This is part of a series of posts originally written in 2023.

In my previous post, I defined mental health as me, talking to me, about me.  And so a simple definition of what a mental illness could be is me talking poorly to me, about me.  It is continuous harmful thoughts, feelings, and actions.  But a simple definition for mental illness will not suffice because there are so many factors surrounding mental illness.  There are also a few complications that affect a good definition.

First, not enough is known about mental illness.  Research is limited.  Numerous stigmas still exist around mental illness.  We as a country have only recently begun to take mental health seriously.  Our main treatment for mental illness was to lock people away rather than treat the illness.  

A second complication within defining mental illness is the role that health insurance plays with diagnosing and treatment.  When we use insurance for a broken leg and a mental illness, the insurance company most cares about quick and cheap.  And mental illness treatment is rarely either of those things.  

One more complication is the varieties of treatments out there, which leads to a variety of definitions and understandings.  For treatments, someone might use: medications, psychotherapy, behavior therapy, cognitive therapy, meditation, prayer, or family therapy.  

Right now is a good time to consider the definition that NAMI uses.  “A mental illness is a medical condition that disrupts a person’s thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others and daily functioning. Just as diabetes is a disorder of the pancreas, mental illnesses are medical conditions that often result in a diminished capacity for coping with the ordinary demands of life.

Serious mental illnesses include major depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and borderline personality disorder. The good news about mental illness is that recovery is possible.

Mental illnesses can affect persons of any age, race, religion or income. Mental illnesses are not the result of personal weakness, lack of character or poor upbringing. Mental illnesses are treatable. Most people diagnosed with a serious mental illness can experience relief from their symptoms by actively participating in an individual treatment plan.”

As I said at the beginning, defining mental illness is difficult.  But there is one more thing we need to remember about mental illness. When we are talking about mental illness, we are not just talking about a disease, but a human being who is experiencing pain and suffering.  

As Christians, this means that we have a unique understanding for those who have mental illness.  We see them as children of God, created by our heavenly Father in His image and filled with His breath of life.  We treat them with love and compassion, just as Christ treated those who were ill.  We pray.  We advocate for better treatment and understanding.  We listen, care, encourage, and support.  We love as Christ first loved us.   

In Christ, 

Pastor Garet Ellis