person-cross - Copy (2)Every one of our churches has individuals who struggle with mental disorder.  Which only makes sense, because Jesus came to heal the wounded, right?  Church should be a magnet for those who want healing.  Jesus is a Mighty Healer.  And he wants to use YOU and YOUR CHURCH to accomplish his healing work.

This message is not new.  Our churches are great at reaching out and caring for people, supporting and healing.  Too often, those with a mental illness are the exception.  This needs to change. Read More →

photo by Andrew Mason CC

photo by Andrew Mason CC

“Its all in your mind.”

“Its just a chemical imbalance.”

“You just need to turn it over to God.”

All of these are statements that have been made about mental illness.  They tend to be made particularly often to individuals whose disorders have not impaired their reason, who still appear “normal”.  Those struggling with anxiety and depression may be especially likely to hear views on their mental illness like the ones above.  What might the impact of each statement be for an individual who struggles with mental illness?  Lets break it down. Read More →

 Msgr. Charles Pope is the pastor of Holy Comforter-St. Cyprian, a parish community in Washington, DC. He attended Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary and was ordained in 1989. Msgr. Pope writes thoughtful, relevant, (near) daily blog posts for the Archdiocese of Washington, DC, which can be read here. His pieces are frequently carried by New Advent and Big Pulpit.

 Monsignor graciously agreed to contribute a personal piece detailing his own journey to psychological and spiritual healing through the process of overcoming anxiety and depression.

 

Pope250When I was growing up older folks often spoke of a “mid-life crisis.” Hitting forty was usually the critical period they had in mind. These days I’ve noticed it hits a lot sooner. Maybe it’s because we live in a “youth culture” that forces the questions of aging and being successful a lot quicker. Maybe it’s just the stress. But these days, there’s just something about the mid-thirties that hits a lot of folks. I was no exception. My mid-thirties were difficult years for me—years filled with anxiety and self-doubt.

Read More →

Prescription_medicationA friend recently asked me how someone might know when they may be ready to consider taking medication for emotional or psychological concerns. This is an important question and one that strikes at the heart of a complex and still emerging field of research. I first want to emphatically note that I am not a psychiatrist or medical doctor and what follows is not medical advice. What I’ve written below is information that I, personally, would want my friend to know as they think about taking medication, as well as, some considerations that I think might aid them in the process of discerning whether they feel like medication is right for them. The reasons to consider taking medication and the choice to take medication are vast and varied. By considering only a very limited number of these reasons and offering my personal thoughts on the which information I would try to communicate to a friend I have only scratched the surface on this topic. Still, hopefully my thoughts may be of benefit to someone. Read More →

sad_upsetOur culture is obsessed with happiness.  From a purely individual perspective, happiness seems to be the obvious and ultimate goal.  Quite often, the second highest goal is avoiding pain or sadness.  Pursue happiness, avoid pain: seems like common sense, right?  Too bad its a really poor prescription for actual living.

In fact, if you asked me to describe the shortest path to a truly unhappy life, I would tell you simply to avoid pain or discomfort at all costs. That’s it.  Thats your one-step, one sentence plan for the unhappy life.

There is a psychological term for this one step plan Read More →