Mental Illness and the Church

Thought I would repost what Rick Warren said on national TV the other day. He son struggled from a mental illness and took his life a while back. He shares his heart.

Mental Illness and Shame

Many of us have loved ones who live with a mental illness and we continue to bang our heads up against a wall when it comes to "wanting them to change".  WE CAN'T FIX it as family members and it is very frustrating for all of us. I have come to learn that I must accept my family members who have mental illnesses and where they are. Their brain is sick and has to have medication and lots of love and patience to make it all work! We, as family members, have to be the ones to change our thoughts on this subject. If we continue to not accept their illnesses, we will always be frustrated and feel helpless. I am by no means saying we should tolerate bad behavior, but we have to couple those choices with what is behind them. MOST OF THE TIME...it is a brain issue and not just meanness or on purpose.

I am not at all saying we should dismiss prayer and accountability but we have to find a balance and make the environment so that no one is ashamed of having a brain that needs help to function! 

I hope the church will begin to rethink how they minister to people who live daily with MI. We need to be more educated, more understanding and more patient. It is not easy to be healthy when your brain is sick.  Doctors have to try and retry meds to find the right combination and sometimes that still does not work.

Praying that our churches will open their hearts and minds to learning more about mental illnesses and ministering appropriately.

2 Corinthians 12:9  "But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me".

Caregiving Part 2 Ministering to Adults who Caregive Parents

Caring for your parents or an adult special needs child is tough. We do it because we love them, because they are "family" and because we sometimes feel obligated, to be honest. Most of the time, we do it out of love.  With that, we cannot do this alone.  We need support. In my experience, my mother took care of her sister in law who had Alzheimer's and the stress ended up killing my mother. See, my mom was a nurse and thought she could do this on her own. It is different when someone is with you 24 hours a day and there is no break.  I wish my mom would have utilized her children and our friends. She might be alive today.

Remember, it is not always the right thing to have your parents or older special needs child at home but it is required in the Bible that we be concerned for their well-being.

1 Timothy 5:8 "But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever".

Here are some resources to remember:

THOUGHTS
http://www.aarp.org/home-family/caregiving/info-09-2013/my-life-as-a-caregiver.html


IDEAS:
https://www.ministrymatters.com/all/article/entry/109/caring-for-the-caregivers-ministering-to-the-sandwich-generationhttps://www.ministrymatters.com/all/article/entry/109/caring-for-the-caregivers-ministering-to-the-sandwich-generation

CAREGIVING BOOKLETS(downloadable)
 http://www.caregiverslibrary.org/featured/caregivers-handbook.aspx

LOCAL MONTGOMERY RESOURCES for help !

First Baptist Church Caring Center-support groups for Caregivers of adults
Contact: Jane Ferguson at 334-541-5141

First Methodist Church, Daphne Johnson, 
Please call for enrollment. 334-834-8990; Fax: 334-834-4333

Frazer UMC, See link below
Older Adults Ministry