Hännah Ettinger blogs, tweets, is the founding publisher of The Swan Children Magazine, and dishes feminist critique of YA novels over at The YA Wallpaper.
When I was growing up in the conservative Christian community, the idea of mental illness had such a heavy social stigma around it that it was rarely, if ever, discussed. As I’ve come out of that world, I’ve discovered the stark contrast between how “normal” people approach mental health issues and the way I grew up. Now, people talk about their therapists and their meds and their anxiety or depression — then, when a mom was dealing with postpartum depression, she was told by her pastor that she was dealing with the “sin of unbelief” and needed to just “trust God more.” Pacific Standard just posted a longform piece by Kathryn Joyce on “the rise of biblical counseling” in the church. It’s pretty comprehensive and quite consistent with what I observed firsthand. Read more
I didn’t know who Joyce Elaine White was until I read this piece in the American Prospect. I’m still not entirely sure why this piece ran, but I’m glad it did. The article covers her life from about 1973 to 2011 and unravels each layer of her departure — from being a fundamentalist homeschool preacher’s wife and mom in a cultish group, to divorcee and right-wing Christian political leader, to interior designer and conservative political bystander. I think her story is important to read for those on the outside of this world, just to understand how complex it is to untangle yourself from the religious, political, and social ideologies as they interplay in conservative Christian culture. Read more
Growing up in evangelical Christianity, mental health problems (and even strong emotions) were often dismissed as “needing Jesus” instead of legitimate medical issues. Post-partum depression was written off as lack of faith in God’s calling to motherhood. Bipolar disorder was written off as a lack of self-control. OCD was dismissed as if it was normal. Anxiety was lack of faith and discipline in prayer. Suicide was a sin driven by selfishness. Grief was indulgent. Anger was sin. As a result, those needing actual help from friends, therapists, mentors, family members, and other potential sources of support were isolated by the stigma and shame of their struggles. Read more
