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Lesson OneDefining Mental Health and Trauma10 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson TwoWhat Can the Bible Teach Us about Mental Health?8 Activities2 Assessments
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Lesson ThreeStrategies for Managing Mental Health10 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson FourSupporting People to Overcome Mental Health Challenges8 Activities2 Assessments
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Lesson FiveEquipping a Ministry to Address Mental Health7 Activities
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Course Wrap-UpCourse Completion3 Activities
Participants 99
Discussion: Destigmatizing Mental Health in the Church
In this discussion, you will have the opportunity to share your thoughts and opinions about how mental health has been conceptualized and treated in the church, and whether you think mental health has been stigmatized within Christian contexts.
This should take approximately 15 minutes to complete.
This discussion is designed to help you collect ideas from other course participants about their understanding and experience of mental health management. Since this course is asynchronous (i.e. other learners complete the course at different times) you may not see many discussion submissions or receive replies to your posts. Therefore, consider your submissions to this discussion forum as a way to share your insights about what you have learned to inspire or challenge others in their learning journey, and to enable others to do the same for you. While other learners may not see or respond to your comments in the short term, encouraging others and engaging with others enhances our learning experience.
Instructions
Watch this video (courtesy of the Lausanne Global Classroom) that highlights some of the problematic ways in which mental health has been thought of and treated within the church and Christian contexts.
Watch
Read
TranscriptAfter watching the video, answer the following question(s) in this discussion to share your reflections and insights with other participants:
- How does your opinion and experience of mental health management within the church or other Christian contexts differ or is similar to the ideas expressed in the video?
- What do you think church and ministry members can do to destigmatize mental health illness in these contexts and in wider society?
Response
- Post your response to the questions in under 200 words.
- Comment on another learner’s post (should there be others) by asking or answering questions about their submission to further your appreciation of mental health as a pastoral and missional concern.
Take some time now to contribute to this discussion. Remember to return to the discussion as you progress in the course to learn from more contributions from other participants.
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How have you gone about addressing mental health challenges of your own and what support, and informal or formal assistance truly helped you overcome them? (Perhaps share an experience about how you used the resources and ideas in this lesson to overcome mental health challenges.) | What routines, activities, or processes would you recommend to others to maintain optimal mental health? Describe these and how they have helped you enjoy shalom in your life.
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I think overall mental health issues have been ignored by the church. I’ve heard preachers write off mental health issues such as depression as just a spiritual issue. I know there are churches that are addressing mental health issues. This could be by providing access to the counseling resources by offering support groups such as a grief ministry.
I know the church has made progress in the area of mental health, but it is still an issue that is not addressed openly. People who experience mental health problems are still very reluctant to talk about these issues or go to their Christian friends for help.
I believe daily prayer and Bible study will support anyone in living life whether or not they have mental health challenges. In getting familiar with God’s word one learns about God’s response to mental health disorders. I believe taking care of your physical health and getting adequate exercise and sleep are important tools in battling mental health challenges as is avoiding social isolation.
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I fully agree with you there on that part. It should be taken more seriously than it is. I do think a day like a Saturday to have some speakers to talk about mental health and how the church can have some info on that, and I know its up to god in all things, but still needs to be dealt within the church as well.
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Most of my mental health issues are imaginary resulted in worry. Daily I place my problems in prayer and seeking God’s protection. Over a period of time that problems were disappeared through His Grace
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<font style=”vertical-align: inherit;”><font style=”vertical-align: inherit;”>Nella mia esperienza personale ho affrontato le sfide legate allo stato della salute mentale attraverso la Parola di Dio e la frequenza dell’assemblea cristiana. La depressione mi aveva portato all’isolamento ma dei fratelli mi hanno incoraggiato nel Signore a relazionarmi con la Parola di Dio e con la chiesa.</font></font>
<font style=”vertical-align: inherit;”><font style=”vertical-align: inherit;”><font style=”vertical-align: inherit;”><font style=”vertical-align: inherit;”><font style=”vertical-align: inherit;”><font style=”vertical-align: inherit;”>La lettura e meditazione della bibbia mi hanno portato ad avere fiducia nel Signore come Dio Salvatore e buon Pastore che si prende cura delle sue pecore e lo fa attraverso i doni spirituali che fa alla chiesa!</font></font></font></font></font></font>
<font style=”vertical-align: inherit;”><font style=”vertical-align: inherit;”><font style=”vertical-align: inherit;”><font style=”vertical-align: inherit;”> E’ interessante comprendere che Dio il Signore ha una conoscenza di me stesso che io non posso arrivarci.(Salmo 139.1-7)</font></font></font></font>
<font style=”vertical-align: inherit;”><font style=”vertical-align: inherit;”><font style=”vertical-align: inherit;”><font style=”vertical-align: inherit;”><font style=”vertical-align: inherit;”><font style=”vertical-align: inherit;”>Perciò ho fiducia che Egli nella mia debolezza mi rende forte con la sua cura (Filippesi 4.13; I Pietro 5.7)</font></font></font></font></font></font>
<font style=”vertical-align: inherit;”><font style=”vertical-align: inherit;”><font style=”vertical-align: inherit;”><font style=”vertical-align: inherit;”><font style=”vertical-align: inherit;”><font style=”vertical-align: inherit;”><font style=”vertical-align: inherit;”><font style=”vertical-align: inherit;”>Tutti i giorni non trascuro di passare del tempo con il Signore ,studio della Parola, Preghiera frequenza degli incontri di chiesa,sono impegnato nella predicazione biblica, comunione con i credenti, cura( conforto con la parola di Dio, dialogo e preghiera) di fratelli con difficoltà di salute mentale. Attività sportiva 3/4 volte a settimana passeggiate tranquille.</font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font>
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The difficulty with the mental health is that it’s not visible and can be easily unidentified. Having had times of depression and mental health issues I’m now aware of other people’s struggles. Person changing their behaviours, avoiding or just being tearful should make us ask questions and pay closer attention to them. Creating opportunities for them to be able to talk freely and reminding them of God’s unchanging characteristics and praying for and with them is a good start.
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For me it is about having support by the way of having something or somebody to turn to for support. There are times others that are connected to you can take note of some of the things you may not even know be able to recognize. it is about having a close relationship with God to help me when I need him but may not at times realize to the extent.