‘All in your head’
Marie Stroughter hosts the “MoMo 634” podcast — short for…
Bearing one another’s (mental health) burdens
Book offers advice for helping others through personal struggle.
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I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve heard the topic of mental health addressed from the pulpit or Bible class lectern over 42 years.
With nearly 1 in 4 Americans suffering from a mental health issue, including among our congregants, a resource is critically needed to equip our fellowship with the skills necessary to meet the need.
David J. Pope. “How Can I Help You?: Basic Helping Skills for Christians.” Luminare Press. 2024. 166 pages. $14.99.
As an elder’s wife, I can attest that many, including myself, are struggling with such issues.
As Jack Wilkie recently wrote for his Church Reset Substack, elders “need to know what’s going on in the lives of their people and be in touch with the concerns that are on the members’ hearts.”
Thankfully, David J. Pope’s book “How Can I Help You? Basic Helping Skills for Christians” is a resource for those involved in pastoral care. Pope, a longtime member of the Prescott Church of Christ in Arizona, draws from over 40 years as a therapist addressing mental health and addiction.
He gives insight into situational and clinical mental health conditions — including grief, depression and disabilities — while freely sharing his own lived experience with addiction and journey toward mental wellness. Pope also shares his wife’s experience living with spina bifida.
The book is largely arranged by condition, with some general chapters, all concluding with some “dos and don’ts” and other suggestions.
There are discussions about resources, generally outside of our fellowship, but overall, the book offers much-needed insight to assist Christians struggling with complex issues.
Listen to Marie Stroughter discuss mental health and her MoMo634 Podcast on Episode 115 of The Christian Chronicle Podcast.
While the book’s conversational tone is generally one of “subject matter expert to layperson,” Pope sometimes strays into bias and oversimplification. For example, in the chapter “Depression/Anxiety,” he writes:
“Another way you can help is to recommend getting into some act of service. The number one assignment I have given to those stuck in depression is to do three nice things a day for someone else.”
It has been my experience that when the neurons in my brain are not firing correctly or the brain chemistry is out of balance, basic tasks like getting out of bed, showering, and even brushing teeth become Herculean, and not by choice.
In a section called “Entitlement,” Pope also devolves into unhelpful stereotypes regarding young adults living with their parents.
These generalizations are at odds with the author’s basic premise that mental health issues are legitimate medical conditions that cannot be turned off and on: “Don’t stigmatize.” “Don’t tell them to just get over it.” “Don’t base progress on feelings.” “Don’t be impatient.”
Related: ‘All in your head’
Pope underscores these points and, refreshingly, correlates mental health diagnoses with other medical conditions. His validation in the book counters the shame and stigma many struggling with these conditions feel, which contribute to delays in seeking treatment and/or medication.
Given the dearth of material on the subject, particularly from resources within our fellowship, brother Pope’s book is a beneficial addition to the arsenal of any church member on the front lines assisting others.
MARIE STROUGHTER is an elder’s wife who worships at the Westside Church of Christ in Killeen, Texas. She hosts a five-minute podcast called “Motivational Moments” at MoMo634.com.
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