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Chris Morris Christian Mental Health

Redefine Normal // Rediscover Hope

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Chris Morris Christian Mental Health: Rediscovering Normal

Chris Morris | Christian Mental Health

I spend my time writing about how to balance faith and mental illness. I have both mental illnesses and chronic illnesses, but I’m learning to thrive anyway. I guess that’s why Redefining Normal is part of the code here, because it’s been part of my journey.
My BooksLearn more
Mental Health and the Bible: Who was Depressed in the Bible? A book by Chris Morris

Stories of Mental Illness in the Bible

Mental Health and the Bible

Did you know that many major characters in the Bible had depression and other mental health problems?

Many people think that mature Christians shouldn’t struggle with mental health issues, but a closer look at what the Bible has to say in its stories gives us a different picture entirely. What does the Bible say about depression, anxiety, and having a real bad moment? The pages of Scripture are littered with examples and advice for Christians struggling with mental illness today. Stories of people like Moses, David and (yes) even Jesus teach us how we can live with and understand depression, anxiety, and every mental illness.

Get this free ebook when you subscribe to my monthly newsletter.

Get inspiration directly in your email in-box to encourage you to keep fighting and never give up.

Redefine Normal

Rediscover Hope

Welcome to my Christian mental health website. This is a safe place for followers of Jesus dealing with depression, anxiety, and every mental illness under the sun. If you’ve asked yourself, “if I’m a Christian, why am I depressed?“ or, “where is God when my life is falling apart?“, or “How do I overcome depression biblically“, you’re in the right place. Everything here is written as Christian help for those in the mental illness community as we redefine normal and rediscover hope together. Let’s talk about these two things for just a moment. What does it mean to redefine normal? It means that nobody but you gets to tell you what’s normal and what’s abnormal. You are the arbiter of your own life, and you get to decide that.

For you, maybe a normal day is not getting out of bed until noon because of chronic pain, and having to carefully calculate where you spend your limited energy. If so, I honor your normal here. How about rediscovering hope? So many of us struggle to fell there’s any objective reason for hope in our lives, because, to be honest, our lives stink a lot of the time. It’s full of difficulty and complexity, hard conversations and unmet expectations. But we can find the keys to having hope despite all these setbacks. I spend a lot of time talking the nuts and bolts of hope from a biblical perspective, so it’s more tangible, meaningful, and applicable to real life.

Chris’ Latest Posts

Christian mental health resources for those learning to live with mental illness

We’ve All Got Issues—Practical Ways to Address Mental Illness Struggles in the Church

I have the privilege of sharing my site again with a good friend. Meet Janeen Ippolito: Janeen Ippolito is an award-winning author of bestselling fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. She’s also a mental health/chronic illness survivor and a veteran of Christian ministry who believes in church environments that uplift and grow…

We’ve All Got Issues—Practical Ways to Address Mental Illness Struggles in the ChurchRead More

Until Then (A Guest Post)

I have the honor of sharing my page today with Jessica Seale. Here’s a little bit about Jessica: Jessica Seale is a writer and online mentor from Southern Middle TN. She writes novels, scripts, and essays, mostly on the topics of mental health. She is graduating with her MFA in…

Until Then (A Guest Post)Read More

Does Mental Illness Ruin God’s Plans for My Life? (Psalm 139 and Mental Health)

Mental Health Musings on Psalm 139 God made us for a purpose, to accomplish tasks laid out before us. But doesn’t having a mental illness, like depression, schizophrenia, or PTSD, to name a couple, completely throw off God’s plan for our lives? The answer is simple and biblical. No, not…

Does Mental Illness Ruin God’s Plans for My Life? (Psalm 139 and Mental Health)Read More

Not Disqualified but Called

Elijah seemed to battle symptoms of bipolar disorder. King Saul was apparently struggling with major depressive disorder. Nebuchadnezzar glorified God as the giver of all good things after what looked like a seven-year bout with schizophrenia. Paul wavered somewhere between suicidality and circumstantial depression. The footprints of mental illness can…

Not Disqualified but CalledRead More

God’s Voice Vs. Other Voices

I’m super excited to share my website with Katie Dale today. Here’s her bio, so you can get to know her a little: Hey there! I’m Katie Dale, familiar with the storms of mental illness, and I blog about my faith and how it has informed my brain-based disorder at KatieRDale.com.…

God’s Voice Vs. Other VoicesRead More

Depression is NOT Disappointment | How to Help Someone Process Disappointment

Leslie was trying to make it work with her husband. They had been struggling for years. Counseling didn’t seem to help, because neither of them was really willing to change the things that needed to change for their marriage to be better. They had talked with their pastor, but none…

Depression is NOT Disappointment | How to Help Someone Process DisappointmentRead More

Depression is NOT Grief | How to Help Someone Grieve

One of my best friends Alfred called me and told me the terrible news. His dad has suddenly passed from a brain aneurysm. Alfred didn’t know what to do, he didn’t know how to respond, this wasn’t supposed to happen like this. His dad was mostly healthy, and this was…

Depression is NOT Grief | How to Help Someone GrieveRead More

Depression is Not Anger | How To Respond to Your Suicidal Friend

Suzanne just thought it would work out differently. She applied for that job, knowing she was more than qualified for it. She rocked the interview and even got immediate feedback from her interviewer telling her to expect a phone call with a job offer in a couple of days. When…

Depression is Not Anger | How To Respond to Your Suicidal FriendRead More

Is Depression a Sin? (3 Examples of Depression in the Bible)

Christians and Depression Too often, those in the Church are quick to call depression and other mental illnesses a sin, calling the sick to repent and return to God. It breaks my heart to see this response because there is no other type of illness where this would be acceptable.…

Is Depression a Sin? (3 Examples of Depression in the Bible)Read More

Interview on This Undivided Life Podcast

I had the privilege of being interviewed by my friend Troy McLaughlin on his podcast This Undivided Life. We talked about everything from my favorite meal ever to where God is in the midst of depression and suicidal thoughts. If you’ve ever wanted to hear more of my story, this…

Interview on This Undivided Life PodcastRead More

Is There a Difference Between Anxiety and Worry?

Ask your average Christian if anxiety is a sin, and they can quote you a number of verses that point to an obvious yes. For the sake of brevity, let’s just focus on the words of Jesus in Luke 12:25-26 – “Can all your worries add a single moment to…

Is There a Difference Between Anxiety and Worry?Read More

Jenny Hill Unsplash

When Running Becomes Dangerous to My Health

I recently had to make the difficult decision to stop running. Now, don’t get me wrong – I don’t love running, but it was a good way to get my exercise in. It was also a pleasant way to spend some time with my son doing something together.   But…

When Running Becomes Dangerous to My HealthRead More

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Is This For Me?

Found out more about this site and see if it’s a good space for you to hang out.
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Life with Psychogenic Seizures

Psychogenic seizures is one of my primary diagnosis, and it impacts me every single day. Learn how here.
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Two Things I Learned About the Church in the Psych Ward

I have spend time in a psych ward twice in my life. I learned a lot about myself and the church both times.
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What People Are Saying

Whispers in the Pews “Compassion is the antidote to stigma, and it only begins when we hear the stories of real men and women who suffer from mental illness. Chris Morris is doing the church a tremendous service with this book. It should be required reading for anyone who considers… Read more “David Edward Cummings”

David Edward Cummings
PhD, Professor of Microbiology, Point Loma Nazarene University, Host of the SoulCare Podcast, Elder at Pathways Community Church, Santee, CA
http://davidedwardcummings.com/
Marty Kaiser

Perfectly Abnormal “I highly recommend this book to any person or family trying to deal with a chronic illness. In its pages you will find practical help to move forward, and hope to experience a life worth living. Over the past few years I have witnessed the pain and sorrow… Read more “Marty Kaiser”

Marty Kaiser
http://revealvineyard.com

Whispers in the Pews “Chris Morris has compiled honest and raw stories that give sight into the heart of many Christians who have battled, or are battling, mental illness. Whispers in the Pews brings to light that mental health matters and how it hasn’t always mattered in the Christian community,… Read more “Shawn Elizabeth George”

Shawn Elizabeth George
Inspirational Author, Writer, and Speaker
https://www.shawnelizabethgeorge.com/
Jeff Goines

Whispers in the Pews “Finally, someone is speaking out on a deep and important issue that simply does not get talked about enough in our faith communities. Thank you, Chris, for your honesty and bravery. May these words move us all to deeper and more compassionate action.”

Jeff Goins
Bestselling author of The Art of Work
https://goinswriter.com/
Mary Demuth

Perfectly Abnormal “Perfectly Abnormal is one of those books that should be required reading for churches longing to provide a welcoming environment for all their members. And it should be required reading for any human who wants to love, empathize, and walk in the shoes of another. I so appreciated… Read more “Mary DeMuth (Perfectly Abnormal)”

Mary DeMuth
http://marydemuth.com
Rett Syndrome

Whispers in the Pews “I am ridiculously excited for the stories in this book to be shared. There is an incredible need to discuss the reality of mental illness and how the church can improve how it addresses this.”

Colleen English
President & Founder of Rettland Foundation
http://rettland.org/
Mary Demuth

Whispers in the Pews “I cannot imagine Jesus scolding someone with a mental illness, telling them to just get over it, try harder, memorize more verses. No, He would listen. He would love. He would be filled with compassion. And even He was deemed mentally ill in his time, his… Read more “Mary DeMuth”

Mary DeMuth
https://www.marydemuth.com/

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chrismorriswrites

Mental health author & advocate for the church. If you want to learn more about mental health in the Bible, check out my free book in my links!

Chris Morris
These figures are scary, and they will eventually These figures are scary, and they will eventually touch your life if they haven’t already. 

Don’t let your life or your family’s life or your friend’s life become a sad stat. 

#suicideprevention #depressionhelp #depressionawareness #mentalhealthawareness
Resilience is a word that’s tossed around a lot Resilience is a word that’s tossed around a lot nowadays. I think its meaning has been somewhat distorted as a result. Resilience is so much more than just gutting it out. It means sticking firmly to the things that matter to you, no matter what life throws at you. What imagery comes to your mind when you think of resilience?

#mentallyhealthyfamily #authorsofinstagram #resilience #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthmatters
Do you find yourself at your wit’s end with your Do you find yourself at your wit’s end with your mental health, feeling all alone? Do you feel like nobody is there to encourage you to not give up and call it quits? Do you assume that even God is joining with the chorus of people judging you for not having your act together?

If so, I’ve got some good news for you. I wrote a short book that’s perfect for you. In my book “Mental Illness in the Bible,” I walk through a bunch of characters in Scripture who battled mental health moments, and who today might even have a clinical diagnosis like you and I. 

The best part about this book is that we also get to see how God responds to those in mental health crises. And it’s not with judgment. Ever. He always leads with the kind heart of a perfect Father, meeting needs and giving fresh vision. 

If this sounds like a book you need to read, click through to my links and get it. It’s free, and the only “string” (if you even want to call it that) is that you’re signing up to get a monthly email from me that talks about faith and mental health. Talk about the best string ever!

#mentalhealthawareness #depressionhelp #faithandmentalhealth #churchandmentalhealth #anxietyawareness 
#authorsofinstagram
This week’s podcast episode has 6 tips to help y This week’s podcast episode has 6 tips to help you when your depression feels like it’s just too much and you can’t deal with it one moment longer. Some might work for you, and some probably won’t, but you might be surprised by what does the trick. 

Find the podcast wherever you listen to them. And let me know if one of these ideas lightened your load a bit!

#podcastersofinstagram #podcast #depression #depressionhelp #depressionsupport #authorsofinstagram
Depression can be overwhelming and can feel like i Depression can be overwhelming and can feel like it’s impossible to make any movement against. 

But that’s a lie. I know it feels true, because I believed it for a long time. I also know it’s not true because I’ve had moments where I’ve overcome my depression. 

Want to learn how? Interested in understanding what it takes to regain that freedom that we see in the hummingbird? 

I bet you do!

Check out the most recent episode of my podcast Resilience & Other Things wherever you listen to your podcasts. 

I give some quick tips on how to manage your depression. When I say quick, I’m talking about how long the episode is—don’t think I’m trying to say managing depression is easy…cuz it’s not!

#depressionawareness #depressionhelp #depressionsupport #podcastersofinstagram #authorsofinstagram
Starting and maintaining my morning routine is one Starting and maintaining my morning routine is one of the most important things I did to stabilize myself after my suicide attempt. It has allowed me to take control of every day from the get-go instead of forcing me to react to whatever the day brings. 

If you long to control your day instead of being controlled by your circumstances, listen to this episode of Resilience & Other Things wherever you find your podcasts. It will give you the tools to start developing your own morning routine. I don’t want to make it sound like a morning routine solved all my problems—that’s ridiculous—but it has played a significant part in my mental stability over the last 3 years. 

#podcastersofinstagram #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthmatters #mornings #authorsofinstagram
Three years ago I was completely inconsistent emot Three years ago I was completely inconsistent emotionally from day to day, and even from moment to moment. Then I discovered a simple tool that I’ve been toying with, which has changed the trajectory of my days. I call it my morning routine. 

Want to learn what’s in my morning routine and how you can develop your own morning routine that will help you stay centered throughout your day?

Listen to the latest episode of the Resilience & Other Things podcast wherever you find your podcasts. 

#centered #podcastersofinstagram #authorsofinstagram #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthmatters
Faith and psychotherapeutic medications can and of Faith and psychotherapeutic medications can and often do go together. To say otherwise is wrong and actually toxic. To hear more about this, check out my podcast for this week!

#podcastersofinstagram #authorsofinstagram #mentalhealthmatters #meds #depressionawareness #churchandmentalhealth #faithandmentalhealth
Have you felt less-than because you’re taking an Have you felt less-than because you’re taking antidepressants or antianxiety meds? Has your pastor or Christian leader led you to believe that there’s something subpar about your faith because you are taking meds to center yourself mentally?

In today’s episode of Resilience & Other Things, I address this toxic thought head on. 

I believe psychotherapeutic meds are no different than insulin or aspirin, and I think God agrees with me. 

Check out this episode wherever you listen to your podcasts. 

#podcastersofinstagram #authorsofinstagram #mentalhealthmatters #faithandmentalhealth #churchandmentalhealth #toxictheology #medsaregood
So, this happened on Sunday. My pastor at @vineyar So, this happened on Sunday. My pastor at @vineyardrevealcampus interviewed me about Mental Health Awareness Month. I shared why I’m so passionate about mental health, how God has intervened in my own mental health recovery, where we can see suicidal ideations and depression in the Bible, and how to counteract some myths about mental health and the church. 

It was an amazing time. My church was kind enough to laugh at (almost) all my jokes and to stay engaged through all my stories. I’m hopeful it’s one of many conversations I get to have from church stages about this topic. 

#endthestigma #churchandmentalhealth #faithandmentalhealth
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