Mental Health Month Resources

1 in 5. That's how many Americans experience a diagnosable mental illness each year. 1 in 25 live with a serious mental illness like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. 

For most of us, statistics like this are simply stored as a data point. They bounce off our brains with little impact. So pause with me for a moment. Let your mind trace over the faces and names of the people you know, and do a little mental math. How many people in your family? How many in your church? How many in your workplace, your school, your playgroup, your sports team? 

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and I'm thinking this morning about the precious people I know who struggle with mental illness. The ones who are afraid or ashamed or don't have access to seek treatment. The ones who choose life and health each day by taking a few small pills or talking to a trusted counselor. The ones who have been burned by stigma or ignorance or cold comforters. The ones who have shared their stories - and the many who have not. 

I'm thinking about my own struggles with depression. Of how I wrestled to come to terms with it, of the words I wish I could speak to my younger self. Of how it's cracked open my heart to care for others. 

Perhaps mental illness has intimately touched your life. I want you to know you are not alone. Keep "choosing life," holding onto hope, and continue to bravely seek out trusted friends to support you. If I can be of any help, you can contact me here.

Perhaps this conversation is new to you. Perhaps you aren't sure what you think of mental illness. I'm glad you're here. I'd encourage you to take a moment today to learn a bit more (see the links below) and to listen carefully and compassionately to other people's stories.

Mental Health Month Resources

This month is a good time to pause and learn more about mental illness, find support as a caregiver, share your story, or perhaps to seek help for the first time. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is the best one-stop resource I know of. I've included links below to get you started.

I would also strongly recommend the mental health resources on Kay Warren's website. She has become a powerful Christian mental health advocate in the last several years, after losing her son to suicide. You will find a wealth of information and resources here.

Don't know much about mental illness? Learn about warning signs, mental health conditions, treatment, and more.

Are you a family member or caregiver? Learn about how to care for your loved one and yourself or get connected to a support group.

Do you have a mental illness? Learn more about your diagnosis, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and navigating challenges like medications or employment.

Need help for yourself or a family member? Try NAMI's HelpLine (Monday-Friday, 10am-6pm), see your doctor, or seek out a mental health professional in your area. 

Are you having suicidal thoughts, desires to harm yourself, or feel like you're at the end of your rope? Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255) now for 24/7, confidential support. If you are a friend or loved one of someone in crisis, you can also call the lifeline for help, or learn more on their website.

Alone But Not Lonely

I wish I could sit you down at my kitchen table this morning. You'd choose the pottery mug that looked how you felt, and I'd fill it with steaming french press coffee. If you're lucky, you'd get a layer of foam clinging to the edges of your cup. And then, we could talk properly. 

I've had an eventful few weeks, and I'm filled with little anecdotes. I'm sure you have your own - things you're learning and loving, people you've met, moments of life's ordinary glory. 

Two weeks ago, I was in Grand Rapids, MI for the Festival of Faith and Writing. My brain was on information overload from days of panels and workshops and keynote talks. But my extroverted people-tank was filled to the brim with conversations that transformed strangers into new friends. It was lovely.

I spend the vast majority of my writing time alone. In this moment, my company is a stack of books and notes for my next project and a snoring cat on the couch. This job, by nature and necessity, requires solitude. But it does not require loneliness. 

This is the greatest gift of events like the FFW. Yes, I learn a lot and am challenged in my thinking and in my craft. Yes, I have the privilege to listen to writers I respect share about their work and to be introduced to new writers I should be reading. But most of all, I'm immersed in a group of people who are on this same journey. People who, in spite of hard work or set-backs or nagging self-doubt, are still willing to stake life and livelihood on a belief in the beauty of language and the power of stories. It is a gift indeed. 

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I'd love to hear your story! Do you ever feel lonely in your work? Have you found "your people"? How do you surround yourself with a community to encourage you?