This is the second in a helpful series of weekly articles and stories on Mental Wellbeing presented by Suzie Baird and Tricia Hendry to help the Church build our knowledge, understanding, and skills to strengthen our communities.
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The start of a mental illness or disorder can happen at any time in a person’s life. One way to think of mental distress is that it’s always an uninvited guest. No one wants depression or panic attacks, for example, to come on into their lives, stake a claim in their headspace, unpack, and settle in for a long stay! No one would want this, any more than a person would want to have a heart condition, diabetes, or other serious physical health problem. Having this perspective helps us, as followers of Jesus, to avoid making automatic judgements, decreases stigma, and increases our compassion.  

It’s also helpful to know that people in mental distress may find that several uninvited guests arrive ‘to stay’ at the same time. In fact, it’s more common than most realise. For example, a person may be living with bipolar but develop alcoholism. Or a person may be managing high levels of ongoing general anxiety but then develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and depression. 

Dealing with one issue that causes mental unwellness is never easy. Imagine how much tougher life gets when a person is struggling with more than one. Each issue will have its own unique set of symptoms, as well as their own treatment choices. But, to make things even more complicated, the different ‘uninvited guests’ will often negatively affect each other. For example, Jono‘s anxiety went undiagnosed and he developed a drug addiction to help him cope. This then made his anxiety much, much worse. Or Kath, who has Schizophrenia, also developed an eating disorder. When a person has more than one type of mental issue to deal with, mental health specialists call it a dual diagnosis or co-morbidity. 

The uninvited guest addiction arrives when a person no longer has control over doing, taking, or using something that it is causing harm to them, or to those around them. Any activity or thing we do a lot, or all the time, to try to relieve stress and lift our mood can become addictive. In other words, we can use it compulsively and obsessively. People with addictions might know they have a problem but be unable to stop it, however much they want to. An addiction may trigger or make a person’s mental distress or disorder worse. Or, a mental illness may be present before an addiction takes hold. 

Anything negatively affecting a person’s mental wellbeing may cause problems for their work life and in their relationships with family, whānau, friends, and their community. For example, someone’s poor self-care, distorted thinking, or unpredictable behaviour might well build up tensions and cause others to avoid them. Understanding mental distress, addiction, and other mental disorders as unwelcome, uninvited, and unwanted guests helps us to recognise the difficult and complex challenges an affected person may be dealing with. We can then focus on providing meaningful support as an unwell person finds their way towards help, recovery, and improved wellness. We can simply walk alongside them one day at a time. Sometimes it might be one step forwards and two steps back. After all, it can often take time for unwelcome guests to pack up and leave!

In our next article we will be hearing about what it’s like to experience serious mental distress. The article following that will explore the factors that contribute to mental distress, including the myths we can mistakenly believe are fact.

By Tricia Hendry

If you, a member of your whānau, or a friend are experiencing mental distress, please contact a GP for further mental health support and referrals. You can text or call 1737 to talk to a trained counsellor 24/7. In an emergency, please contact your local mental health crisis team or nearest Emergency Department. In a life-threatening situation call 111.

Questions for Reflection:

1. What guidance does the Bible give us to guide us as we seek to support those struggling with life?

2. If the Gospel is a gospel of hope, how do you think it can it encourage those struggling with mental distress, addiction, and other uninvited guests?

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Suzie Baird is a mental health advocate. She has lived experience of mental distress that helps her to support others and educate those wanting to understand more. She attends Lyall Bay Community Church, an Anglican pioneer mission unit. 

Tricia Hendry is a writer and educator specialising in issues relating the mental health and resilience. She has many years’ experience supporting others through mental health and trauma challenges. She attends All Saints, Hataitai.