052: Mental Illness and the Church with Lauren Bellows

Lauren Bellows joins me on the Home and Hearth podcast today. A wife, mom of 7 (both bio kids and adopted), writer, and lover of Jesus, Lauren is passionate about equipping the church to better understand the realities of mental illness and how we can best serve folks who battle those issues. Lauren Bellows joins me on the Home and Hearth podcast today. A wife, mom of 7 (both bio kids and adopted), writer, and lover of Jesus, Lauren is passionate about equipping the church to better understand the realities of mental illness and how we can best serve folks who battle those issues.

What we Chat about in This Episode:

~Lauren's own journey with mental health issues such as PTSD, OCD, and depression/anxiety

~Things said in the church to people battling mental health issues which are actually not helpful and should not be said

~Some of the best things Christians can say to those battling mental illness

~What Lauren wishes those of us who do not battle mental illness knew about how it is to struggle in those areas

~Ministering to those who are suicidal

~Understanding when prayer, Bible meditation, etc. is enough to get you through and when you need to also move onto other treatment

~Tips for finding a good counselor and how to combat the stigma surrounding seeking counseling that is all too common in the church

~The reality that there is a spiritual aspect to mental illness

~And much more!

For full show notes, head to www.hargraveshomeandhearth.com/podcast