Monthly Archives: May 2013

A different way of thinking about kids with mental illness

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Dr. G

Let’s think about church for a minute and consider the reality that folks with mental illnesses have disabilities that cause them difficulty in some environments but not others. There are lots of things about the environments in which we “do church” that pose major barriers for a parent or child struggling with common mental health disorders.
Continue reading →

Posted in ADHD, Advocacy, Anxiety Disorders, Families, Hidden Disabilities, Key Ministry, Mental Health, Strategies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Children’s Mental Health Day 2013…a look at the data

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Dr. G

I thought I’d keep it simple today and share this graphic for you from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry… Continue reading →

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Contributing to a conversation about faith and mental illness

Posted on May 8, 2013 by Dr. G

What if the environments in which we “do church” are distressing to large segments of our population who struggle with common mental illnesses? And what about the family members of a child or adult with a mental illness who miss out on learning about Jesus or growing in faith in Jesus because attending church or belonging to a small group or participating in a service ministry is too overwhelming to their brother or mother? It’s not unreasonable to assume that a significant chunk of people in any given community have some experience of church but don’t regularly attend church because of the subtle, but real ways in which mental illness presents a barrier to the environments in which we do ministry. Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, Anxiety Disorders, Key Ministry, Mental Health, Strategies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Does your church inadvertently hurt people with mental illness? Guest blogger Amy Simpson

Posted on May 5, 2013 by Dr. G

Unfortunately, many church leaders are ill-equipped to help people get the care they need. And while 25 percent of those who seek help from clergy have the most serious forms of mental illness, studies have shown that clergy refer less than 10 percent of them to mental-health professionals. On top of that, for every person who seeks help, many more stay silent, afraid to admit their illnesses to themselves or to risk the rejection of the people around them. Continue reading →

Posted in Families, Key Ministry, Leadership, Mental Health, Resources | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Introducing Amy Simpson…guest blogger for Mental Health Month

Posted on May 4, 2013 by Dr. G

I’ll be doing a short series next week in honor of Children’s Mental Health Week examining the obstacles to fixing our country’s broken system of providing care for kids and teens with mental illness and their families and exploring ways in which the church might play a redemptive role in supporting families in need of care. Later in the month (or whenever it becomes available), we’ll be launching a series based upon the publication of the DSM-5, the new Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Continue reading →

Posted in Families, Hidden Disabilities, Key Ministry, Mental Health, Resources, Stories | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment