Oct 5, 2023 | Mental Health Ministry, Stronger Together Support Group
Last week we had a great conversation about clinical depression, and (thanks to the power of metaphors!) walked away with a deeper and more nuanced understanding of what this form of mental illness can feel like to those who experience it. This week we’re going to swing the pendulum in the exact opposite direction…which is what, exactly?
One way to think about the “opposite” of experiencing depression is experiencing joy. According to developmental psychologist (and Presbyterian minister) Dr. Pamela King, “[a] helpful way of thinking about joy is understanding what matters most in human life.” In the article Dr. King goes on to identify three areas that inform joy: (1) growing in authenticity and living more into one’s strengths, (2) growing in depth of relationships and contributing to others, and (3) living more aligned with one’s ethical and spiritual ideals.
We’re going to complement this cerebral, albeit brief article on joy with a video that is also short but offers a Biblically-oriented exploration of joy. How do these two understandings overlap, and what does that tell us about the relationship between feeling joy and feeling depressed?
Our warm-up question for this week:
What do you want to do for your next birthday party?
See you soon,
Alex
Sep 26, 2023 | Mental Health Ministry, Stronger Together Support Group
Hello friends,
Sometimes the simplest of metaphors help us see an issue from a deeper, more personal level. That’s why we’re going to watch a short video about a dog this week. [Insert joke here about how we’re not dogging it in Stronger Together, or about depression being a “total dog”, etc.]
In this case the “dog” is depression, and if you’ve never experienced what it’s like to live with clinical depression (as I have not), this is a great way to understand it through a different lens. Also if you’re like me and you happen to like dogs regardless of their coat color, you might feel ambivalent about this metaphor… at least until the end of the video.
Our warm-up question for this week:
Describe how your week has been using a metaphor. Similes are okay, too!
See you soon,
Alex
Sep 13, 2023 | Mental Health Ministry, Stronger Together Support Group
Hello friends,
This week we’re going to focus on two different but related stories about the power of talking to others. In the first, we hear how a university professor came to discover that even brief, casual exchanges with others are an antidote to loneliness and a building block in our well-being.
We’ll follow that up with a couple of brief excerpts from a video about “collective illusion,” a phenomenon where false beliefs about society are shared by many people within that society. We’ll focus on the section about social media and how our “offline” interactions have become a critical counterbalance.
Our warm-up question for this week:
Tell us about someone people tend to overlook, but who you know is special.
Sep 5, 2023 | Mental Health Ministry, Stronger Together Support Group
Hello friends,
I’m excited because we’re going to make a new friend this week! It’s someone you’ve known for a while, but probably have had a cordial relationship with, at best: stress. That’s right, we’re going to make friends with stress.
Right about now you might be asking yourself, “with friends like these, who needs enemies?” Let’s just say stress is that neighbor, family member, or co-worker who is kind of intense, but just misunderstood.
We’ll learn more by watching parts of the video “How to Make Stress Your Friend” by psychologist Kelly McGonigal, who walks us through a few studies to elucidate key points about the effects of stress, and importantly, how we can create a “biology of courage” in the face of stress.
Our warm-up question for this week:
What’s the most courageous thing you’ve witnessed someone do? Try to think of someone you knew well, and not a distant celebrity, historical, or political figure.
Aug 30, 2023 | Mental Health Ministry, Stronger Together Support Group
Hello friends,
We’re going to start this week’s conversation with a video compilation from… comedian Jim Carrey? There’s a lot to enjoy in this 7-minute video, but don’t expect to find comedy highlights. What you will find are a series of reflections from speeches and interviews about what it means to shape your life by choosing love over fear.
While the video isn’t about mental health per se, it definitely speaks to important well-being concepts and the inseparable nature of our mental, spiritual, physical, and interpersonal health. As you watch the video, try to think about how you see the idea of “choosing love over fear” influencing your outlook and mental well-being.
Our warm-up question for this week:
Who or what makes you laugh the hardest… or the most often?
Aug 23, 2023 | Mental Health Ministry, Stronger Together Support Group
Hello friends,
As Christians we believe–really, we have to believe–in the ability of people to change. While it’s easy to look back on our lives and reflect on how we have already changed, it’s a little bit more difficult to imagine how we might change in the future (spoiler alert: we’re all going to continue changing and growing, no matter how much we might insist otherwise). It’s enough to make you wonder…what types of things change us? Major life events, of course, but surely there are “small” things that change us over time, too?
This week we’re going to talk about one way in which people change: by listening to the personal stories of others. We’ll listen to a ~5-minute excerpt (starting at 3:45) of a podcast episode titled, “Communications to Power Mental Health” by none other than our very own Carrie Fox! In this episode, Carrie interviews Schroeder Stribling, President and CEO of Mental Health America, who tells her story about how she was inspired to be the leader she is today. As you reflect on her story, think about how it makes you feel, and perhaps how similar personal stories have changed the paths you’ve journeyed along throughout your life.
Our warm-up question for this week:
What’s a song that you love dancing to, or (if you’re like me and desperately try to avoid dancing), a song that you danced to for a memorable occasion?
