In this week's conversation between Dr. James Emery White and co-host Alexis Drye, they discuss the importance of examining mental health as it relates to the church, as the pandemic has undoubtedly caused severe increases in depression, suicide and more. This is a topic where the church has typically been silent, leading to a great deal of private suffering. Now, more than ever, this needs to end.
There are some blogs written by Dr. White on the topic of mental health that you will find very helpful to read. The most recent blog is titled “Suicide and the Church,” addressing the fact that suicide has become the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. The digital revolution has added fuel to this fire, as we've become increasingly isolated online. You can read about this in a blog titled, “What the Online World Is Doing to Us.”
As Dr. White said in this episode, the church cannot remain silent and depression is a topic that needs to be brought to light. You may find it helpful to check out a series delivered at Mecklenburg Community Church called “Fix Me.” The installments covered are: “A Prozac Nation,” “The 8th Deadly Sin” and “Extreme Makeover: Inside Edition.” You can also find an installment on mental health in the series “How to Be a New You in the New Year.”
Finally, Alexis and Jim talked about the term “self care” that is continually thrown around, and what the Bible really has to say about this topic. You can listen to “CCP19: On Self Care” on the Church & Culture website HERE or watch it on YouTube HERE.
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