love to paint

"Much as we don't see a clogged drain before it backs up, we often don't recognize the initial signs of anxiety, depression, cancer, heart disease, and many other conditions for what they are.  Until enough signs and symptoms add up to a situation warranting concern, we don't recognize a problem exists." pg. 42 from Hope Prevails by Dr. Michelle Bengston Depression is the subject that Dr. Bengston tackles in Hope Prevails .  She has both lived with depression and walked others through the struggles of living with depression.  I have read several books on depression over the years and I'm always curious about how authors deal with this subject.  I've seen it handled well and handled poorly.   In my own life, I have seen some Christians make black and white statements about depression--one person told me that it's just sin and anyone struggling with depression just needs to fight it.  Another Christian told me "that's just the way he/she ...

The Lord has given me an interest in many things that you've probably seen me write about on this blog--anywhere from evangelical feminism to mental health concerns and learning and processing disorders.  My interest in mental illness began during my sociology studies in college.  Since then, God has brought many people into my life who have shared their stories and lives with me.   A few years ago, I read the book The Mind has Mountains: Reflections on Society and Psychiatry by Dr. Paul R. McHugh.  It was a wonderful book that gave me much food for thought about mental health and our society.  If you haven't read it, I'd highly recommend it.  Dr. McHugh goes against the grain of popular thinking in this book and examines the truth of what he saw in his patients.  He was the head of the school of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University for a time.   Since then, I've read a few other books about mental health, including PTSD: Wounded Warrio...