I have been very open about my struggle with clinical depression back in the mid-1980s. It was a very challenging year as I battled the disease with medicine and counseling. One of the saddest aspects of my struggle was that I never told the congregation what I was dealing with until I had recovered. I can blame part of my reluctance to share that information on the fact that I wasn't thinking clearly for part of that time, but the real reason is probably that I wasn't sure how it would be received. I still remember thinking back then that if the sheep knew the shepherd was sick they might leave.
Generally speaking, the church does not do a good job addressing mental health issues. We are quick to pray and minister to people battling cancer or recovering from surgery, but we tend to back away when there are mental illness issues. Some in the church call mental illness the "no-casserole illness." This is a shame because there are people sitting in our pews every week dealing with such illnesses.
Leadership Journal did a survey of 500 church leaders. 98.4 percent of these leaders reported that they were aware of people within their congregations who were dealing with mental illnesses or disorders. Despite that, only 12.5 percent of these leaders said that mental illness was discussed openly and in a healthy way in their churches.
To get an idea of how prevalent mental disorders are in this country, these illnesses are the number one cause of disability in America. About 25 percent of Americans 18 years of age and older are diagnosed with a mental disorder each year. In addition, about 20 percent of children are diagnosed with some type of mental disorder as well. If our congregations are typical of the American population about 25 percent of the adults and 20 percent of the children in our pews are dealing with some type of mental illness. Unfortunately, in far too many cases they, and their families, are not getting the support they need from their churches.
These figures come from a new book I started reading this week called Troubled Minds: Mental Illness and the Church's Mission by Amy Simpson. Although I've just started reading the book it has touched me as I've thought about the people who have sat under my ministry over the years who needed ministry for these types of issues and never received it. It has made me think of my own mother who suffered from serious depression after a major stroke. Her illness was so severe at times that she had to be hospitalized. Our family felt so helpless. When she was home, which was most of the time, Dad provided most of the care she needed. He admitted to me there were times when he felt overwhelmed, but he was committed to caring for his wife.
Mental health illnesses are no different than physical health issues. Some people have asked why I went to counseling when I was depressed. My answer is that if someone has pneumonia they would go to the doctor, so why wouldn't someone seek medical help when they have a mental disorder in their lives? Mental illness is not a sign of a lack of faith; it is a disorder that needs to be treated by professionals. It is also something that the church can minister to.
I haven't read far enough in the book to learn the author's recommendations for how the church can help. One thing I've often thought the church could do is to provide some day-care for adults. Many churches have day-care centers for children, but few have such ministry for adults. None in the area in which I live have such ministries.
Think how helpful it would be if a caregiver could get away for a few hours to relax, to shop, to work or do whatever needs to be done knowing that their loved one is safe. With the increasing numbers of people with dementia and Alzheimer's Disease such a ministry will be even more needed in the future.
Maybe a church would not have sufficient resources to offer such ministry, but most churches would have people who could spend time in the home with the individual while the caregiver does what he or she needs to do. These individuals could be taught some basic information about caring for persons with mental illnesses and then allowed to provide much needed ministry.
Churches could offer support groups for caregivers of those with mental illnesses. Caregivers often feel all along and confused about what is happening and how they can best respond. Such groups can address this and support them with their prayers and fellowship. Mental health experts can be brought in to talk to the caregivers to give them additional insights and tools.
There is much the church can do, and it's important that they recognize how needed this ministry is.
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