Today is World Mental Health Day
Today – October 10th – is World Mental Health Day.
As some of you know mental illness is something close to my mind heart and so I’d like to do my little bit to remember this day, and encourage you faithful praying types to remember the mentally ill today.
There’s a good article in the Independent which is worth a read. But I think the best blog post so far today is over on PsychCentral; they’re also running a “Blog Party” in support of the day and gathering together – and constantly updating – all of the blog posts that have contributed to the day.
Feel free to share anything related to this, or your own mental health experiences.
Tags: Mental Health
October 10th, 2011 at 1:10 pm
[...] Today is World Mental Health Day eChurch Blog – James [...]
October 10th, 2011 at 2:50 pm
Once went to a mental health day “churches together” service. The reading and short sketch was on Jesus casting the demons into the pigs who then decided they’d like to fly off a cliff. This was followed by everyone being served bacon sandwiches. I’m still not quite sure what their point was!!!
October 10th, 2011 at 2:57 pm
Oh Jan, that is funny in that awful sort of way.
It could have easily been taken that their point was mentally ill folk are demon possessed.
That would be nothing new now; would it.
October 10th, 2011 at 9:01 pm
Dobby Ould shows that being gay makes one mad.
http://www.standfirminfaith.com/index.php/sf/page/27854/
October 10th, 2011 at 9:04 pm
Wehey, is this a new blog I spy Fr.
October 10th, 2011 at 10:10 pm
Like Our Lord, it’s only been resurrected.
October 11th, 2011 at 11:27 am
Fr Horace Cope
You wrote:
“Dobby Ould shows that being gay makes one mad.”
Is this a tongue in cheek remark or a serious assertion?
Because that is not what Dobby Ould shows. The idea that a higher incidence of mental health problems amongst Gay people is because they are Gay is not proven by the evidence.
What he actually concludes is: “And yes, that might ultimately mean we have to say “look, homosexual behaviour leads to poorer mental health outcomes”.
What is intuitively more likely is that the often very hostile prejudice, the punishment, the lack of acceptance, and the abuse suffered for so long by homosexuals has had a pretty significant effect on their minds. If I was homosexual I’m sure this would have some effect on my mental wellbeing. For instance, some of the things I still see written in religious and other blogs are incredibly hostile and downright cruel towards homosexuals. Cruelty hurts, even though not desreved in any way.
I don’t pretend to understand homosexuality, but evidentially it’s not a life choice, and it cannot be ‘cured’. Compassion and common sense surely dictates that we accept it as an integral part of humanity, and not something to be stigmatised.
It would be interesting to do another survey in, say, 10 years time, and see by how much the figures for mental health issues change. Given that as time passes more people accept homosexuality as being a hard wired part of some humans, I would bet they will converge.
October 11th, 2011 at 6:02 pm
My remark was tongue-in-cheek. It is highly likely – as you assert – that mental ill-health among gay men is exacerbated by the guilt and persecution imposed upon them by members of, say, Sydney Diocese – of which Dobby Ould is a vociferous mouthpiece.
October 12th, 2011 at 11:07 am
Ah. My sincere apologies Fr Horace. Sometimes it isn’t easy to tell what is tongue in cheek and what isn’t.