The Church and Mental Illness

Understanding of mental illness has come a long way in recent years. I'm old enough to remember a time when it wasn't talked about at all, or if it was, it was in hushed whispers as something shameful.

Yet, even today, many people still struggle with understanding it, especially if it isn't something they have ever experienced themselves. Very few people would ever tell someone with a cold (a relatively minor illness) or cancer (a much more serious illness) to just "Get over it" but that is often what happens when people suffer from a mental illness. While a cold or cancer is no fault of the person suffering, the same holds true of someone suffering from a mental illness. There is something amiss in the brain's chemistry. Being blamed for it, or told that it is only a figment of your imagination, only compounds the problem and makes the person not want to seek help.

How we respond to mental illness as a Church is important as well. A person's faith is often one of their strongest weapons in the battle to live with mental illness, and the support of a faith community is hugely important. The same is true when it is not the person himself who is suffering, but a family member such as a parent or a child.

This article in US Catholic offers some valuable insights into how the Church can help those battling mental illness: Parishes Called to Welcome and Support those with Mental Illness