God is good, but life is hard Rebecca Randall – Getting to grips with mental illness at church

 Several conditions  Characterized by:  Constant feelings of sadness  Guilt  Irritability  Worthlessness  Interferes in daily functioning  One if four females and one in 6 males over a lifetime  May be difficult to diagnose.  May be difficult to diagnose.  Can often co-occur with other anxiety and substance abuse disorders. Depression

 Feeling sad or depressed most of the time  Seep disturbances  Irritability  General lack of interest and enjoyment in activities previously engaging  Crying often  Feeling anxious Depression

 Tell them to ‘snap out of it’ or trivialize  Don’t be hostile or sarcastic if they are hostile or sarcastic – it might be the best they can do  Don’t take away their agency  Avoid being patronising  Don’t belittle or dismiss them by trying to be positive Depression – what to do

 Persistent and unfounded fear or worry (either about past or future events)  Difficulty concentrating, having mind blanks or impaired memory  Feeling indecisive, confused, irritable or impatient  Feeling constantly on edge or nervous  Interrupted sleeping patterns, possibly with vivid dreams. Anxiety

 Encourage them to talk about their anxiety  Encourage them to seek help – assist them to find help  Acknowledge that the person has a disorder – they aren’t just being difficult  Encourage the person to get enough sleep, exercise, eat well  Invite the person out and keep in touch – but don’t pressure them to participate Anxiety – what to do

 Suicide is the leading cause of death in men and women under 45  2000 Australians die from suicide each year  Approx attempt  Suicide rates are 7x higher among those with mental illness  A major predictor of a completed suicide is having predicted before Suicidality

 Physical changes  Behaviours  Alcohol or drug misuse  Withdrawal from family and friends  Quitting activities that were previously important  Prior suicidal behaviour  Self-harming  Putting affairs in order  Writing suicide notes or goodbye letters Suicidality

 Conversational signs   Feeling trapped: “I can’t see any way out of this mess.”   Feeling like a burden: “They’d be better off without me.”   Lack of belonging: “I just don’t fit in anywhere.”   Hopeless: “What is the point? Things are never going to get any better.”   Helplessness: “Nothing I do makes a bit of difference, it’s beyond my control and no one can help me.”   Talking about suicide or death   Planning for suicide Suicidality

 Speak up  You can’t make a person suicidal by suggesting it  Don’t leave them alone  ‘Do you intend to take your life?’  ‘Do you have a plan to take your life?’  ‘Do you have access to the means to carry out your plan?’  ‘Do you have a timeframe for taking your life’  The Check-in app Responding to suicidality

 DO: Ask them how you can help them  DON’T: Assume you know how they can be helped  DO: Take the time to understand what’s going on for them  DON’T: Belittle their experience, e.g. ‘I’ve had a really depressing week, too – we all get them sometimes’ Dos and don’ts

 DO: Pray with people  DON’T: Tell them it’s a result of their failure, or sin, or that they are ill. Dos and don’ts

 “Just give it to God!”  “Have you tried praying?”  “Pull yourself together”  “We all feel like that sometimes but you have to snap out of it”  “Are you reading your bible?” Things NOT to say

 “Just fight it!”  “I’d never let myself get into that state”  “You’re looking really well”  “There’s no such thing as depression”  “You’re a hypochondriac”  “It’s a choice” Things NOT to say

 If you want to talk, I’m here to listen  I’m praying for you, do you want me to pray for you now?  I have some practical wisdom I can share with you  I have no idea how you’re feeling, but I can try  Can I share some bible verses that you might be able to draw strength from? Things TO say

 Be prepared that it’s going to be hard for a while  Accept how you feel  Acknowledge it will change your relationship with them and with others  Set boundaries  Seek support for YOU  Both informal and formal Looking after yourselves

 Can people find out what happens in a service before hand?  Talk about mental illness  In small groups, in prayers  Make things clear and understandable  Have service brochures at church  Offer friendship and be open  Value people with mental health problems  Offer social support Making a ‘friendly’ church

 Contact me at Questions?