The Record is to be congratulated for tackling this controversial acutely relevant subject. After many decades of exposure to the mental health system, both as a client and as a mental health counsellor, I offer these comments.
Sometimes a high achieving person or pastor on the manic side of a bipolar disorder does not acknowledge his illness to himself and can be very productive to the extreme, until his world falls apart. Intervention is sometime required but few clergy have the financial resources or backing for long-term treatment. A paltry $300 provision as described in the article doesn't cut it. Sometimes church management has difficulty dealing with similar situations. Some unionized secular social agencies carry insurance to cover up to two years' disability allowance which works well. However, the possibility of abuse is a flaw in the system. The line that separates mental illness from wellness is blurred but a diagnosis by a professional can keep the system honest. And the system is viable.
From my perspective, stigma is alive and well. Hence the reluctance to disclose a psychiatric history even though it is a healthy thing to do. Fear of reprisals is founded and an ongoing awareness of this is essential. Don't expect everyone to understand or sympathize. I subscribe to the tone of the feature by Sandra Moll and Kristine O'Brien. It's worth repeating. “We must combat the stigma of mental illness by bringing us out of the darkness and acknowledging it's prevalence in the life of all of members of the church, from parishioners to pastors.” Well put. As Christians we should accept nothing less.
