Mental Health Awareness Month
When I was a kid, I loved to listen to “Nature Corner” on Moody Bible Radio, a short children’s segment in which the host, Uncle Bob, would interview different kinds of animals. The animals could talk in funny voices—amazing! Each week they Bob and his animal guest would chat about the traits and habits of the animal, and ponder how amazing it is that God made such a creature. It was natural history and theology in one. Uncle Bob taught me to wonder at the great wingspan of an owl with its special feathers and bones, to appreciate the details of a tiny salamander and the nuances of each insect. Most of all, this little radio show gave me an abiding appreciation for the ways that nature, creatures, and bodies can tell a powerful story.
Last week I found myself in amazement at creation and could even imagine the funny little voice of one of the animal radio guests exclaiming, “The wonderful creator made me this way!” The object of my amazement was not the moray eel or a white-tailed deer, but the human being, with all the complex connections of our bodies, minds, emotions, and spirits. May is Mental Health Awareness month, and to honor this call and grow my own awareness, I completed a course to be certified in mental health first aid. This training teaches how to recognize and offer compassionate first response to mental health crisis and substance misuse issues, and that fits well with the care I offer members of our church and community as a priest. The phrase “first aid” might sound urgent, but the need for someone to notice another person’s struggle and offer compassionate, non-judgmental listening is more common that you might think.
Studies show that 1 in 5 adults has or will experience a mental or emotional crisis. One in five! Yes, that’s a lot of folks who at some time in their lives will face challenges to their mental well-being and might need support along the way. I’m among that number myself, and have sought support of therapists at times. Unfortunately, though, social stigma still makes it hard to ask for help or find resources for support and healing. Many do not know the “1 in 5” statistic, and believe that they are alone in their struggles. Because we are silent about mental and emotional health, many people don’t know the signs of mental struggle or crisis and care and intervention are delayed. Perhaps most frustrating, many people are afraid of the impact asking for help might have on their friendships or social networks, afraid they’ll be misunderstood, dismissed, or labelled “crazy.” Mental and emotional health or struggle may or may not mean someone has a diagnosed disorder or condition. It can be a lifelong condition with medical treatment, or a short season of situational or environmental change. Whatever shape, significance, or duration of a mental health need, everyone deserves to have caring community and access to resources for their flourishing.
And that brings me back to Uncle Bob and “Nature Corner.” Part of the ways that human beings are fearfully and wonderfully made, reflections of divine presence and image, is in our complexity of mental and emotional being. The details of our family systems, thought and behavior patterns, brain chemistry, relationships, desires, resilience, and motivation are absolutely astounding. As the scientific fields of neuroscience and psychology continue to offer more insight into the wonder of our minds, we are invited to grow in our wonder, appreciation, and gentleness with ourselves and each other. Mental health struggles tell a powerful story of struggle and grace and adaptation. We honor God the creator when we give thanks for the complexity of our minds and emotions, celebrate the tools of medicine and therapy for our healings, and journey together toward mental flourishing with compassion, curiosity, and empathy.