Do you know how to care for a fellow churchgoer, neighbor, friend, or co-worker if they are ill? How about if the illness has to do with mental health challenges? Are you suddenly at a loss for what to do? Find out today about Mental Illness: How to Step in and Help a Family Like Mine.
When Mental Illness Hits Home
We are that family! And families like mine desperately need your support. Many times we are shunned and left to go it alone. Yes, we often contribute to this lack of support by our silence and inability to ask for what we need. Will you help us change the “No Casserole” response to mental illness?
Every person has something they can offer to help a family with mental health challenges. Discover a few tips on helping. They may surprise you. #mentalhealthsuppport Click To TweetChurch Mental Health Summit 21
I recently had the opportunity to speak at the Church Mental Health Summit 21 and share “How to Help a Family Like Mine.” Listen in and discover how rare it is to have people step in and assist. Yet, a small gesture can make a significant difference in the lives of those hurting.
After listening, will you please take a moment and share this article on your social media or send this blog post via email to your church pastors or a friend? The share buttons are at the end of this post.
Mental Illness: How to Step in and Help a Family Like Mine
What suggestions do you have on how to help a family struggling with mental health challenges?
Perhaps you are curious about what I wish you understood about mental illness or what hurts the most. You can read my thoughts at “When You Don’t Know How to Help a Family Impacted by Mental Illness.”
Direct People Towards Help
Perhaps you know a family or friend who has a member diagnosed with a mental illness. One simple, and meaningful way, is to direct people towards help. Education, learning life-changing skills, and support are crucial for everyone in the family. I have a recommendation for a community of caregivers that never ceases to amaze me with their knowledge and willingness to walk alongside others.
Embracing Faith & Mental Illness is a Christ-centered online community for people who care for someone with a mental illness. To share this community with someone in need, click the graphic below and scroll down to the share buttons.
Click here to discover four unique ways for caregivers to participate.
Printable for Mental Illness: How to Step in and Help
Church Mental Health Summit
The founder of Hope Made Strong and the Church Mental Health Summit is Laura Howe. She is a mental health clinician and a community development strategist for churches that want to transform their community with care ministries. Laura specializes in supporting local church leaders to overcome and prevent burnout, creating effective and sustainable care ministries, and helping churches grow their community impact and influence. The next Church Mental Health Summit is October 10th, 2022.
Grace & Truth Christian Link-Up
Click here to enter our current Grace & Truth Christian Link-up. If you need the details and rules, click here. Join us next week on Embracing the Unexpected to discover our featured post.
Such valuable information here, Maree! If we all would follow your advice, we could really make a difference. Your list of 10 Ways to help a family is superb!
Lisa, Thank you for your encouraging words. I hope you have a great weekend. Maree
Maree, I so appreciate your transparency here, and I’m thankful for your resources. It seems like now more than ever, we need to be aware and to come alongside people/families walking through mental illness. Thanks for being such an advocate!
Thank you, my friend, for your kind words. You warmed my heart with your encouragement. I agree more than ever we need to come alongside families, regardless of their challenges. Maree
Thank you so much for your transparency. As a church we need to do better to educate the body of the effects of mental illness. God bless you!
Thank you for your kind word. Yes, education is vital. Many people are so afraid of mental health challenges. When we understand more, it takes away the fear. Maree
We as a church do need to help support those with mental illnesses. As well as other things. Sadly, sometimes the church’s response is to just ignore the unpleasant and pretend everything is good. My husband and I were talking today about how you watch films or read books about the church or friends or a community rallying around those going through a diagnosis, mental illness, or hard time, but sadly this is not always so. “Theresa,” my husband said, “I think that is more the exception than the norm.”
Yes, but slowly we can change this truth. Thank you for taking the time on this crucial topic. It means the world to me. So many times we don’t help simply because we don’t know what to do. I am guilty do in areas I am not familiar. However, I have learned presence means the world.
Blessings, Maree
I appreciate your vulnerability about the past, Maree. And I appreciate the practical steps and valuable resources you have given us to move forward in supporting families dealing with mental health. This is so valuable!
Thank you, Lisa, for taking the time to read and consider how we can all support families who have mental health challenges. It means the world to me. Blessings, Maree
Thank you for sharing your personal experience here on such an important & misunderstood topic Maree, blessings sweet friend ❤️
Thank you for taking the time to notice. Blessings, Maree