Spirituality and Mental Well-Being
Anna Bunker

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Serving as the Director of Programs at NAMI Central Texas, Anna channels her expertise in mental health alongside a history of addressing issues of human trafficking and sexual violence. NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), recognized as the nation's foremost grassroots mental health organization, is committed to enhancing the lives of countless Americans impacted by mental illness. Anna's journey with NAMI began as a program participant at her local Wisconsin affiliate upon receiving a mental health diagnosis. Finding hope and belonging within the peer mental health community, she has since relocated to Austin, Texas, where she dedicates herself to delivering comprehensive mental health services across Austin and its adjoining five counties. Drawing from the transformative support of NAMI programs, Anna remains devoted in her mission to empower individuals and families, mirroring the profound impact that reshaped her own life.

Anna led all of us through a thorough understanding regarding the issues of mental health as well as how Nami approaches  the issues.  And after that review she took us through a review of how faith communities (us) can do their part.

About Mental Illness

Trying to tell the difference between what expected behaviors are and what might be the signs of a mental illness isn’t always easy. There’s no easy test that can let someone know if there is mental illness or if actions and thoughts might be typical behaviors of a person or the result of a physical illness.

Each illness has its own symptoms, but common signs of mental illness in adults and adolescents can include the following:

·       Excessive worrying or fear

·       Feeling excessively sad or low

·       Confused thinking or problems concentrating and learning

·       Extreme mood changes, including uncontrollable “highs” or feelings of euphoria

·       Prolonged or strong feelings of irritability or anger

·       Avoiding friends and social activities

·       Difficulties understanding or relating to other people

·       Changes in sleeping habits or feeling tired and low energy

·       Changes in eating habits such as increased hunger or lack of appetite

·       Changes in sex drive

·       Difficulty perceiving reality (delusions or hallucinations, in which a person experiences and senses things that don’t exist in objective reality)

·       Inability to perceive changes in one’s own feelings, behavior or personality (”lack of insight” or anosognosia)

·       Overuse of substances like alcohol or drugs

·       Multiple physical ailments without obvious causes (such as headaches, stomach aches, vague and ongoing “aches and pains”)

·       Thinking about suicide

·       Inability to carry out daily activities or handle daily problems and stress

·       An intense fear of weight gain or concern with appearance

Mental health conditions can also begin to develop in young children. Because they’re still learning how to identify and talk about thoughts and emotions, their most obvious symptoms are behavioral. Symptoms in children may include the following:

·       Changes in school performance

·       Excessive worry or anxiety, for instance fighting to avoid bed or school

·       Hyperactive behavior

·       Frequent nightmares

·       Frequent disobedience or aggression

·       Frequent temper tantrums

Where To Get Help

Don’t be afraid to reach out if you or someone you know needs help. Learning all you can about mental health is an important first step.

Reach out to your health insurance, primary care doctor or state/county mental health authority for more resources.

Contact the NAMI HelpLine to find out what services and supports are available in your community.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Receiving A Diagnosis

Knowing warning signs can help let you know if you need to speak to a professional. For many people, getting an accurate diagnosis is the first step in a treatment plan.

Unlike diabetes or cancer, there is no medical test that can accurately diagnose mental illness. A mental health professional will use the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, published by the American Psychiatric Association, to assess symptoms and make a diagnosis. The manual lists criteria including feelings and behaviors and time limits in order to be officially classified as a mental health condition.

After diagnosis, a health care provider can help develop a treatment plan that could include medication, therapy or other lifestyle changes.

Finding Treatment

Getting a diagnosis is just the first step; knowing your own preferences and goals is also important. Treatments for mental illness vary by diagnosis and by person. There’s no “one size fits all” treatment. Treatment options can include medication, counseling (therapy), social support and education.

Faith & Spirituality

As we learn more and more about the connections between the mind and body, it becomes clear that spirituality, religion and faith can help some individuals live well with mental health conditions. Some individuals and families turn to faith in times of crisis to help in their recovery while others find that spiritual practices help them continue to manage their mental health.

How Faith Can Help

Some people find that religion and individual spirituality have a positive impact their physical and mental health.

Meditation

One practice that has received a lot of attention is contemplative prayer and meditation. Many people have found that 10-20 minutes of meditation is beneficial to their mental well-being.

Other have found relaxation through other contemplative practices. The daily ritual prayers of Islam and the Catholic practice of praying with rosary beads, for instance, are religious rituals that can invoke a meditative response.

Togetherness

Religion offers other supports for mental health as well. One of the most popular ways to interact with the community is to attend congregational gatherings such as Sunday church, Saturday Torah readings, prayer meetings or full-moon celebrations at Hindu temples.

These group religious rituals provide structured social activities that cause relatively little anxiety and benefit our health directly. Places of worship may also offer a number of resources and social activities that can encourage and support people living with a mental health condition and their families, providing additional benefits through community connections

A Sense Of Understanding

For some, the most important aspect of religion is that it offers ways to understand our experiences. The major world religions each offer explanations of why suffering exists in the world. Turning to these explanations brings comfort to many people confronting illness. The “why me?” question can never be answered entirely by medical science, and some people find the answers they seek in religion.

Helping Others

Volunteering and participating in our communities can have positive impacts on our health and well-being. Most religious organizations provide opportunities to help others, which can improve our mood and reduce anxiety.

What Makes A Good Faith Community?

A Welcoming Community

Each world religion has its own set of ideas and practices. If you grew up in a specific faith and feel comfortable with it, you may already have prayers and rituals that support your health.

If you feel alienated from your faith of origin, you may feel uncertain whether you can benefit from faith. Just as there isn’t a downside to learning more about your mental health condition, there’s no downside to learning more about religion or spirituality. Learning about a faith doesn’t obligate you to follow it and may give you new ideas for how to live with a mental health condition.

If you’re looking for a regular place to worship or practice your faith, be alert to how each congregation or community approaches mental health conditions. Some churches view mental illness as a moral failing for which prayer is the only treatment while others maintain active outreach programs for people with mental health conditions. Above all, find a community where you feel welcomed and loved despite your mental health condition. Finding a caring congregation that is accepting and supports your healing journey is key.

Actions That You Practice On Your Own

The benefits of religion don’t end at the steps. The most powerful health benefits of religion may come from simple contemplative practices that invoke the relaxation response. Some find great comfort and peace in spiritual practices of surrender and contemplation on meaning and purpose. You can encourage these rituals into your daily routine at home.

Learn more about your faith’s contemplative practices from faith leaders, friends in the faith, Internet websites or library books. You will find many possibilities: saying the rosary (Catholicism), meditating on Bible passages (Protestant Christianity), observing daily mitzvoth (Judaism), making time for the five prayers (Islam), performing puja (Hinduism), or chanting the “Nam myoho renge kyo” (Nichiren Buddhism).

Looking for new ways to practice your spirituality or religion can give you valuable tools for times of sorrow or frustration. Ways to practice your faith outside of a congregation include reading scripture, visiting sacred sites, learning about important people in your religion, listening to sacred music, engaging in private prayer and attending prayer or discussion groups.

It Speaks To Your Needs

If you don’t feel comfortable with organized religion, you can still access the benefits of relaxation and find meaning in your experiences. Think of places, people and experiences that give you feelings of peace, awe or greater meaning.

Some might find their greater meaning outside in nature, or in an art gallery, or while listening to a piece of beloved music. Others may find comfort in reading poetry, or in learning about science or history. Whatever your interests are, by pursuing them you can give your mind a valuable “time out” from thinking about your mental health and invite moments of peace to your experience

How You Can Help Your Faith Community

Faith communities have begun paying attention to mental health, but they may have misconceptions about the issues. Your faith community may be unsure how to help. A good place to begin engaging them is by meeting privately with your pastor, priest or religious leader and telling them about the questions and challenges you have as a person of faith living with a mental health condition.

If you’re comfortable sharing with a wider group, you can teach your faith community about mental health through starting a discussion group or support group. You can also reach out to your local NAMI Affiliate as many have relationships with their area faith communities that may provide some benefit.

By being open about your mental health, you may help others in your community who have been afraid to talk about their mental health. Starting this conversation creates a stronger, healthier, more compassionate community.

Tools And Resources For Faith Community Leaders

NAMI FaithNet is a network of NAMI members and friends dedicated to promoting caring faith communities and promoting the role of faith in recovery for individuals and families affected by mental illness. Visit NAMI FaithNet for more information on how you can promote the role of faith in recovery.