A Response from LDS Response Team
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Your Question submitted to LDS Response Team on 10/22/2012 regarding the following area has received a response:
General LDS.org
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LDS Response Team responded on October 26, 2012 at 11:01 AM as follows:
Dear Shauna,
I know there are LDS 12 steps programs which are very good, but I don't know of anyMental illness groups. I do know that NAMI offers fre classes. I went to your blog and realize you know about NAMI. My son has a dual diagnosis of addiction and MI (bi-polar). My husband and I have taken advantage of NAMI.
I did forward your question to someone who might know if there are classes available. If there are I will let you know. Also, in Disability Services we are keeping track of members who blog about disabilities including MI. So I put your blog on our list. You may be hearing from someone in the department.
I will let you know if I hear anything.
Sincerely
Sister Smith
Disability Services
Priesthood Department
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You submitted a Question
on October 22, 2012 at 2:32 AM:
why are there no support groups sponsored by the church like there is for say, drug addiction, for people living with brain chemical imbalances such as depression, anxiety and bi-polar to name a few?
www.ldsbcdsupport.com
I have created my own site but cannot find much else. I called family services and asked about it and the response was something like, "Huh?"
not very encouraging. I have seen several posts on message boards by other LDS members looking for the same but no one can find anything.
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LDS Response Team responded on October 26, 2012 at 11:01 AM as follows: Dear Shauna,
I know there are LDS 12 steps programs which are very good, but I don't know of anyMental illness groups. I do know that NAMI offers fre classes. I went to your blog and realize you know about NAMI. My son has a dual diagnosis of addiction and MI (bi-polar). My husband and I have taken advantage of NAMI.
I did forward your question to someone who might know if there are classes available. If there are I will let you know. Also, in Disability Services we are keeping track of members who blog about disabilities including MI. So I put your blog on our list. You may be hearing from someone in the department.
I will let you know if I hear anything.
Sincerely
Sister Smith
Disability Services
Priesthood Department
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You replied on November 17, 2012 at 11:44 AM as follows: Hi Sister Smith, thank you for your help! I'm actually the one who started the LDS support for people with Mental Health Concerns. I also write about Mental Illness for the Nauvoo Times, an online LDS magazine. The column is called "Pebbles, Potholes and Perspective." I gave it that title because when someone faces mental illness it's like holding a pebble right in front of your eye. It looks like a stone wall. Experiencing symptoms can leave people feeling Iike they are being sucked into an abyss. However, with proper perspective, a pebble is just a pebble and a pothole is just that, a pothole.
The column is published every other Friday.
Should the church work on putting together a support group in the future, I would recommend they look into the principles developed by Recovery Innovations and also into the well researched principles of "Authentic Happiness" and "Positive Psychology" published In a book called "Flourish" by Dr Martin Seilgman. You can find more of his research at www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu
Both Recovery innovations and Dr Seilgman's work are in line with the principles of the gospel. Both helped me tremendously in my journey to recovery.
I do hope that in the future the church will have something available for members by way of a support group. I'm sure it is just a matter of time, because one in four people have mental illness.
I appreciate that you referred people to NAMI because their peer to peer class was the first thing I found, after 13 years of being diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. However, not all of the things they teach are in accordance with the gospel principles.
Currently I have been nearly symptom free for three years. If you'd known where I've been, you would know it's truly a miracle. My doctor is still scratching his head. ;)
When the church does begin developing a support group for people with mental illness and their families, I would be honored to be a part of it. I have a strong testimony that our Father in Heaven has perfect confidence in us. He taught us everything we needed to know before we came to earth, allowing us to come here and discover our true character strengths by allowing us to experience mortality. He wouldn't have created the Plan of Happiness unless He knew we could actually achieve happiness. Unfortunately, at this time there are many members struggling with feelings of guilt and despair because they are doing everything they know how to do, living the gospel principles, yet due to their illness, cannot find peace. I believe it's simply because they don't yet have the tools they need in their recovery toolbox, because "they know not were to find [them]."
Thank you Sister Smith for your encouragement. May the Lord continue to bless and sustain you.
Sincerely, Sarah Hancock
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