This is a talk I gave at the Men's Breakfast of Christian Stronghold Church on April 9, 2011. It was a blessing and once again I healed a bit more on giving it.

1. Mental Illness (& Health): What We
Need To Know & Do To Cope
Christian Stronghold Church
Men’s Breakfast
April 9, 2011
Craig A. DeLarge
April 09, 2011 CSHC Men's Breakfast 1

2. Today’s Topics
• Mental Illness (MI):
– What is it?
– What causes it?
– How is it treated?
• My Mental Health Story
• What We Can Do for Ourselves, Our
Families & Communities re: MI
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3. My Goal Today
• Educate your Mind against Fear & Stigma
• Inspire your Heart to Compassion
• Animate your Will to Action
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4. Disclaimer
• I am NOT a doctor or therapist
• I am NOT professionally trained
• I am experientially trained
• I am on a journey & I am here to share
what I have acquired
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5. Our Fear & Stigma
Will Not Save Us
Job 3:25 - For the thing which I greatly
feared is come upon me, and that which I
was afraid of is come unto me.
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6. Life’s Trouble Equips for Comfort
II Corinthians 1:4 - Who comforteth us
in all our tribulation, that we may be able
to comfort them which are in any
trouble, by the comfort wherewith we
ourselves are comforted of God.
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7. What is Mental Illness?
• abnormal patterns of
thinking, emotion or
behavior
• associated with distress
& a lack of functioning,
that can vary greatly
• can manifest:
– as acute or chronic
– with stable or fluid
symptoms
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8. What is Mental Illness?
• onset is common in
adolescence and early
adulthood
• lack of awareness of
illness & refusal of care
common
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9. What are the Mental Illnesses?
• Depression
• Panic & Anxiety
• Bipolar Disorder
• Obsessive -
Compulsive Disorder
• Schizophrenia
• Click link below to see definitions at:
http://www.delicious.com/cadelarge/nami_mental_illnesses
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10. Mental Illness Depicted In Bible
Nahum 2:10 - She is emptied! Yes, she is
desolate and waste! Hearts are melting and
knees knocking! Also anguish is in the whole
body. And all their faces are grown pale!
Jonah 2:5-7 - The waters closed in over me
to take my life; the deep surrounded me;
weeds were wrapped about my head at the
roots of the mountains. I went down to the
land whose bars closed upon me forever.
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11. What Causes Mental Illnesses?
• Genetic Heritage
• Traumatic Stress
• Brain chemistry &
structure
• Usually combinations of
all the above
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12. What are Effects of Mental Illness?
• Individual
– inability to function,
even if willing
– incarceration
– alienation/transience
• Familial
– systemic sickness;
– caregivers role
– coping with stigma
– grieving
– dealing with torturous
mental health system
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13. Effects & Opps Among A-As
• Poverty, foster status (45%), homelessness (40%) &
incarceration (50%), violent exposure increase odds
of MI
• A-As:
– less likely to get accurate diagnosis thus need for
more competence in dealing with SYSTEM
– underrepresented as treaters thus need for more A-
As to train as Psychs & SWs
– have cultural bias against MH system resulting in
lower access to care thus greater need for education
www.nami.org
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(http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/mentalhealth/cre/execsummary-2.html

14. Effect & Opps Among A-As
• A-As:
– prone to seeking support in community vs system
thus community needs mental health competence
– metabolize meds more slowly while getting higher
doses resulting in worst side effects & lower
compliance thus need to better understand treatment
regimens
– Click link to see NAMI African American Fact Sheet
www.nami.org
April 09, 2011 CSHC Men's Breakfast 14
(http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/mentalhealth/cre/execsummary-2.html)

15. Typical, but Unproductive,
Responses to Mental Illness
• Denial/Stigma
• Shame/Guilt
• Anger/Bitterness
• Isolation/Despair
• Succumbing to MI
under “caregiver
stress”
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16. How is Mental Illness Treated?
• Psychotherapy
• Medication
• Diet/Exercise/Rest
• Time/Care
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17. Recovery & Functionality
are Possible!!!
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18. My Story: MI Effect on Me
• Anger & deep sense of grief & sadness as
father over lost opportunities
• Guilt over my role as cause of son’s MI as well
as enforcer of care & accountability
• In denial & confused regarding balance
between care & accountability
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19. My Story: My Coping & Recovery
• Education, on own, & in community
• Seeking community with like afflicted –
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
• Care & comforting of self, wife, son, siblings &
extended family, community
• Patient, persistent practice & engagement to
build resilience
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20. God Knows How To Restore
Joel 2:25 - And I will restore to you the
years that the locust hath eaten
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21. What Can We Do!
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22. What We Can Do for Ourselves?
• Avoid denial when getting feedback about your
own abnormal patterns
• Engage in continuous counseling: self (BC-1),
community & one-on-one
• Commit to preventative self-care of mind,
emotions, body, diet, sleep & relationships
• When ill, submit to treatment (if you can)
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23. What We Can Do for Our Families?
• Patiently persist towards recovery
• Get educated (though perplexing)
• Balance accountability with care
• Cultivate a “community of like-
afflicted”
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24. What We Can Do for Our
Communities?
• Be models of mental health & resilience
• Stand against stigma & shame
• Be compassionate - “Good Samaritans”
• Learn available resource & the SYSTEM
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25. Very Key Point!
• Mental Illness is no one’s fault and not a
character flaw
• Mental Illness is a journey we must travel
together with care & accountability
• Energy better invested in work towards
recovery than in blame & anger
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26. Key Resources I Suggest
(click links below)
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
– Family to Family Education Program
– NAMI Resource & Forensics Guide
– NAMI PA Main Line Forums
• Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority
Health Awareness Month (July)
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27. Photo Credits
• shadow boy: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NR48UcL2XMI/SSRPG7ODnyI/
AAAAAAAAAyw/PqU6BQnemcU/s400/mentalillness.jpg
• man holding head: http://l.thumbs.canstockphoto.com/canstock1156116.jpg
• tearing lady (black & white): http://newsone.com/files/2010/01/
sad_black_woman.JPG
• girl with head on: lap:http://api.ning.com/files/
8Uel2jMyfVVRmCy2uTU64GmzA3NShrBCH*QLyh7hpVXDSqDn7-7HMRGpMQw6Cr
6j5M-TbVrHvaP-*bWOkdwrs1Y0l7HHH-Og/up_2727.jpg?crop=1%3A1
• boy with head in hands: http://www.uwhealth.org/files/uwhealth/images/img3/
img_depression_150.jpg
• woman in yellow tank: http://www.blackhealthzone.com/wp-content/uploads/
2011/02/depression.jpg
• brain & stethescope: http://imrehealthiq.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/
iStock_000002667412Small.jpg
• woman in black kerchief: http://www.race-talk.org/wp-content/uploads/
2009/12/105641_behind-the-scenes-precious-150x150.jpg
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28. Photo Credits
• boy in chair: http://www.blackballot.com/weekly_report/images/
022110_Manic_Depression_African_American.jpg
• child in cell: http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://cdp.edu.au/cdp/sites/
default/files/slideshow/03_LISS.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.cdp.edu.au/cdp/
photojournalist/juvenile-detention-steve-
liss&usg=__KxPd9VKA_EMzqIx6UZFcwyq5D9c=&h=400&w=600&sz=59&hl=en&star
t=171&sig2=WwaPlw9Bk4_tPyweekpVCQ&zoom=1&tbnid=ZX9930vgN3hlOM:&tbnh
=90&tbnw=135&ei=2KqfTdzhGbGz0QHe0uSXBQ&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmental
%2Billness%2Bafrican%2Bamericans%26start%3D160%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN
%26gbv%3D2%26tbm%3Disch&itbs=1
• hands reaching for man: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_BPyXil2_m7c/TPG57oduVfI/
AAAAAAAAAGw/X_YOXcrjvuA/s1600/schizophrenic%25252520-
%25252520joem.jpg
• bottle of pills: http://helpwithintervention.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/pills.jpg
April 09, 2011 CSHC Men's Breakfast 28