Have you looked at Steve's blog? You can read about a review of mental illness in the past ten years. You can also learn about all kinds of mental illness, which include personal stories about those who have them..
Attention
Broken Minds Hope for Healing When You Feel Like You're Losing It
5 out of 5 stars Excellent Resource on Depression & Mental Illness, June 1, 2007
Broken Minds: Hope for Healing When You Feel Like You're "Losing It" (Paperback)
This book is vitally important to our understanding of the mechanics of depression and mental illness. After reading a plethora of books on the subject over the years, this is the ONE book that I am excited to recommend, and I highly recommend it.
"Broken Minds" is both practical, sensitive, compassionate, and very biblically sound. In fact, it should be required reading for every pastor, elder, ministry leader, counselor, or person who is wrestling with the effects of depression, PTSD, OCD, SAD, bipolar, panic disorder, and so much more. Having suffered clinical depression more than once in my life, I'm amazed at the volume of wisdom contained here. It's like five books in one. I believe God will use this book to to broaden the church's understanding, dispel the stigmas, and to literally save people's lives.
"...blessed is the church that has access to pastoral staff who understand both theology and the dynamics of major mental illness. The care of souls requires balance and discernment."
Amen to that. Many years ago I threw away my antidepressants, to prove to a Christian counselor and friends that God had healed my depression. I did okay for awhile but wasn't sleeping. Years later, unexplainable depression cloaked my mind again. Not only was I suffering from severe sleep deprivation by that time, I felt like a failure to need pills because of the stigma attached to them. Lo and behold, God began to show me that my brain is just different. My neurotransmitters get out of whack. Light and sleep deprivation will do me in. You'd think it wouldn't be rocket science to figure that out, but even the professionals were saying that my root causes of depression were unforgiveness or "anger turned inward." I was chastised by one person for "choosing depression" as a coping mechanism and response to life in general. That only served to push me further down the dark abyss.
Needless to say, it was frustating to spend over ten years processing a boatload of misinformation and bad counsel. Folks just didn't know better. But now they can!
I thank God for the Bloems. Their book is a lighthouse of spiritual truth and information that we've needed for too long. I plan to re-read it, and keep a ready-copy for reference. Let me shout it to the housetops: There IS hope because somebody finally understands!
What if the Hotline Phone Number
Wfor my local area is no good ??What | |
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Announcement - Steve and Robyn will be conducting an all day seminar, "Whispers in the Foyer an Honest Look at the Christian and Mental Illness," in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It will take place in the month of October. If you have frequent flyer mails there are good hotels in Grand Rapids. We offer church group rates as well as discounts for college classes. Be looking for the date. It will take place on a Saturday.For a good review, please go to :
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