Depression and addiction are often taboo topics in the church. However, Christians are just as
susceptible to depression and addiction as any other social group. Christians who suffer from these
afflictions often don’t seek help because of shame and fear of alienation. We all want others to see
us in the best light. For a depressed Christian or a Christ follower with an addiction, seeking help
feels like shining a spotlight into their spiritual life and highlighting a failure as a Christian. We often
hear that we simply need to fight harder, believe more, or trust God more, but scripture tells us
differently.
There are many hurting Christians in desperate need of help, and it is common to feel like you have
nowhere to turn. Christians are just as likely as non-Christians to experience depression, addiction,
and suicide. I am very passionate about this topic because I am one of those Christians. I live with
depression, and I am in recovery for addiction and attempted suicide. I have a chronic illness with
depression, and I made incredibly bad decisions in coping with my illness, desperately seeking relief.
My memoir, Well, chronicles my journey toward healing in a unique way. It is an incredibly
vulnerable and emotionally raw story. When I came home from treatment at the psychiatric facility, I
was still so confused how this could have happened to me. I was such a strong Christian. I was
very involved in my local church. I was a leader of ministry. How did I stray so far, so fast? I
started pouring over old journals and found entries where I sought forgiveness, healing and
deliverance. I gathered them up into a scrapbook. I also added original artwork telling my journey
through the end of a paint brush. I dug through my blog, gathered essays I had written and put them
in the scrapbook as well. I realized this scrapbook had become something. It had become a
memoir telling a story of hope.
Well - a memoir is an incredibly vulnerable and emotionally raw story. I wholeheartedly believe it
can help other Christians. Who should read Well? I would recommend it to anyone, but especially
believers who struggle with:
- Chronic Illness
- Suicidal Ideations or Suicide Attempt
- Addiction
- Clinical Depression
Well, by Alias In Town, is available on Amazon.com. Here The “Look Inside” preview of the Kindle
version will give you an excellent preview of the book.
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