Monday, May 11, 2009

Mental health and churches

There is a relatively new website called Hope and Healing. It features many different articles on faith and health. Today there is a wonderful interview there with the author of Darkness my Only Companion, Kathryn Green-McCreight, a priest who has suffered with depression. She gives some very good pointers on what congregations can do for their members who have mental illness. She also talks about what we can do for the family of a suicide victim.

Another article on their home page is an excerpt from my book, A Firm Place to Stand. In Misconceptions I talk about how people with bipolar disorder and depression are misunderstood by family and friends.

Good reading for Christians who want to know how to be supportive to their friends with depression.

4 comments:

sbwrites said...

Marja,
How nice that you have a chapter excerpted on this site. I'm out and about today, but I'll check it out tonight!

Susan

marja said...

Thanks, Susan. I hope you read the interview with the priest as well. It's very good.
- marja

Wendy Love said...

Marja,
I have just finished reading the articles you mentioned. Both were excellent. Yours was so full of the truth of my own experience. The other had some profound descriptions of the darkness of the depression experience and some good advice for the church in handling those who have suffered. Thanks so much Marja for pointing us to some solid thinking on a not-so-solid illness.
Wendy Love

marja said...

Wendy, I hope many churches will read this, especially the interview. It's very good.