cultivate relationships, forgive when necessary, come alongside for practical needs when there are barriers to care. Practical ways you can help may range from providing transportation to medical appointments or hospitals, to a meal train for the family while a loved one with a diagnosis is away, to sending the member a card in the hospital, to sitting with and praying for them, and listening. These may seem like minor ways, but to the ones struggling, they make a huge difference.

 

Katie Dale is the mind behind BipolarBrave.com and GAMEPLAN: Mental Health Resource Guide. She anticipates the release of her first book, a memoir of her psych hospitalizations entitled But Deliver Me from Crazy, due March 2020. She enjoys her long runs and long naps to keep her bipolar in remission and resides in central Missouri with her husband and cat. You can follow her activity on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

 

By: Jamie Meyer

I did it again.  Checked my email and Facebook notifications before my morning coffee has even finished brewing.  Before I know it I’m on my Facebook feed to see who has posted since I last checked. Next thing I know, two hours have passed and I haven’t moved from my comfy chair.  As a person who lives with mental health challenges I have to ask myself: Is this a good thing or bad? The answer I’ve arrived at after much contemplation is this: It all depends on what I use social media and the Internet for, how often, and if I’m able to control my use of it.  

No doubt, there are good things to be found on the Internet such as reputable websites to learn about specific diagnoses and options for treatment.  Websites I’ve found helpful include Mental Health America, the National Institute of Mental Health and Psych Central. Diagnosis-specific websites are also available such as DBSA for depression and bipolar, and the ADAA for anxiety and depression.

You can also find topic-specific forums or message boards online where people can have conversations via posted messages.  These are useful for mutual support, especially if you’re isolated at home or it’s 3am. Many people benefit from online support groups.  An online search of “mental health online support groups” will give you several options to check out. Fresh Hope offers both online support groups and mental health forums.

Social media such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat can be both helpful and hurtful.  While I enjoy keeping up with the lives of family and friends and seeing their pictures, it eats up a big chunk of my day. For many people, being on social media can cause feelings of inadequacy, shame and envy.  It helps to keep in mind that we tend to compare our insides to other people’s outsides. What some people project on social media is really a mask to make others think their life is full of fun and adventure, when in reality their life lacks meaning or enjoyment.

To make social media and the Internet safe, healthy and helpful for those of us with mental health issues, I’ve come up with a few suggestions:

1. Set a daily allowance for the amount of time you spend online. Use an alarm if necessary.
2. When doing an Internet search, stick to well-known medical or mental health organizations (such as WebMD or NAMI).  A safe website will have an https:// before the address. Avoid websites hosted by individuals who are simply looking for an audience for their opinions.
3. It’s ok to not “Like” or comment on everyone’s Facebook post or send birthday wishes to every “friend.”  Sending a text, email or card is more personal and meaningful to the receiver.
4. When you post, don’t obsess over the number of “Likes” you receive.  It sets you up for feeling inadequate.
5. Avoid going online when you’re experiencing a severe episode.  You’re less likely to think clearly and may end up more depressed or risk the chance of sharing something you’ll regret later.
6. Check in with yourself.  Am I online to numb out or escape real life?  Am I using it to avoid responsibilities or get adequate sleep?

 

If you’re unsure if the Internet and social media has become an obsession, why not try going cold turkey for 24 hours?  It’s not easy, I know, but it helped me see how much time my computer use cut into each day. And the bonus? It feels pretty darn good to be free.

 

Fresh Hope is a faith-based non-profit that empowers people to live well in spite of their mental health challenge.

YOUR gift will provide a person with God’s Fresh HOPE for daily living. Click here to donate, today.

Here is what Fresh Hope is offering during this unprecedented time of stress, uncertainties, and anxiety:

1. Every Monday at 8.30 p.m. Central Time Pastor Brad is hosting a Facebook Live Event entitled, “Mental Health Mondays.”  He’s covering topics such as anxiety, grief, and trauma, etc. To participate, go to the Fresh Hope for Mental Health Facebook page and scroll down, and you’ll see it there.  (Each week, the replay on demand for it is also on the Fresh Hope for Mental Health Facebook page under the video section.

2. Three times a week, we are offering a two-hour session entitled: “Healing the Distress Caused by the COVID-19 Crisis.” The material was created by the Trauma Healing Institute, which is part of the American Bible Society. It’s a two-hour free session in which the participants have the opportunity to work through any anxiety, fears, concerns, trauma, grief that they may be experiencing due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.  To register for this session, click here.

3. We will also be providing the same “Healing the Distress Cause by the COVID-19 Crisis” for Children very soon.  To receive notice of when we begin to offer the children’s sessions, please text the word children to (415) 528-7403, and we’ll get you the information as soon as it is available.

4. We also have created a special free downloadable for the ongoing crisis entitled “Managing Coronavirus Anxiety,” which can be downloaded by clicking here.

5. Fresh Hope is also offering a series of six mental health from a Christian perspective type of snippet that pastors and ministry leaders can provide their members and community.  Pastors may request to receive these snippets weekly by texting the word interview to 415-528-7403. These snippets are free and may be used; however, the pastor and ministry leaders see fit to use them.  It’s our desire to help the pastors and ministry leaders to help their members and their community to stay emotionally healthy during this time of isolation.

6. Here are a few of our Fresh Hope for Mental Health podcasts (www.FreshHope4MentalHealth.com) that we believe that are helpful during this time:

• 8 Things to Remember in Tough Times
• What to Do When You are Overwhelmed
• Finding Hope in the Midst of Pain
• What NOT to Do When You are Sad
• Music for Your Soul as You Go Through Difficult Times
• How to Choose Hope
• How Joyful People Think

We of course continue will continue to offer our online Fresh Hope support groups and most of our local groups that used to meet in person are now meeting online also.  People can register for our regular weekly online group meeting by going to www.FreshHopeMeeting.com

 

 

Are you feeling anxious lately?   Times are so uncertain now and trying to stay current on the latest COVID-19 news, working from home or keeping up with your child’s homeschooling is enough to make any person anxious.  Maybe your anxious about your safety or what the future holds. Whatever the reason, it is important to find a way to calm that anxiety. Below are some helpful techniques to relax:

 

1. Controlled Breathing*: 

 

Breathe in through your nose, out through your mouth.  Breathe from your diaphragm, not your chest. It helps to stay focused if you think a word upon inhaling/exhaling, such as peace/calm.  Also try counting 1-2-3-4 as you inhale, 1-2-3-4 as you hold your breath, and 1-2-3-4 as you exhale. 

 

2.  Sounds/Music*: 

 

Play relaxing music or calming sounds such as nature, ocean, or rain.  Close your eyes and repeat a meaningful word or scripture.  There are lots of videos on Youtube, channels on Pandora or Spotify full of inspirational and relaxing music.

 

3. Do Something You Enjoy:

 

Take time to do something you enjoy, whether baking, painting, gardening, knitting, reading or whatever.  Focusing your attention on doing something you enjoy or have enjoyed doing in the past, will help you clear your mind and ease anxiety.

 

4. God’s Word*:

 

Find peace in the following scripture verses: John 14:27, Phil. 4:7, Gal. 5:22, Matt. 11:28, Psalm 103:1, Zeph 3:17.

Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7

Take some time today to do something calming to ease your anxiety.  You’ll feel better and will better equipped to face the day.

We pray these tips help you.  Remember, we are all in this together and God is with us!  

© Fresh Hope for Mental Health

*(1) Borchard, Therese J. 12 Best Anxiety Busters, belifnet.com, last accessed 8-22-2010, (2) Lucado, Max, Max Lucado on How to Overcome Fear, beliefnet.com, last accessed 8-22-2010.