I started this blog because I noticed there was a huge vacancy of resources for Christians with mental health disorders. As a long-time born-again Christian and a lifetime AuDHDer, I’ve had a hard time finding Christian mental health content that is well-researched, relatable, and supportive.
I have come across many books and articles that are stuffed with cleichès and recycled Christian platitudes, or completely miss the mark. Even worse, for many mental health disorders and disabilities, Christian resources simply don’t exist.
Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate a good reminder about why God doesn’t want us to worry and that we should “cast all our cares” on Him. Unfortunately, I can’t say that I’ve found these statements framed in a way I found impactful for chronic mental health conditions.
Even devotionals and Bible study programs about anxiety, are largely geared toward everyday non-disordered anxiety.
Where are the helpful resources for Christians with Autism, Bipolar, BPD, ODD, Depersonalization/Derealization, ADHD, OCD, PTSD, chronic Depression, and Anxiety Disorders?
Where is the content for Christians who struggle chronically with their mental health?
If you are looking for well-informed mental health information, management techniques, resources to learn from people you can relate to, and a community of support and prayer, then you’ve come to the right place.
My mission is to help fill in the void where Christian resources have come short.
Over the next few weeks, I will be posting faith-centered articles about Autism, ADHD, Anxiety/Panic Disorders, Depression, OCD, DPDR, BPD, and PTSD, interviews with licensed Psychiatrists, therapists, mental health experts, and much much more!
If you can’t wait for my weekly content to start learning and growing feel free to take a look at some of these great book recommendations!
Rewire Your Anxious Brain: How to Use the Neuroscience of Fear to End Anxiety, Panic, and Worry
In their book, “Rewire Your Anxious Brain,” psychologist Catherine Pittman and author Elizabeth Karle present a distinctive, evidence-based approach to conquering anxiety rooted in cutting-edge neuroscience and research. The authors delve into the intricate interplay of two crucial components of the brain—the amygdala and cortex—in the neuropsychology of anxiety. The amygdala functions as a primal responder, often triggering fear responses without clear comprehension. Conversely, the cortex serves as the hub for “worry,” encompassing obsessive thoughts, rumination, and fixation on potential events, whether likely or not. Pittman and Karle simplify the process by providing concrete examples on how to navigate and manage fear by engaging with both these neural pathways in the brain.
The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook
Written by a prominent expert in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), this seventh edition, fully revised and updated, provides detailed, step-by-step treatment plans for various conditions such as panic disorders, agoraphobia, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), worry, and fear. The content also includes fresh insights on relapse prevention post-successful treatment, along with updates on medication, cannabis derivatives, ketamine, exposure, nutrition, spirituality, the latest findings in neurobiology, and more.
Descriptions and Prescriptions: A Biblical Perspective on Psychiatric Diagnoses and ‘Medications (Helping the Helper Series)
OCD, ADHD, PTSD, Bipolar Disorder . . . these are not just diagnoses from the DSM; they are part of our everyday vocabulary and understanding of people. As Christians, how should we think about psychiatric diagnoses and their associated treatments?
We can’t afford to isolate ourselves and simply dismiss these categories as unbiblical. Nor can we afford to accept the entire secular psychiatric diagnostic and treatment enterprise at face value as though Christian Scripture is irrelevant for these complex mental struggles. Instead, we need a balanced, biblically (and scientifically!) informed approach that is neither too warmly embracing nor too coldly dismissive of psychiatric labels and the psychiatric medications that are often prescribed.
Biblical counselor and retired physician, Michael R. Emlet, gives readers a helpful way forward on these important issues as he guides lay and professional helpers in the Christian church through the thicket of mental health diagnoses and treatments in a clear, thoughtful primer in which the Bible informs our understanding of psychiatric diagnoses and the medications that are often recommended based on those labels.”
Get Out of Your Head: Stopping the Spiral of Toxic Thoughts
CHRISTIAN BOOK AWARD FINALIST NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY COSMOPOLITAN
“Are your thoughts holding you captive? I’ll never be good enough. Other people have better lives than I do. God couldn’t really love me. Jennie Allen knows what it’s like to swirl in a spiral of destructive thoughts, but she also knows we don’t have to stay stuck in toxic thinking patterns.
In Get Out of Your Head, Jennie inspires and equips us to transform our emotions, our outlook, and even our circumstances by taking control of our thoughts. Our enemy is determined to get in our heads to make us feel helpless, overwhelmed, and incapable of making a difference for the kingdom of God. But when we submit our minds to Christ, the promises and goodness of God flood our lives in remarkable ways.”
Codependent No More: How to Stop Controlling Others and Start Caring for Yourself
“The #1 bestseller that has helped heal millions of readers, this modern classic holds the key to understanding codependency and unlocking its hold on your life. “
“Melody Beattie’s compassionate and insightful look into codependency—the concept of losing oneself in the name of helping another— has helped millions of readers understand that they are powerless to change anyone but themselves and that caring for the self is where healing begins.”
My Body Is Not a Prayer Request: Disability Justice in the Church
Midwest Book Review 2023Silver Book Award (Nonfiction – Religion/Philosophy)
“A convincing case for all Christians to do more to meet access needs and embrace disabilities as part of God’s kingdom. . . . Inclusivity-minded Christians will cheer the lessons laid out here.”–Publishers Weekly
“A book the church desperately needs.”–Sojourners
“Written by a disabled Christian, this book shows that the church is missing out on the prophetic witness and blessing of disability. Kenny reflects on her experiences inside the church to expose unintentional ableism and cast a new vision for Christian communities to engage disability justice. She shows that until we cultivate church spaces where people with disabilities can fully belong, flourish, and lead, we are not valuing the diverse members of the body of Christ.”
Featured Photo Credit: by Shelby Miller via Unsplash.com
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