Category: Spiritual

Faith

Today I want to talk about a newer resource that I have heard about related to mental health and the faith community.  It is from NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) and it is called NAMI FaithNet.  Today’s information is largely taken from their website, which can be found here: https://www.nami.org/Get-Involved/NAMI-FaithNet

NAMI FaithNet is a resource network of NAMI members, friends, clergy and congregations of all faith traditions who wish to encourage faith communities who are welcoming and supportive of anyone affected by mental illness.

NAMI FaithNet encourages welcoming, caring congregations as well as promotes the vital role of spirituality in the recovery journeys of many who live with mental health conditions, those for whom faith is a key component.

NAMI and NAMI Affiliates encourage an exchange of information, tools and other resources which will help educate and inspire faith communities about mental illness and the vital role spirituality plays in recovery for many.

NAMI FaithNet is not a religious network but includes an effort to outreach to all religious organizations.

NAMI FaithNet includes several sections, including blogs, articles, advice on how to be inclusive and welcoming, tips for how to help a person with mental illness, sample services and sermons, inspirational and healing prayers, a faith and spirituality discussion group, faith support groups, and resources.  As you can see, this website can be a great start to looking for information on spirituality and mental illness.

Although I have not spent much time on the NAMI FaithNet website yet, it looks to contain a lot of great information and assistance.  As I continue to incorporate mental health activities into my church, I am planning to use this as a resource.  I hope that no matter what your spiritual beliefs are, you take a look at this website and see how your beliefs can be a key component in a mental illness recovery.

Adverse Childhood Experiences

One of the hopeful pieces about depression today is the recognition that there are many, many theories about what may lead to it.  And, while in some ways it makes the story more complicated, in other ways it gives us more information as to how we might treat or prevent depression in the future.  One of the theories is that depression can result from trauma, which is another huge topic.  However, today I want to discuss a subset of trauma that is known as adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs.

According to SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration), adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs, are stressful or traumatic events.  According to their website page, (https://www.samhsa.gov/capt/practicing-effective-prevention/prevention-behavioral-health/adverse-childhood-experiences), ACEs can include a wide array of experiences, including physical, sexual, or emotional abuse, physical or emotional neglect, intimate partner violence or abuse, substance use in the household, mental illness in the household, a household member in jail, and parental separation or divorce.  These events can lead to an increase in depressive episodes and suicide attempts later in life.  In general, ACEs can also lead to an increase in other issues with substance abuse and issues with physical and mental health.  Sadly, ACEs are very common and touch many of our lives.

Despite the unpleasant reality of ACEs, there is hope.  Recognition of ACEs is growing, and more and more people are beginning to understand the possible relationships between ACEs and future health implications.  Work is also being done to figure out how we might better prevent ACEs from occurring in the first place.  Clearly, there is a long way to go, but I am so glad we are starting to look at a bigger picture of what health and wellness truly means for all of us.  Every little piece matters and can make a difference when our overall health is on the line.

Men’s Health Month

Here is something that I learned today – June is Men’s Health Month.  And, as we know, mental health is a large piece of men’s health too.

Here are some numbers from the organization Mental Health America (these numbers reflect the United States of America):

  • More than 4 times as many men as women are victims of suicide each year
  • The highest rates of suicide are in Caucasian men aged 85 and older
  • More than 6 million men are affected by depression every year
  • 90% of those diagnosed with schizophrenia by age 30 are men
  • Male suicide has been increasing since the year 2000 and is the 7th leading cause of death among men
  • Around 1 in 5 men develop alcohol dependency during their lifetime

As you can see, these are tough statistics to read.  And, if the numbers weren’t enough, there are also other considerations that may be more of an issue for men.  For a lot of them, the stigma of depression and mental illness weighs heavier than it does for women.  Men will deny they have an issue or think that they just need to “suck it up”.  As a result, men are less likely to seek help, and that can lead to negative outcomes.  No doubt this varies by culture, but overall in the United States, there tends to be the assumption that men are tougher and not allowed to show weakness or vulnerability.  Unfortunately, for a lot of people, having a mental illness is a sign of weakness in a man.  It’s a poor assumption that needs some education.

What are your thoughts?  Do you think that men have different challenges when it comes to mental health?  Is mental health for men even a consideration for most people?  My hope is that when it comes to depression and mental illness, we start to do a better job of realizing the different challenges that men may face.

Disabling Depression

In my last entry, I did a general review of the Mental Health First Aid class that I took that day.  Today, I want to discuss the one item I learned that I think will profoundly stay with me as I continue to learn more about and discuss depression.

In the class, we talked about how mental illness can be disabling.  Here, disabling was defined as something that impairs your ability to work, carry out activities of daily living, or have satisfying relationships.  Working from that definition, you can start to see how mental illnesses can be just as disabling as physical ailments.  In fact, the statement that got to me was that severe depression is just as disabling as quadriplegia (quadriplegia is when all of your limbs are paralyzed).

Wow.

Severe depression is just as disabling as quadriplegia?

But it didn’t take long to realize just how true that statement is, and it blew me away.  It made me think back to my dad, who would literally lie in bed all day and hardly move at all – it was as if he were paralyzed from the neck down.  Then, once I started thinking about it, I felt awful thinking that is what my dad went through.  Of course, this has happened and is happening to others too.  Regardless of whether someone has either quadriplegia or depression, they can both cause a paralysis that is incredibly devastating and disabling.

What do you think?  Do you agree with the statement that severe depression is just as disabling as quadriplegia?  If so, does that help you to better understand depression, whether it affects you personally or as someone who cares for someone with depression?  Indeed, I think it will stick with me, and it is helpful for anyone to understand how tough depression can be.

Medium Revisited

I wanted to update everyone on how my visit to the medium went.  Overall, I can honestly say that it was a great experience.  We covered so much more than I would have ever imagined, and I am still trying to digest all of what I experienced.  I did record the session, because I knew there was no way I would remember all of the details that were discussed.  I have listened to the recording once and have taken notes, but I like the idea I can listen to it any time if I want to.

Some interesting parts of the session that are more relevant to my blog is that there was a lot of discussion about depression and mental health.  The session also had an angle on whole health and wellness, which I found to be a nice touch.  I really liked that even though it was meant to be more spiritual in nature, the session touched on other parts of my health and well-being, and there was a big emphasis on mental health, especially since that is related to my dad and his death.

Of course, it may depend on who you have a session with, but this person was great.  Not only did I feel like I learned a lot, but I ended up feeling like there was some spiritual, mental, social, and physical healing going on for me.  That might seem obvious to many people, but I was not expecting the amount of healing and peace that I ended up feeling.

Can something like this be helpful for depression?  I definitely think that is an individual choice.  However, I would recommend at least considering it.  Again, it probably depends on who you see, but a medium might end up being a helpful piece of your recovery from depression.

Medium

As I write this entry, I am about ready to go visit a medium.  Yes, you read that correctly.  I am going to visit a lady who has had experience with connecting with loved ones who have passed on.  Does that sound strange to you?  Until my dad passed way I wouldn’t have actively sought out anything like this either.

I actually did a reading with another person a little over three years ago, and I went with my mom.  We wanted to reach out to my dad, and overall, I think we thought it was a meaningful session.  Even though it has been awhile, lately I have been getting the urge to try it again, and try it with someone new.  So, we will see what happens.

Although one of the main rules is to keep an open mind (because others may show up or other things might be revealed), my main reason for doing this is to try to connect with my dad.  I also decided to get some questions ready.  Last time, the medium asked if we had questions and I was not totally prepared for that.  So, here is what I would ask, assuming my dad shows up and there is time:

Are you in heaven?

Are you happy/in a good and safe place?

What do you do all day?

How can I know if you are around me?

How can I reach out to you?

What can I do for you here on Earth?

My dad suffering from depression and becoming a victim of suicide has changed so many things in my life.  Some are obvious, but I think this one may be less so.  After losing him I have had a longing to become more spiritual and seek out the world we don’t physically see.  I am convinced that he (and all others who have died) are still with us in some way.  Maybe it is a continued form of grieving.  Honestly, I can’t explain much of it, but the important piece is that it gives me some comfort, and at the end of the day that might be a big chunk of what really matters.

Connections

When someone is depressed, that depression is connected to everything about the person.  It can affect what they do, where they go, how they feel, who they interact with, and many other factors.  Although depression does not and should not define a person, it will be tied to the person who is suffering from it.  Anyone else who is around that person will also feel a connection to the depression, but it might be felt in a variety of different ways.  The main point here is that depression has connections, whether someone wants them or not.

But there is good news.  When you really start to think about it, everything is connected.  This could involve a deeper philosophical conversation, but to keep it somewhat simple it is sufficient enough to say we are all connected as humans and what goes on in the world.  So, from that, if depression can be connected, then happy thoughts and actions are also connected.  If someone is depressed, seeing or hearing about a happy event can give that person connections to happier thoughts.

Of course, someone who is depressed may end up feeling even sadder that they could not experience the happiness for themselves or that they simply cannot feel much at all.  That is understandable.  But, the very act of witnessing or being exposed to happy thoughts creates a connection that can be so important.  It may not appear to help much in the moment, but the more happy and meaningful connections that can be made for a depressed person, the more a benefit is possible.

I understand this may all sound pretty vague, but overall the idea is that depressed people should be as connected to as much happiness and meaning as possible.  It may not be the absolute ticket to recovery, but it can help expose the depressed person to a more helpful way of experiencing life.

Depression and Spirituality

Lately I have started to take a bigger interest in the intersection between depression and spirituality.  When you are depressed, is spirituality even a consideration for most people?  If so, what is considered?

Based on my personal experience with my dad, his thoughts were always negative.  My family had a Christian background, so a lot of what I know is related to God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.  My dad would always discuss how he felt that God was punishing him for something that he had done.  What troubled him was what behaviors were so bad that he deserved that particular form of punishment, namely the depression, negative voices, and suicidal thoughts.  He figured he must have been pretty awful, and that made his illness even worse.  Not only did it make him question his behaviors, but it also made HIM feel like he was a bad person.  It was heartbreaking.

Although I don’t have any numbers to back it up, my sinking suspicion is that the thoughts my dad had are pretty common.  Depressed people feel like they must have done something wrong and are being punished by God or some other spiritual being.  They also must feel like they are inherently bad people.  And, while some of this thinking maybe be a result of the depression itself, I wonder how much of it comes from messages related to our spiritual practices.

Can we change the spiritual messages related to depression?  I think so.  There are already some great ideas and programs out there, and I think we are seeing progress solely based on how you hear more about it in our places of worship.  However, I think it is important to have discussions about how spirituality can play into depression, and how we can use our spirituality to help us get better instead of making it worse.

Causes of Depression

What causes depression?  That is a big question.  No doubt many of you have heard about there being a “chemical imbalance” in the brain, and maybe genetics was thrown in there as well.  Today, I want to give a general overview of some other theories that may explain what can lead to depression.

While there may be some truth to the genetics cause, the “chemical imbalance” doesn’t seem to be as likely, however, it cannot be completely eliminated.  Here is a listing of some other ideas:

1.Depression can result from an inflammatory/infection/immune reaction process

2.Depression can result from a hormone imbalance

3.Depression can result from a “leaky gut”, which is related to the food that we eat

4.Depression can result from losing our connection to important things in our life such as our values, face to face interactions with others, etc.

5.Depression can result from toxicity and/or environmental exposures

6.Depression can result from trauma that is experienced

7.Depression can result from taking medications

8.Depression can result from the food that we eat

As you can see, this is a fairly good sized list, and I probably have not captured all of the possible theories out there.  And, it seems likely that there are several components that go into causing depression, not just one thing.  That makes it harder to understand who will or will not have depression, but it is helpful to understand that depression is a lot more complicated than what we might have thought in the past.  While we may not understand the exact combination leading to depression (and it probably is different for every individual), these theories give us so many more options to pursue when treating depression, and I think that is important.  It may take a lot more trial and error, but hopefully there are some answers here that work better when medications don’t work and/or don’t seem like a good option.