Stay Updated on Latest News from the Well Community
Ready 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 […]
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 […]
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.
Overpowering 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.
A Well World: Little Bit of Good
In the general population, one in 25 individuals experiences a serious mental health issue each year. At The Well, 25 in 25 experience the challenges of mental illness each day. Severe mental health disorders have devastating effects on individuals and their families. Schizophrenia robs cognitive functions and communication abilities. Bipolar disorder wrecks havoc in its manic state and suppresses hope in its depressive state. All […]
Echoes from The Well
The Well Community is made up of over 200 adults who come from diverse backgrounds, ethnicities and experiences. They are drawn together at The Well because of one common cord. Each shoulders the burden of chronic and severe mental illness. When one member shares their story of ineffective treatments, loss of jobs, families, dignity, the others nod in shared understanding. When another tells of the […]
Six Ways to Help Others Become Aware of Mental Illness
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 friendship rather than fear. Below are six ways you can become an advocate for those living […]
Friendship Rather Than Fear
Rita’s struggles with her mental health began nearly four decades ago. “It started when I had a baby,” she says. Her suffering from postpartum depression eventually led to a diagnosis of bipolar disorder—and a long and difficult path of dealing with a serious mental illness. It is with pain that Rita recalls being hospitalized and strapped to a bed due to the condition she’s dealt […]
A Well World: The Great Escape
It’s a rite of spring for our members: our overnight retreat to Mt. Lebanon Camp. They look forward to it each year like you and I do when we count down days for vacation or holiday breaks. You and I know what having a “time away” means for our outlook, our attitude, our physical energy. And if we are honest, we can admit that being […]
Volunteer Opportunities for All
Every few months two small pairs of hands are among those that serve dinner to members of The Well Community. They belong to Kate and Don Thacker’s children, ages 5 and 7. For the past two years, ever since another family invited Kate to join them in volunteering at The Well, the Thacker crew has regularly set aside Thursday evenings to provide a meal for […]