It was the latter cover that caught my attention. Britney Spears, her face somber, glancing over her right shoulder. Her eyes, lined in shadow and kohl, seem empty and…begging. I’m not a Britney fan, but my heart breaks for her and her family; for more reasons than one.

The headline reads: "Living with Mental Illness," and I think, "Yes. I understand. Myself and so many I know. Yes. We understand."

You see, for me, mental illness is where grace and real life have collided.

Defining Mental Illness

What is mental illness? Deborah Gray^[1], MSW, MPA, defines mental illness as "an extreme impairment in one or all of the following: a person's moods, their reality-based understanding and response to every day events, or their ability to form meaningful connections with others and is not callused by physical illness, injury or developmental delay."

To be more specific, among the most common mental disorders or illnesses are:

• ADHD/ADD
• Bipolar Disorder
• Borderline Personality Disorder
• Alzheimer's
• Depression
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
• Anxiety/Stress Disorder
• ED (Eating Disorders)
• Schizophrenia
• Addictions

In reading this list, you may have begun to think of a number of people in your life, people with mental illness or mental disorders who have greatly effected and continue to affect your life.

Understanding Mental Illness

If you have a loved one with mental illness, one of the most important things you can do—and indeed, the first thing you must do—is to understand the dynamics of the disease so you can best deal with it. For example, there is a difference in situational depression and clinical depression. Situational depression might suggest that a person is sad over a loss… the loss of a family pet, a family member, or a job. A long nap, a good night's sleep or a relaxing weekend away and the world is brighter, even if just a little bit. Clinical depression, on the other hand, is long-term and, when the world just doesn't ever seem to turn right side up, the patient's thoughts could lead to suicide.

The elements of mental illness are real and should not be taken lightly. Nor should they be wrongly labeled. Some Christians erroneously believe that mental illness and demonic possession are synonymous and that if you pray hard enough or go to church enough or think enough positive thoughts, the illness will somehow miraculously disappear. While I certainly believe in miracles and know the healing hand of Jesus in my own life, I can also attest to the importance of understanding mental illness and the many ways of healing and/or living with it.

This aforementioned false perception (illness vs. possession) isn't uncommon. Even Jesus faced questions concerning it. When a blind man was pointed out, the disciples asked, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus was quick to reply, "Neither…."