If you don't know, "what to do with a person who is mentally ill," this will help

                       

Iidentifying the signs and symptoms

In this book we will discuss how to identify the signs and symptoms of mental illness using the principle in the history of the medical field of “check the first symptoms” approach.”  Early intervention is important because depression, bipolar disease and other disorders are neuro-degenerative diseases, and getting speedy treatment not only relieves the intensity and severity of one’s suffering, but many times saves lives. It is a fact that one of the first stops for a suicidal, depressed person is the pastor’s office.  Many pastors, because of their lack of familiarity with mental illness, miss the real problem and offer some encouragement from Scripture such as “David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.” Another favorite is, “Be anxious for nothing,” in Philippians 4, or Psalm 23 “I will fear no evil; Thy rod and Thy staff shall comfort me.”  I have used all of the above in my fight against depression; but we must remember that Romans 8:10 also tells us “The body is dead because of sin and the spirit is alive because of righteousness.” These diseases called mental illnesses result from malfunctioning of the brain, which in turn affects the intellect, the emotions, and the will.

Mental illness and Vegetative Functioning

Mental Illness is a full body disease. It affects the vegetative functioning of the sufferer who either eats nothing or too much and cannot sleep or sleeps too much; his sex drive is either very weak or very strong; his internal clock (circadian rhythm) is not functioning properly; and he cannot concentrate.  There are others who may be hearing voices, (which are not from the devil) and some who are sure they are having a heart attack.Some have developed defense mechanisms: a common one is “a smiling depression. Others become  fixated on aches and pains, they may have.  Others lack insight into the real problem. This is called Anosognosia. We may feel someone is just “in denial” but Anosognosia (E. Fuller Torry)is) a medical term from the Greek that means, “to not know a disease.” When a person has a mental illness, they cannot always perceive their condition accurately. This is more common in some mental disorders than in others and sometimes a person’s awareness can switch back and forth making us think they are just being stubborn, when this Anosognosia is actually evidence of the disease.

Help is Needed

This manual will help you identify mental illnesses and their symptoms, to understand what to do when a person is suicidal, to b encourage and comfort the sufferer, and to make the choice of whether you can handle the problem yourself or if you need to refer the person to appropriate mental health professionals.

 Pastors need a solid pastoral theology.

This manual will also help you to have a biblical, pastoral theology that does not get caught up with, “one size fits all.” It will also unravel the differences or similarities between spiritual depression and bereavement or grief reactions. In my private practice, I have helped many people identify their mental illness.  I have been able to get them treatment quickly, while continuing to give them biblical counseling as well as a clinical understanding of mental illness.Job, no doubt, had a tri-fold depression and was deeply affected by great losses.  One of the severest attacks launched against him was by his friends who considered themselves his counselors.  He stands as a testimony through the ages of a person who endured astounding satanic attacks and because of his unswerving fidelity to God and His purposes, his book has been a help to many who suffer.