We must normalize the awareness of the realities of mental illness, especially within the church.

We must remove the negative stigmas surrounding therapy and counseling.

One of the most common and most hurtful phrases I heard in my journey with mental illness was “God won’t give you more than you can handle.” This added so much shame upon my already unbearable experience, because I couldn’t handle it on my own.

If I couldn’t handle it, I thought, I must not be relying fully on God. It just deepened my pain.

No one deserves that kind of hurtful shame, especially during such a vulnerable moment in life.

You are loved by God. Please get whatever help you need and may you find support and encouragement from your spiritual community.