Title: 10 Steps to Improve Mental Health
Author: Palitha Jayasooriya
Text: Psalm 34:17
Introduction:
The lady who called me was clearly struggling as her depression had worsened. She had been through many sleepless nights and kept hearing voices at times. Restful sleep had eluded her the previous night as well. "Pastor, could you please pray with me?" she requested. I did. I prayed with her.
I normally sleep well at night, but there are some occasions when I struggle too; particularly if a tough decision or a difficult conversation is ahead of me. On such occasions, I generally feel quite sluggish the following day. Focusing on my work seems that much more difficult.
"If I struggle so much after losing just one night's sleep, how difficult must it be for someone who has to cope with sleepless nights regularly?" I thought to myself after the call.
The problem of mental health keeps increasing rapidly in our stress-filled world, accentuated by the challenges that came during and after the pandemic. Lockdowns took their toll on individuals, families, and sadly, even children. As a pastor, many are the calls I receive from people battling depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, imagined fears, sleepless nights, a poor sense of well-being, and an overall sense of helplessness. Moreover, it is extremely worrying to see how the need for regular dependance on medication keeps increasing around the world, as well as in my country, Sri Lanka.
Although I have never battled serious mental health issues, I have faced many anxieties and crisis situations that threatened to rob me of my peace and well-being. These included unexpected health challenges, a serious spinal injury at a young age, a severe accident my then 3-year-old son faced, losing my father to a debilitating stroke and being unfairly treated and betrayed at times by people I trusted.
Some important factors helped me through those times of anxiety, and even through the emotional struggles o ...
Author: Palitha Jayasooriya
Text: Psalm 34:17
Introduction:
The lady who called me was clearly struggling as her depression had worsened. She had been through many sleepless nights and kept hearing voices at times. Restful sleep had eluded her the previous night as well. "Pastor, could you please pray with me?" she requested. I did. I prayed with her.
I normally sleep well at night, but there are some occasions when I struggle too; particularly if a tough decision or a difficult conversation is ahead of me. On such occasions, I generally feel quite sluggish the following day. Focusing on my work seems that much more difficult.
"If I struggle so much after losing just one night's sleep, how difficult must it be for someone who has to cope with sleepless nights regularly?" I thought to myself after the call.
The problem of mental health keeps increasing rapidly in our stress-filled world, accentuated by the challenges that came during and after the pandemic. Lockdowns took their toll on individuals, families, and sadly, even children. As a pastor, many are the calls I receive from people battling depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, imagined fears, sleepless nights, a poor sense of well-being, and an overall sense of helplessness. Moreover, it is extremely worrying to see how the need for regular dependance on medication keeps increasing around the world, as well as in my country, Sri Lanka.
Although I have never battled serious mental health issues, I have faced many anxieties and crisis situations that threatened to rob me of my peace and well-being. These included unexpected health challenges, a serious spinal injury at a young age, a severe accident my then 3-year-old son faced, losing my father to a debilitating stroke and being unfairly treated and betrayed at times by people I trusted.
Some important factors helped me through those times of anxiety, and even through the emotional struggles o ...
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