NOT A CASSEROLE ILLNESS

contributed by Leroy K. Pickett

member of First United Methodist Church,

Downers Grove, IL

Typically when people in a caring church hear that a member is hospitalized for a heart condition, cancer surgery or a broken leg, a beautifully cooked casserole is brought to the home of the family.  However, this is seldom the case when the member is hospitalized due to an episode associated with depression, bipolar disease or schizophrenia.  Hence, people who work with those in churches, who have a mental illness, consider it, “A NO CASSEROLE ILLNESS.”  Why is this hurtful stigma associated with mental illnesses? 

First of all, there may be some real issues for the person who is sick.  It seems our society would rather have a worker with untreated mental illness than one who has received treatment.  This makes absolutely no sense.  In fact, a worker may lose his/her job when it is learned that treatment has been received for one, simple mental illness episode.  Workers who receive appropriate mental health treatment perform their tasks far more effectively than those who remain untreated. 

A second and frequently more critical reason for lack of response by people at church, is that family members often hide mental illness from others because of fear of rejection, even by close friends in the church.  Oftentimes the fears experienced by the family are real reactions to previously experienced awkward silences when attempting to discuss concerns associated with mental illness.

For loving support of those experiencing the pains associated with mental illness, attitudes about mental illness must change and the church should lead the way rather than remaining decades behind.  Ian Aitken, President and Chief Executive Officer of the well-known Menninger Clinic located in Houston, Texas, wrote the following statement.  “It takes great courage to be honest about mental illness when it strikes, as it will for one in four Americans.  We cannot afford to complicate the recovery by remaining silent and sustaining the stigma that persists throughout society.  We must encourage all members of our national community to address the issue of mental illness openly and honestly and help those afflicted to access treatment as early as possible.  Early treatment for cuts to our skin prevents infection.  Like the ailments of the body, the brain responds to early treatment.”