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Community: A Key to Saving Lives From Suicide
In our increasingly connected world, isolation and loneliness are becoming more and more common. But, they’re especially prevalent struggles for those living with mental illness, and they can have particularly devastating consequences: Both mental health challenges and lack of connection to others increase a person’s risk of suicide.
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A Well World: Beyond Poverty
It’s a fact: Severe mental illness is a thief. It robs people of their potential, their future and often their ability to function with the day-to-day things of life. It takes away dignity and strips self-confidence. Many are left without the capacity to earn a living, find secure housing or take care of personal needs.
Read MoreAssistance in the Cycle of Poverty
Poverty touches every area of life for members of The Well Community. Program Coordinators Ericka Ruiz and Gemma Cardenas continually see how lack of resources tie the hands of those living with serious mental illnesses, preventing them from pursuing recovery.
Read MoreIntertwined in Texas: Mental Illness and Poverty in the Lone Star State
It’s hard to overstate the weight of poverty in the lives of those dealing with mental illnesses. Poverty can both increase the likelihood that a person will suffer from mental health challenges and make it more difficult for those already living with these struggles to pursue recovery. Many intertwining factors related to poverty create a tangled cycle for those living with mental health conditions. For […]
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A Well World: Love Thy Neighbor
Participating in a church leaders panel discussion on mental health several years ago, I was asked what Bible verse summed up my philosophy on serving those living with mental health conditions. I suppose some might have gone first to Jesus’ teaching about “caring for the least of these.” But I have always been uncomfortable with the application of that passage to this topic. It feels […]
Read MoreSeeing the Hand of God
“God created us all in his image, which is love. I think the problem we have in mental and social health is that we don’t believe we are loved or lovable,” says Pastor Nita Allen of Oak Cliff Christian Church. She adds that we often don’t realize that God loves us intimately and wants us to become like him. Those who’ve been abused or neglected—as […]
Read MoreReady to Care: Resources to Help Churches Minister to those Struggling With Mental Illnesses
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. A 2018 LifeWay Research study found most pastors, family members and those living with acute mental illnesses agree that local churches […]
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A Well World: Looking Back
Most of the time, I’m a “looking forward” type of person. So it takes a bit of work for me to stop and look back. But every year we develop our annual report and that gives me a great reason to pause and remember. We just released the 2018 Annual Report. Our theme is “Stigma-Free Zone” and we’ve included a couple of stories from our […]
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Where Fear is Replaced by Understanding
Well Community members know what it’s like to be defined by their illnesses. They’re familiar with feeling unwanted, judged and unworthy of others’ respect because they live with conditions that impact their minds. In short, they know stigma well.
Read MoreOverpowering Stigma With Community
For those who live with serious mental health conditions, stigma is constant companion. It follows them like a shadow they can’t escape, defining them by their illnesses in the minds of others and coloring the way they are seen in their communities with misconceptions. It causes them to be avoided or ignored at best, and often leads to discrimination and mistreatment.
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