Written by Steven Barto, B.S., Psy. IT WAS FOUR IN the afternoon. I was driving along the river in my home town. It was the fourth decade of my struggle with active addiction. Overwhelmed with thoughts of utter failure, rabid hypocrisy and complete hopelessness, I started ruminating about the idea of suicide. Why not? It …
Disturber of the Peace
Written by Steven Barto, B.S. Psych. WE HAVE HEARD OF many names for Satan. He started as Lucifer—his name is derived from the Hebrew word (helel), which means "brightness." In Latin, it means "shining one, light-bearer." This is also the Latin name for the planet Venus, the morning star in the ancient Roman era, often …
“Is My Life Worth Living?”
"The purpose in a man's mind is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out" (Proverbs 20:5, RSV). "We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28, RSV). IT IS OBVIOUS THAT purpose can guide life decisions, …
Mental Illness and the Christian
Most of us know someone who is in counseling, on medication, or who has even taken or attempted to take his or her own life as a result of mental illness. Among the many topics high on the list that trouble Christians today, mental health would most likely be at or near the top. Ed …
Jesus Calling
EXCERPT FROM JESUS CALLING ©2014 Sarah Young July 19 Bring Me all your feelings, even the ones you wish you didn't have. Fear and anxiety still plague you. Feelings per se are not sinful, but they can be temptations to sin. Blazing missiles of fear fly at you day and night; these attacks from the …
Why Do I Freeze Up and Go Silent? Move Beyond the Separating Power of Shame
The following is an excerpt from "If the Buddha Got Stuck: A Handbook for Change on a Spiritual Path," by Charlotte Kasl, Ph.D. Shame is a great paralyzer. To become unstuck we need to explore this troublesome feeling. When people are left, excluded, shunned, or abused, they often slide into persistent shame, which can result …
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Anxiety, Depression, and the American Adolsecent
The cover story for Time magazine, November 7, 2016, by Susanna Schrobsdorff, tells of American teens who are anxious, depressed and overwhelmed. Experts are struggling over how to help them. Schrobsdorff's article is strikingly titled "The Kids Are Not All Right." The article begins with the story of Faith-Ann Bishop, who was in eighth grade …
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Sleeping On Couches
There’s a lump under my back, and I’m soaking wet with the sweat of anxiety; Insomnia has had me in its clutches for a week now. Images in my head keep changing: I’m free, No, I’m captive. Different versions of me hide behind the couch, Pregnant with memories of surviving somehow. I had more things …