Our communities are desperately searching for bread and manna in a famine. It's our responsibility as Christians to offer genuine support to those who are hurting. To feed them the food and drink they are looking for in the form of truth, integrity, and compassion.
"Are you sure you really need counseling?"
Those are the first words I remember hearing when I debated seeing a therapist for my mental health. Despite the stigma that "only crazy people go to counseling," I think counseling saved me from just that—losing my mind. Research shows I'm not the only one.
While counseling doesn't fix everything, it's one of the many tools God's given us here on Earth to aid a hurting world. If we don't break this stigma around mental health, however, fewer people will engage with its practices.
Today, Millennials and Gen Z report more mental health issues than previous generations. Barna finds that more than 50% of all mental disorders show signs of symptoms by age fourteen and 75% by twenty-five. Yet, less than 20% seek or find help in the local church because they perceive judgment. According to the University of California San Francisco, young adults (18-25) have the highest prevalence of any mental illness (AMI) (48%).
Since September marks Suicide Prevention Month, I thought we'd take the time to unpack some myths, explore the importance of discussing mental health openly, and discuss how reducing stigma can encourage individuals to seek help.
Unpacking Myths
One of the most common myths I hear about suicide is that talking about it or asking someone if they're suicidal will encourage suicidal behavior. We see this a lot in churches where hot-topic questions are avoided. The opposite is true. Openly discussing suicide and asking someone if they're suicidal provides dialogue and communication.
While talking about suicide should be done carefully, avoiding discussion only furthers the problem. The more we can encourage others to talk about their feelings and share them with others, the greater chance we have to help them. Your inquiry could save a life.
The second most common myth about suicide is that it's weak to ask for help. This applies to all mental health struggles, but asking for help isn't weak; it's a sign of strength. If you can look fear in the eyes and say, "No, I need help," you're on your way to conquering it (and that's half the battle).
One of my favorite Scriptures to counter the myth that asking for help is weak is Psalm 121:1-2: "I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth" (NIV). This verse reminds me that as a human being, I need someone beyond myself to save and help me. My help doesn't come from me, myself, and I; it comes from the power of the Holy Spirit living within and through me.
Asking for help in times of weakness shows strength and honors God. It means that we know we can't fight these battles on our own, and He will provide people to walk with us through the journey. This is why things like therapy and counseling can be so powerful in our mental health recovery in addition to our faith in Jesus.
The Importance of Discussing Mental Health Openly
In Luke 12:2-3, Luke pens these words: "Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops" (ESV).
Keeping mental health struggles in the dark only breeds more darkness. If we expect to see a change in our generation, we must be willing to bring these things to the light. That begins by discussing difficult mental health issues openly.
Openly talking about mental health issues means listening to hear, not just to respond. While it's imperative that you help those struggling with suicidal thoughts to get immediate attention, you equally want to make sure they feel heard. Nothing is worse than sharing your struggles with someone only to have them minimize your feelings.
How can you create this type of environment for those in need? Start by silencing stigmas. Silencing stigmas looks like not giving in to false and hurtful myths but searching for the truth instead.
In Titus 1, many people were sharing a distorted version of the Good News. Paul's response to Titus was to silence these lies with what the cross of Christ truly preaches. When it comes to mental health struggles, we are called to do the same.
"For there are many rebellious people, full of meaningless talk and deception, especially those of the circumcision group. They must be silenced, because they are disrupting whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach—and that for the sake of dishonest gain. One of Crete’s own prophets has said it: “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.” This saying is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the merely human commands of those who reject the truth." Titus 1:10-14 (NIV)
How Reducing Stigma Encourages Seeking Help
By reducing these stigmas and replacing them with truth, we can foster open dialogue in our communities.
Our communities are desperately searching for bread and manna in a famine. It's our responsibility as Christians to offer genuine support to those who are hurting. To feed them the food and drink they are looking for in the form of truth, integrity, and compassion. We don't feed them what they want; we feed them what they need.
Openly discussing mental health struggles like suicide without judgment encourages help-seeking behavior. It reinforces the belief that asking for help isn't a sign of weakness but immense strength. Becoming more aware during suicide prevention month can reduce fear and hesitation for those seeking or needing treatment. Why? Let me give you a personal example:
Right after I was asked, "Are you sure you really need counseling," I talked with some close friends and family about my struggles. They supported how I was feeling and encouraged me to seek professional help for my anxiety and depression. Though suicide can be more extreme than either of those two listed conditions, knowing that friends and family supported me made it easier to reach out. I felt less alone, less judged, and more accepted.
While discussing mental health struggles and confronting those who are suicidal can be scary, doing so fulfills a great call: To let others know they're not alone in their struggles and that they are deeply loved. Openly discussing any mental health issue can promote early intervention. Early intervention means individuals can access treatment and help quicker than those lost and drowning in the sea of stigmas.
Agape, Amber
Sources:
-“Generation Z and Mental Health,” The Annie E. Casey Foundation, May 12th, 2024, https://www.aecf.org/blog/
-“How Mental Health Is the New Domain of Ministry to the Next Generation,” Barna, October 8th, 2020, https://www.barna.com/
-Jess Berthold, “48% of Young Adults Struggled with Mental Health in Mid-2021,” University of California San Francisco, April 13th, 2022, https://www.ucsf.edu/news/
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/KatarzynaBialasiewicz
