Families Coping with Mentally Ill Loved Ones

O My Soul:

This video is from the gives voice to the anguish of family caring for loved ones with various kinds of mental illness. Due to my own struggles and also as a pastor of a congregation, I am more aware of the difficulties faced by family members.

What struck a nerve with me from this video is when one gentleman said he was asked by several churches to leave because of the distruptions caused by the mentally ill family member. Ouch!

What can a Christian congregation do to help these families? If there was any intentional support for them what might it look like?

Besides personal awareness of a few individuals within the congregation, I have not pursued much targeted work toward the care of their souls. But I have done the following:

1. I pray for them in my private prayers, asking Jesus Christ to have mercy upon them.

2. I visit occasionally and listen. My hope is that with that individual family I can reduce the stigma. The biggest difficulty for me as a pastor is that if I listen and feel the pain to much my own depression can worsen. They don't know I have depression they just know that I am sensitive and acknowledge that depression and other mental illness exist and that it not simply a lack of faith on their part.

3. I have made available Rev. Todd Pepperkorn's book I Trust When Dark My Road: A Lutheran View of Depression (get a free download copy here). I've mentioned it in one or two sermons and it flew off the shelf like hotcakes.

What do you Pastors, congregations, individuals suggest may be helpful if a more intentional support would be given to these families?

Just askin'

God bless you.

-oms

Dosage and the Solar Equinox

O My Soul:

Longer days brings brighter feelings, so a few weeks ago I ask my doctor what he thought about reducing my dosage. I would give it a try if he thought it was a good idea and my wife was willing. They both said yes. I, too, was willing to give it a try. I'm tired of the side effects - random dizziness, light headed, feeling flat. So, we cut my Celexa dosage in half.

This is not working. The sun can shine all day but I feel that sinking feeling of irratability and lethargy. This is not working.

How can you know if things are turning toward a depressive episode? Check out this list and which symptoms I am currently experiencing:

1. Low mood. (Yes)

2. Increased irritability. (Yes)

3. Lack of motivation. (Yes)

4. Low self-esteem. (A little)

5. Sleep disturbance. (Yes)

6. Suicidaly thoughts. (No and thank God for that!)

7. Hallucinations or delusions. (Ditto)

8. Difficulty managing small tasks or making simple desicions. (Yes, it's getting harder.)

9. Reckless and risk taking. (No)

10. Staying home from work or school. (Yes)

11. Increased alcohol consumption. (No, but I am longing for a cold beer or 5)

12. Loss of interest in food, sex, or other pleasurable activities. (Currently, it's not a loss of interest as much as obsessive thoughts about these topics.)

13. Sensitivity to slight criticisms. (Yes)

So I'm sinking into depression but as long as I am rational I am motivated to implement the following plan:

1. Tell my wife.

2. Tell my doctor. (up my dosage - on the longest day of the year no doubt)

3. Tell my pastor and schedule a visit with him this week.

4. Line up a new psychologist and psychiatrist. I haven't done that since the move. I hate this part, but my network of helpful people is too small should I become a little non-functional. It is also way over the head of my wife to experience alone.

5. Start today.

The hardest part of all this is admitting that I won't get better without help from many other people, I feel the stigma of being on anti-depressants more than ever, and this is a lifelong effort.

So, Hope in Christ &
God be with you.

-oms

Stigma

O My Soul:

Here is a brief but nice article on lessoning the stigma of mental illness from the Mayo Clinic.

Stigma is complicated.

If I told you I broke my leg or have high cholesterol you would probably understand why I'm wearing a cast or taking Lipitor.

If I told you I have clinical depression with anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder on top of a dependent personality disorder, then you might just walk away...quickly.

The difference between the two situations is called stigma.

-oms