When someone has cancer or is experiencing another health issue, friends and extended family members often surround that person and his or her household with support in the form of everything from meal delivery to assistance with rides to cards of encouragement. However, when the challenge at hand is a mental health struggle, the response is often quite the opposite, and many times family caregivers are left feeling alone and overwhelmed.
Families impacted by mental illness desperately need the support and assistance of a caring community! Thankfully, there are many ways friends and extended family can help, providing a lifeline to caregivers. Continue reading
The Well Community was formed in 2002 as a faith-based organization. As such, we enjoy the fellowship and support of a number of area churches. Many are involved with The Well in a variety of ways. Their members volunteer; their pastors share messages; their worship teams lead worship; their Sunday school classes provide meals; their budgets include The Well. We are so grateful to them! 
May is Mental Health Awareness month. We want to help you become more informed, not only about severe mental illnesses faced by our members, but also about how the stresses of COVID-19 can impact your mental health and what you can do about it.
Faith communities are often the first places individuals and families turn to when faced with the challenges of mental illness, especially during a crisis. Churches have unique opportunities to minister, not only in times of acute struggle, but in the daily hurdles as well.
Awareness of the truth about mental illnesses is a first step in learning to come alongside those whose lives are impacted by them. Although understanding and acceptance of these conditions are growing, much progress is required before those dealing with serious mental health challenges are met with support and 
Knowledge about mental illnesses and the people who struggle with them can go a long way in empowering you to come alongside friends and family members dealing with these conditions. As we begin a new year, we encourage you to commit to educating yourself on mental illness and how you can help those who live with mental health challenges. These eight books, including several by Dallas-area authors, are a great place to start.