Jessica Kantrowitz Fortress Press, 200 pages Reviewed by Jenn Zatopek Pastor and first-time author Jessica Kantrowitz has written a soulful manual for surviving depression and chronic illness. I wish this were required reading for all to help dispel the terrible myths about depression that poison our beloved community. Her artful memoir “The Long Night” tackles a difficult subject with warmth and deep compassion, filling a great need for the lost and despairing among us. In the grand tradition of spiritual writers like Henri Nouwen and Barbara Brown Taylor, Kantrowitz’s nonfiction volume reads more like an insightful collection of letters from a cherished friend. She pulls no punches about the devastating effects of depression, but first, she calls out to us through poetry: “Come for a walk with me, my friend, I know you are tired. I know the sorrow has settled into your bones like the ache from an old wound.” We are invited into Kantrowitz’s reassuring hands as she aptly … [Read more...]
Presbyterians broaden mental health awareness
BALTIMORE – The new mental health initiative of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) – prompted by an overture from Mission Presbytery in Texas approved by the 2018 General Assembly – is gaining momentum. That initiative provided $250,000 in “seed money” grants for Presbyterian congregations, mid councils and seminaries to initiate or move forward with mental health ministries. Sept. 15 is the deadline for applying for the first round of grants – one-time awards of up to $10,000, with the hope that the work that emerges will broaden mental health awareness, lessen stigma and make faith communities more welcoming to those with mental illness. The initiative also will include surveys, which Presbyterian Research Services will conduct this fall, of pastors, congregations, mid councils, seminaries and individual Presbyterians, trying to get a sense of what’s happening in mental health ministries in the PC(USA) and what’s needed. Those next steps – and the importance of this work – … [Read more...]
Combat veterans, post-traumatic growth and the role of the church
Since the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, the United States of America has been at war. By 2015, the U.S. military deployed 2.77 million service members (for a total of 5.4 million deployments) to Afghanistan and Iraq in order to support its Global War on Terrorism in these two fronts. Trauma and veterans The prolonged warfare has impacted combat veterans, most often manifested as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or moral injury (MI), the latter gaining more attention in recent years. Combat deployments affect people and veterans return changed. Some come back worse than others, but no one comes back the same. Many have experienced various forms of trauma. Whether directly from combat operations or not, trauma can be a significant part of one’s experience in war. Trauma can cause severe physical, emotional and psychological reactions often diagnosed as PTSD. Trauma may manifest in symptoms of PTSD, but the injury to the psyche, or soul, is more than … [Read more...]
Mental illness: Sharing stories to reduce stigma
Mental health and mental illness are terms that, unfortunately, can carry shame, guilt, confusion, misunderstanding and stigma. But of all these, stigma causes the greatest problems. Arguably, stigma brings with it not only discomfort, but for some disgrace. And the church is called to promote grace, not disgrace. Thankfully, we’ve experienced leaders, athletes, singers and other celebrities with high media presence opening up about their own mental illnesses in the last few years. Why does it matter that Prince Harry spoke out about his depression? That the younger royals created Heads Together, an effort to battle the British stiff-upper-lip stereotype and fight stigma? That Lady Gaga, Michael Phelps, NBA player Kevin Love, Beyoncé and so many other celebrities have been open about their mental struggles? It matters because no one should feel disgraced by an illness — any illness. It matters for reasons we may never be able to count. We will never know how many people began to … [Read more...]
So I agreed to go to therapy
Guest commentary by Jacob Kennedy Yep, the title of this piece is correct. I agreed to go to therapy. To some, that might not seem like anything noteworthy, but for me, this was a hard and beautiful step. I spent the designated 30 minutes on the new client form in my room. I even had a friend sit with me just to make sure it was completed. It wasn’t that things had gotten really bad. Nothing drastic had happened, but it was clear that it was time to talk. I was anxious, frustrated and, at times, felt like my mind would not stop racing. So, I agreed to go to therapy. Let me give you a little context. I am first year seminary student. I am 23 years old. A month and half after graduating college, I moved to New Jersey and started my seminary journey with summer Greek, which wrapped up two weeks before the start of fall semester. I got through that first semester just fine, even managing to do well in my classes. Things seemed to be going great! Now, I know what you are thinking. … [Read more...]
Comfort My People: Presbyterians accompany those suffering from the impact of mental illness
He suffers under the weight of his serious mental illness. In her depression, she clutches to a hope that seems to be fading day after day. They grasp for something, anything, that will help them care for their child who feels alienated from the congregation. He, she and they hide in silence behind the dark veil of mental illnesses that affect 1 in 5 people in our pews. Mental health matters. It is important to live an abundant life. And for those who are impacted by mental illness, it is always serious. Their suffering is real, and they turn to church for hope and help. They seek accompaniment in their isolation, and the church should ask, “Are we prepared to accompany them?” To accompany those suffering from mental illness the church will need robust compassion, better training and tangible resources. There was a young man who suffered from what I later learned was schizophrenia. Fresh out of seminary, I was ill-equipped to accompany him. Not understanding what he truly … [Read more...]
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