Mental health struggles have been taboo for far too long; especially in faith communities. Not anymore.
Here at Anxious Faith, we want to open up the conversation around faith and mental health challenges, and learn how to keep going when the two feel at odds.
Whether you struggle with your mental health, know someone who does, or are just a person of faith, we hope you'll be part of our community as we tackle the big questions and learn how we can better love each other. Join us for the conversation!
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A common thread through many of the stories we share is our guests’ experiences of being told that their anxiety or other mental health struggles are a faith issue, not a mental one. With a growing awareness of the reality and prevalence of mental health struggles, are there really people who don’t believe that mental illnesses can be a sign of our fallen world, and are instead the result of wilful disobedience to God?
With today being the International Day of Autism Awareness, we’re broadening our scope to learn a little about how autism and other neurodivergent conditions can impact someone’s engagement with church. Our team member Maddy, who is autistic, leads this conversation with Dr Katy Unwin, a Lecturer in Psychology with a PhD in Autism.
Today we’re talking with Ben, an Aged-Care Chaplain here in Australia. Through our chat with Ben, we want to learn more of what mental ill-health looks like for the older members of our society, and what we—as individuals, and the broader church—can be doing to better love, care, and support them.
How do you deal with anxiety that returns, even after doing “all the right things”? Tiffany shares what it’s like to feel like you’ve ‘beaten’ anxiety, only to have it return again. She talks about how she learned to recognise the physical sensations her body was experiencing as “somatic anxiety” — a physical manifestation of anxiety without the typical “anxious thoughts”.
It wasn’t until his 30’s that Akos faced anxiety for the first time, in the form of a panic attack while seated on a small aircraft. That seemingly isolated incident led to a second panic attack, and a third, until his anxiety worsened.
At first, Amelie and her family chalked her anxiety up to the usual stresses of teenagehood and highschool exams, but when it only intensified after high school, she sought professional help. It was then that Amelie was diagnosed with OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder).
Join James, Maddy and Ethan in our final episode of the year to take a look back on where Anxious Faith began and where we’re heading.
This episode we’re chatting to Mary, a young woman in the UK who has religious OCD or “scrupulosity”, a type of OCD where the obsession and intrusive thoughts are all focused around religion and faith.
As a child, Mark suffered significant trauma and abuse, which he did his best to numb himself from. After his doctor noticed he was struggling with a substance addiction, Mark was referred to a rehab centre that could help. Mark calls that day the best and worst day of his life.
Have you ever wondered, ‘What exactly does a psychologist do?’ Or maybe you’ve heard about cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) and ‘measurement-based practice’ and have no idea what those things involve. Well, Dr Sarah is here to answer all our questions!
‘Mindfulness’ is one of the big practices that are often recommended or suggested to people who are struggling with their mental health. But as Christians, is mindfulness something that we should throw ourselves into without question? Do we need to be careful in following these exercises?
As our Suicide Awareness Month comes to a close, we’re taking a look at some of the bigger questions that come along with the topic, such as ‘Was this my fault?’, ‘Could I have done more?’, and ‘How could God let this happen?’.
In this episode we’re hearing from Joshua, a young guy from New Zealand who suffered depression as a teen and came to the point of wanting to end his life. Joshua shares vulnerably with us about his thoughts at the time, including walking us through what was meant to be his ‘final day’ and sharing about the letter he wrote to farewell friends and family.
In this episode we’re hearing from Pippa. Four years ago, Pippa’s faith was challenged as she and her husband dealt with their teenage son’s deteriorating mental health. Sadly, they lost that son to suicide. Pippa is raw and honest as she shares her family’s story of unimaginable grief and pain, but she also encourages us that God is no less with us in the messiness of life.
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Violent, deathly images flashed through my mind. I gripped the cold porcelain and gritted my teeth as the images pelted me. I first imagined myself holding up a shield against them, yet they simply punctured it. Then I sought to gather each of them up and stuff them in a cage like vermin, but they continued to break free.
What does being an autistic Christian look like, when church spaces are so often hard for me to be in? What does my relationship with God look like, when sometimes I have to fight my own mind and body just to sit with Him? Four years after my diagnosis, I’m still figuring it out. And so is the broader church, I think.
By the time it was my turn to share, fear and panic had subsided within me. Listening to my friends’ anxieties and frustrations made me realize I was not alone. I didn’t need to hide my bitterness or sorrow from my friends. Their authenticity gave me the courage to be genuine.
I know I’m not the only believer who struggles with self-harm and suicidal thoughts. I’m making myself vulnerable here with the prayer that whatever you’re going through, you won’t feel so alone. This is my prayer for you, from the depth of my own struggle.
When my inner world was so gray and cloudy, was it any wonder that I perceived everything around me through the same dark lens? Was it any wonder that, a few months before this when my therapist tasked me with making a list of 100 good things in my life, it took me almost a month to do so?
Learning to manage my bipolar disorder has shown me that God’s faithfulness will prevail, even in the worst circumstances. These lessons did not come overnight. Through two years of battling severe mood swings, figuring out the right treatment plan, and strengthening my faith in low moments, I am where I am today because of God’s grace.
Elmo (yes, the red fuzzy puppet from the show Sesame Street) tweeted on the 30th of January: “Elmo is just checking in! How is everybody doing?” The answer? Not good, Elmo. Not good at all.
I understand how anxiety can hijack physiology and rational thought at any time, in any place: at the grocery store, at work, in mid-conversation on a coffee date — it has no regard for students’ classwork or adults’ busy agendas. It doesn’t care. Everybody’s anxiety is different, though, which is why this post is about asking the right questions, rather than giving the right advice.
Each of these people in the Bible is a reminder that those of us who struggle with our mental health are not alone. But beyond that, we can also learn valuable lessons from those who’ve gone before us in how they dealt with and responded to their struggles. Let’s take a look.
I don’t know what you’re facing. Maybe you’re looking forward to what’s coming. Maybe you’ve written the lists and set the goals and so far you’re actually sticking to them. But, if you’re like me, you’re feeling a little worn out. A little on the back-foot.
You might find yourself feeling like you’re treading water. You aren’t in the places that you’ve left behind, but you aren’t yet in the places that you thought God was calling you to. There’s a constant back and forth between what was and what is not yet, but all the while you feel like you aren’t really anywhere.
All I knew about anxiety had come from my church. And all my church taught was that anxiety was worry. It was a failure to trust God with my future. And if I prayed and ‘genuinely gave it to God’, it would go away.
I grew up in an unhealthy church environment, and I believe that is one of the reasons my OCD latched onto faith. It started with scary, intrusive thoughts about the devil, and crippling doubts about the reliability of scripture and whether Christianity was something I truly believed.
I’ve never struggled with depression or anxiety – until a few years ago. I had a panic attack on a small aircraft as it was flying through a storm, bouncing around like a dodgem car. And for a good year after that incident, I felt incredibly anxious whenever I boarded aircraft. But I sought help and began the journey of responding well to anxiety.
When I’m in a place of utter chaos, floundering around and feeling like I’m going under, who am I calling out to? Am I jumping on social media and looking for validation and safety in other people’s content? Or am I catching my breath and calling out to the One who never left me in the first place, the One who was present from the beginning telling me I could “come” despite the chaos of the storm swirling around me?
From our listeners:
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“A few friends and I just finished listening to the podcast this week and had a very stimulated conversation around it. Thank you for stewarding the stories and contributions so well, I have felt encouraged, educated and validated through each of the episodes!"
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“The podcast sounds brilliant and I found the language and conversation even more helpful; fantastic contributors. I’ll very much be sharing this as a resource and wish I could have had something like this when I was younger!”
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"I was so blown away by the deep vulnerability of the guests, and hearing my friends notice that too was beautiful.”
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“Thank you for sharing these people’s stories. I shared the podcast with a friend who had just suffered their first panic attack, and the timing could not have been more perfect to let her know there’s nothing wrong with her faith - and that she’s not alone”
We’re chatting with Noni Potter, the Head of Undergraduate Counselling at Tabor, a Christian college in Australia. She’s passionate about combining her faith with evidence-based psychological methods which, she believes, echo God’s truths.