By Lisa Copen

We laugh as people say, “I think I may be a hypochondriac!” but is it really a funny matter? Not so much.

Am I a hypochondriac if…

I get up at 2:30 AM to google a symptom I am experiencing and I start imagining all the things it could be?

It is unlikely. In today’s age of having immediate information at our fingertips, it is much easier to just get out of bed and start searching than to wait until morning when the doctor’s office is open and then we must decide to call him or not. In the days of our parents raising their children, rather than looking for search engine results in the middle of the night, they sat at the kitchen table with the Dr. Spock book attempting to figure out the cause of certain symptoms and if they should be worried or not.

If you find yourself up all hours, night over night, obsessing with health and illness information, it may be a good idea to unplug the computer.

Am I a hypochondriac if…

Every time someone tells me about their symptoms of a certain disease, I begin to believe I must have that too.

Do you really believe you have that illness, in addition to your other ones, or are you just casually laughing about having more of the same symptoms. When we live with chronic illnesses there are hundreds of symptoms we experience that sound familiar to others and vice versa. Just because it “sounds” like you have another illness, doesn’t mean you do. And just because you may joke about it doesn’t mean you actually think you have five more illnesses. On the flip side, there are many secondary illnesses, such as fibromyalgia, sjorgren’s syndrome, or yeast overgrowth. If you occasionally believe you do have that illness, it may be worth checking into.

Am I a hypochondriac if…

Any little change in my illness convinces me I must have cancer. I can’t stop thinking that it’s not a matter of “if” but “when” I get the big “C.”

While it is true that hundreds of thousands of people do get cancer, a great majority of them survive it. Whether you have a family history of it or not, go see your doctor or specialist and talk about your risk factors. Some medications for autoimmune diseases can cause, or increase the risk of, cancer and this can play some major games with your psyche about it. Discuss the risks and what you can do to stay on top of it. Are there certain tests that you should be having done? How can you do your best to be in control of it and catch it early if you do have it? After that, though I know it’s hard, focus on turning those worries over to God. Each day is precious and worrying about things that do not yet exist truly are a waste of our time and the energy we do have.

Am I a hypochondriac if…

I switch from doctor to doctor, insisting they do more tests, because someone is missing something. I know I am ill!

Although those with hypochondria do make their way through many doctors, looking for proof of the invisible illness, just because you are insisting on quality medical care in coping with your chronic disease does not mean you are a hypochondria. We all must be our best health advocates, but this also means understanding that you will likely never find the “perfect doctor.” You need to decide what is most important to you in the doctor/patient relationship and be content in not finding your soul-mate-physician, but rather one that will treat your illness to the best of his or her ability, in the style you prefer.

So, What Is Hypochondria?

Hypochondria is a serious and legitimate disease. According to the Mayo Clinic offers a hypochondriac definition of symptoms you may experience if you suffer with this psychological condition:

• Having a long-term intense fear or anxiety about having a serious disease or health condition
• Worrying that minor symptoms or bodily sensations mean you have a serious illness
• Seeing doctors repeated times or having involved medical exams such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), echocardiograms, or exploratory surgery
• Frequently switching doctors — if one doctor tells you that you aren’t sick, you may not believe it and seek out other opinions
• Continuously talking about your symptoms or suspected diseases with family and friends
• Obsessively doing health research
• Frequently checking your body for problems, such as lumps or sores
• Frequently checking your vital signs, such as pulse or blood pressure
• Thinking you have a disease after reading or hearing about it

According to an article at WebMD, Internet Makes Hypochondria Worse: Cyberchondria. . .

The medical condition called hypochondriasis is defined as worry over an imagined illness with exaggeration of symptoms, no matter how insignificant, that lasts for at least six months and causes significant distress. It tends to develop in the 20s or 30s, and it affects men and women equally. It sometimes comes on following the illness of a friend or family member, and it can also occur as a secondary illness to depression or generalized anxiety disorder.

Those of us who live with a chronic medical condition, and daily chronic pain, can find it hard to remember what it was like to be unaware of your body and it’s movements, aches, and moods. As we share about an ache with a friend, it’s easy for our friend to snap back, “I swear! You are a hypochondriac! All you ever see or talk about it pain! You think you have everything!”

That can be emotionally painful, as we don’t think we have everything, we just think we have a lot!–and we do! People who are healthy hear our stories of our chronic disease, the infections due to a lowered immune system, side effects such an high blood pressure to cataracts, and the list goes on. In their mind a single person could not have all of these problems, so surely some of them must be in her head. Be we do have them. They are legitimate.

If you feel you are suffering from hypochondria, or that the fear of what you may experience with the possibility of an illness is taking over your life, talk your doctor about it. There are many ways to reduce the anxiety in your life, from getting involved with a church-body, increasing your circle of friends, seeing a counselor, to, at times, considering medication to decrease the anxiety in your life.

2 Timothy 1:7 says, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (KJV). Power, love, a sound mind–and no fear. That is how we were meant to live, so if you can’t do it on your own, don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Lisa Copen is the founder of Rest Ministries and she lives in San Diego with her husband and son. She is gradually learning how to balance motherhood, family, illness, and ministry, but she still knows it will be a lifetime lesson. You can see the books she has written, including, Why Can’t I Make People Understand? at the Rest Ministries shop.

One of the privileges of writing articles to share with the members of Rest Ministries who are looking for resources to help with their particular kind of pain is finding a “hidden jewel” that can out-shine many others.

“Healing our Heroes Network” is just that jewel!

“Once a Hero always a Hero,” however our military heroes today are only human and can suffer many kinds of wounds too complex sometimes to treat, too personal to share, and too deep to heal without help. That is where this wonderful program comes into play.

The “Soldiers for Bibles Ministry” a part of Heart of God International Ministries has seen the need to bring together resources to help our heroes in one convenient location.

“Healing Our Heroes Network” is a web-based “software as a service” (SaaS) application to anonymously connect military personnel with local resources based on their specific needs and unique life situations. These military personal do not have to be active, as these resources can help any veteran. Subscribers to the site can be any friend, family member or even someone who will volunteer to help.

Personal identification information (beyond an email address) is not collected, therefore preserving the individual’s anonymity as they search a widespread database of prospective resources addressing their unique situation regardless of their faith or life choices. This program is designed to reach out to all military with needs.

I contacted former devotional writer of Rest Ministries, Jan Ross, who is the president of Heart of God International Ministries and she introduced me to John Hoben, who is the executive director of the Soldier’s Bible Ministry. Mr. Hoben enthusiastically shared much information about this ministry. It was such a privilege to chat with him about this wonderful program.

Basically as all ministries try to do, the Lord showed them a need that their outreach program could help fill.

“This program ministry helps our veterans find resources to meet their spiritual, physical, and emotional needs,” says Mr Hoben. “We wanted to make this a safe environment, so the one who seeks help can not only find resources that will lead them to volunteers or professionals ready to help them, but will assure that they stay anonymous as well, so that they feel secure in their decision to seek help in the first place.”

“HOH Network provides a dynamic, active complement to the broad range of community based resources in order to access exactly what the veterans and their families needs are at the right time and in the right fashion. This dynamic outreach mechanism proactively engages service providers and other suppliers with building a trusted dialog with the veteran in a way that dispels any stigma associated with seeking help and/or concern over damaging a veteran’s career should their employer learn he or she is seeking out services or assistance with emotional issues.”

“Veterans and their families are the primary clients of the HOH Network. Health care providers and others who deliver supplies and services to veterans and their families are the secondary audience being serviced.”

I ask Mr Hoben what inspired them to start such an outreach program. He then reminded me that their ministry has been helping soldiers with their spiritual needs through the “Soldiers for Bibles” program. What a comfort to know that there is a program to help connect Bibles to our military.

Mr Hoben shared with us a letter that was sent to them via Soldiers for Bible Ministry:

Dear John,
I know you have probably received tons of emails since my last one two years ago in March. I had emailed you to request a copy of the small ACU bible for my husband who was deploying to Iraq. I was compelled today to write you a thank you note, in appreciation of your quick response in providing me with the bible requested, to give to my husband.

On August 23rd of 2009 my husband’s vehicle was hit by an IED. In all honesty, when I received his personal possessions, relief struck me as I was handed your bible. I just wanted you to know how important your ministry is and how blessed you are for spreading the good news. I personally want to thank you for all that you do. I want you to know that you make a difference everyday. I can not thank you enough.
May God bless you today and everyday,
[Name Withheld]

“In addition to direct support of our men and women in uniform, and their families, SBM also places U.S. military chaplains at the core of our outreach. Military chaplains have a limited, or nearly non-existent, budget to invest in the tools they need to support the men and women to whom they minister. Through SBM, they provide a wide range of Bibles and Bible study materials to help fulfill the needs of military chaplains as they embrace our young men and women with genuine love, emotional support, and spiritual guidance and instruction.” (Heart of God International Ministries)

If you make a donation is can also help place music into the hands of our military chaplains. There are so many wonderful ways you can help encourage this wonderful ministry in it’s service to reach our military and their families.

Not only did the Lord open a door for soldiers to receive Bibles for their comfort and strength when they are facing such life and death conditions, but the Lord opened even more doors in this ministry as well. Working through Military Chaplain’s as well as Christian Pakistan Volunteers the “Soldiers for Bibles” ministry now have an opportunity to reach soldiers in the Pakistan Army with Bibles and study materials which in turn has caused some converted Pakistan volunteers to minister to the orphans and children in Pakistan through Bible Studies.

Wow, what a tremendous opportunity that the Lord has presented through these doors! Can you imagine what these Bibles can do for those in Pakistan that turn to Christianity?

You can help with this ministry also by making donations at:

The HOH Network sponsored by Soldiers Bible Ministry, a division of Heart of God International Ministries (HGIM), an Ohio-based 501(c)3 notfor-profit corporation. Vistalogix, Inc., a for-profit Information Technology (IT) Services Corporation based in St. Petersburg, FL, has assigned its highly qualified team of IT professionals to develop the HOH Network in partnership with HGIM.
or
Soldiers Bible Ministry
P. O. Box 248
Willard, Ohio 44890
+1.419.933.7000 | +1.888.91.PSALM (+1.888.917.7256) ext. 3
www.soldiersbibleministry.org | john.hoben@soldiersbibleministry.org
Jan Ross, President of
Heart of God International Ministries http://www.heartofgodinternational.org/

What else can you do to help with this great cause?
“Healing Our Heroes Network” welcomes any and all volunteer support at the local and national level.
To learn more and/or get involved, please contact John Hoben at 1.888.917.7256 or email info@healingourheroes.org. And of course prayer is always a welcome!
You can read more at http://healingourheroes.org and see a brochures here

Debbi Farmer is a part-time writer and small business owner who suffers from several health challenges that the Lord helps her through daily. She loves to discover wonderful programs and resources that help others with their struggles in life.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zo6GVsoNCUc

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• Comedian Chonda Pierce in the Spotlight (momblognetwork.com)

When I was little my family would watch reruns of the Brady Bunch & I would think “gee I wish I could have a family like that”. It was so nice to think that a family’s biggest problems could be whether Marsha gets class president or Jan gets to be a pom pom girl or if Cindy will find her favorite doll. And the best part about all of these problems was that they could all be solved in a thirty minute episode. Even though they were a blended family they seemed perfect in my eyes.

You see my family was far from perfect. My mom is Bipolar — Manic Depressive. I have sisters who are twins & they are five years older than me. Where did bipolar come from? I don’t know. They say that they remember her being normal & that she didn’t have problems before I was born. Imagine what that does to a child.

Whenever I heard “Mom was okay up until you were born.” I thought “It’s my fault she’s crazy.” (Even though my mom is not really crazy she herself calls it that sometimes.) I have spent my whole life feeling guilty over things that don’t really matter when the real guilt I feel is because I have always thought that my mom’s mental illness is my fault.

I have read books written by other adult children of bipolar parents & their stories are nothing like mine. One book I read talked about a mom that thought she was the queen of Sheba. My mom isn’t that messed up. She would be really happy for a while & very productive. The house would be clean, we would go on outings, she would cook dinner & everything was fine.

Then she would go into a tail spin over one little thing & for days she would be yelling & screaming & throwing stuff. Then after that she would spend several days in bed. I could always tell what mood she was in when I came home from school. If there were things thrown all over the house she was in a bad mood.

If she was sitting in the living room she was in a good mood. If she was in the bed she was depressed. She struggled for my whole life to get on the right meds & just a few short years ago, finally, the doctors got it right.

I can’t tell you how many times she tried to commit suicide. She always used the same method, pills. I don’t think she ever really intended to die. She just wanted to know that someone cared about her & that was the only way she knew she could get the attention. One time she was in one of those moods & I knew what was coming. She was sitting at the kitchen table & sorting her pills.

I wanted to stop her & thought that if I acted like I cared she would stop. “What are you doing?” I asked her. “Taking dope. You want some?” she replied & I was devestated.

She always talked about how no one cared about her & here I was trying to show her that I cared & she was basically saying that it didn’t matter if I cared. Of course it wasn’t really dope that she was taking, it was just her regular prescribed medicine but she knew how much she could take & end up in the hospital & not dead.

My mom is much better now. We have a great relationship & always have. Even though I struggled with her mood swings she has always believed in me. I do still have some issues to work through daily concerning her illness. I am so scared of making people angry or unhappy.

My mom didn’t know how to h&le these emotions & always went over board with them. I tiptoe around everyone I know in order to not make them unhappy. This is obviously irrational but I am learning to trust God to help me overcome this fear.

I had a counselor tell me one time to ask God to reveal to me when this fear comes & immediatly confess it & then replace it with a scripture that tells me God’s truth. That truth is that no one else matters except God. I should ony care about Him being unhappy. & You knw what? If that is all that matters to me & I strive to make Him happy then the only people that are important are going to be happy too.

And if not then who cares. Any sin of the mind can be dealt with the same way. For example my guilt can be h&led that way. I once wrote down all the fears & other mind sins in a journal. Then I looked up a scripture for each one & tried to memorize them. This was the best thing I have ever done. I also spent hours confessing each one to God & aksing His forgiveness & help in dealing with it. I can not tell you how much this has helped me.

No matter what your childhood was like, it is important to look for ways to get past it. We can’t all have a Brady Bunch family, but we will never truly be happy until we allow God to heal our hearts & minds.

My name is Libby East & I am a new writer. I want to share what I have learned through my experiences with other Christians who might be going through the same things. Check out my website http://www.myspace.com/libbyeast

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com

• Bipolar Disorder Quiz

By Stanley Popovich

Some people who have a chronic illness can get depressed. Sometimes this depression can get the best of them. As a result, here is a short list of techniques that a person can use to help manage their depression & their illness.

• One of the ways to manage your depression is to challenge your negative thinking with positive statements & realistic thinking. When encountering thoughts that make you fearful or depressed, challenge those thoughts by asking yourself questions that will maintain objectivity & common sense. For example, you may be afraid that you will stay depressed & things will never improve. This is not true. Things change from day to day & it is hard to predict what may happen down the road. Focus on the facts of the current situation & ignore your negative thoughts.

• Some people get depressed & their mind races with fearful thoughts. When this happens, a person should take a deep breath & try to find something to do to get their mind off of the problem. A person could take a walk, listen to some music, read the newspaper or do an activity that will give them a fresh perspective on things. Doing something will get your mind off of the problem & give you confidence to do other things.

• Remember is that no one can predict the future with one hundred percent certainty. Even if the thing that you feared does happen there are circumstances & factors that you can t predict which can be used to your advantage. For instance, let’s say at your place of work that you miss the deadline for a project you have been working on for the last few months. Everything you feared is coming true. Suddenly, your boss comes to your office & tells you that the deadline is extended & that he forgot to tell you the day before. This unknown factor changes everything. Remember: we may be ninety-nine percent correct in predicting the future, but all it takes is for that one percent to make a world of difference.

• Another technique that is very helpful is to have a small notebook of positive statements that makes you feel good. Whenever you come across an affirmation that makes you feel good, write it down in a small notebook that you can carry around with you in your pocket. Whenever you feel depressed, open up your small notebook & read those statements.

Take advantage of the help that is available around you. If possible, talk to a professional who can help you manage your fears & anxieties. They will be able to provide you with additional advice & insights on how to deal with your current problem. By talking to a professional, a person will be helping themselves in the long run because they will become better able to deal with their problems in the future. Managing your fears & anxieties takes practice. The more you practice, the better you will become.

The techniques that I have just covered are some basic ways to manage your depression when you are dealing with an illness, however your best bet is to get some help from a professional.

Stan Popovich is the author of “A Layman’s Guide to Managing Fear Using Psychology, Christianity & Non Resistant Methods“ – an easy to read book that presents a general overview of techniques that are effective in managing persistent fears & anxieties. For additional information go to: http://www.managingfear.com & read a nice collection of articles on fears you may have including the fear of loneliness or when someone you know struggles with fear & anxiety.

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• Fear of Anxiety May Lead to Depression (nlm.nih.gov)

It is available on the Mental Health Ministries website by clicking the link above. You may also be interested in an article in The Christianity Century. It looks at the high incidence of clergy depression in clergy that can lead to suicide.

Submitted by Rev. Susan Gregg-Schroeder, Coordinator of Mental Health Ministries.

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• How Do I Find a Good Psychiatrist? (psychcentral.com)

New Study Finds Clergy Dismiss Depression, Anxiety The Most Often
Released: 9/30/2009 11:50 AM EDT
Source: Baylor University

Newswise — In 2008, a Baylor University study found nearly a third of those who approached their local church for assistance in response to a personal or family member’s diagnosed mental illness were told by their church pastor that they or their loved one did not really have a mental illness. Baylor researchers have now built upon that research & have found that depression & anxiety are the mental illnesses that are dismissed the most often.

Research consistently shows that clergy – not psychologists or other mental health experts – are the most common source of help sought in times of psychological distress.

The Baylor researchers surveyed 168 pastors affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas (BGCT). As a whole, the sample consisted of large, affluent congregations in suburban settings with senior pastors who were highly educated, predominately Caucasian & theologically conservative.

The Baylor study found that despite recognizing a biological basis to all mental illness, the views of the BGCT pastors surveyed vary across disorders in how much they believe environmental or spiritual factors, such as personal sin, lack of faith or demonic involvement, play a role.

Major depressive disorders & anxiety disorders were viewed by pastors as having greater environmental & spiritual involvement & were more often dismissed than the more “severe” mental illnesses like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. The study also found that pastors viewed inconsistent parenting as the main driving force behind AD/HD. Pastors viewed medication as more effective in disorders seen as predominately biological, compared to those with greater environmental or spiritual involvement.

“The results are troubling because the demographic of this sample is considered to have the most & easiest access to mental health care, but yet, by their admission, they seem unwilling to access mental health care that is available to their congregants,” said Dr. Matthew Stanford, professor of psychology & neuroscience at Baylor, who led the study. “A majority of them also do not believe they come into contact with very many congregants that have a legitimate mental illness, however we know roughly one in four Americans will be diagnosed with a mental illness this year, making it likely that they will come in contact with it.”

In addition, the study found for those congregants with mental illness, the BGCT pastors surveyed were reluctant to refer to mental health professionals who the pastors perceived or knew not to be Christian. When a mental health professional was known to be a Christian, the likelihood of referral by pastors was much higher. Source: NewsWise

You are invited to send a paragraph describing your ministry to Susan at sgschroed@cox.net.

Presentations from the national summit, “Companions on the Road to Recovery from Mental Illness: Pathways for the 21st Century,” are now available on-line as free downloads. (This is a pdf)

It was held in October of 2009 in St. Louis, MO. The conference agenda is posted on pathways2promise.org with embedded links to some 20 of the presentations from the conference.

Reprinted with permission by Rev. Susan Gregg-Schroeder, Coordinator of Mental Health Ministries

She shares. . .

Surveys show that over forty percent of Americans seeking help with mental health issues turn first to ministers, priests & rabbis. This is twice as many as those who went first to a psychiatrist, psychologist or family physician. Unfortunately, the response of clergy & congregations falls significantly short of what parishioners expect of their faith leaders.

Individuals struggling with mental illness are significantly less likely to receive the same level of pastoral care as persons in the hospital with physical illnesses, persons who are dying or those who have long-term illnesses. Mental illness has been called the “no casserole disease.”

This resource is designed to be used with clergy, members of congregations, family members & anyone desiring to learn more about mental illness & how to respond with compassion & care. It can be used as a small group study or leaders can adapt it to use in an extended class or seminar. Faith leaders can use this guide to quickly find informatiSpon on a specific topic when the need arrives.

The four sections included in this resource/study guide include:

1. Underst&ing Mental Illness
2. The Unique Role of Faith Communities
3. Creating Caring Congregations
4. Help for Faith Leaders

This is a FREE resource that can be downloaded on the Mental Health Ministries website as a PDF document. Click here to download this new resource.

Reprinted with permission by Rev. Susan Gregg-Schroeder, Coordinator of Mental Health Ministries

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• Survey Finds Many Clergy Dismiss Signs Of Mental Illness (inquisitr.com)

This study from Indiana University East & Ball State University showed that United Methodist pastors agree the church “should become more involved in education about mental illness & families affected by the disease, but few deal with the mentally ill on a regular basis.”

Joan LaFuze, the medical physiologist & professor at IU East who initiated the survey was not surprised by the results. She & her husb& are life-long Methodists & they have a son who was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 1981. A year later their daughter diagnosed with panic disorder.

“I can’t describe what happens when you enter the world of mental illness,” LaFuze told United Methodist News Service in a telephone interview. “It was like going to a foreign country.”

She says that her family found the church “loving & supportive” but “they did not find it helpful in trying to deal with the crisis that mental illness caused in their family.”

She hopes the study “is a beginning in looking at the role of pastors & the role of the church in meeting the needs” of families facing mental illness.

Some of the things the survey found include:

• Most pastors reported knowing five or fewer families, on average, with mental illness in their congregations.
• About 90 percent rejected attitudes of hopelessness or blame regarding mental illness & agreed the church should sponsor more programs that educate pastors & support families.
• Less than a third worked in churches that offered outreach services for the mentally ill
• Only 10 percent had counseled a mentally ill person on a weekly basis.

Perhaps surprisingly, 43 percent of the pastors surveyed said an immediate family member suffered from some sort of mental illness.

The study reported on the General Board of Global Ministries web site states:

LaFuze believes that pastors – as leaders of the congregation – & as many lay people as possible need to underst& the nature of mental illness. While many people realize that mental illness has a biological component, she explained, they are not necessarily aware that the behaviors exhibited “are actually symptoms of an illness,” in the same way that a fever or cough is a symptom.

LaFuze suggested that seminary students should have some actual experiences interacting with families & people that are mentally ill & that a continuing education program could be developed for pastors.

Related Articles:

• Who are People with Disabilities? from United Methodist Committee on Relief
• Appropriate Language in Discussing Mental Illness A helpful guide by Charlotte Hawkins-Shepard, Ph.D.
• Congregations Open the Door to People with Mental Illnesses by Mary Beth Coudal, December 15, 1999
• Faith Communities Care About Mental Illness by Mary Beth Coudal, GBGM, November 24, 1998
• Mental Illness & the Church, An Annotated Bibliography by Charlotte Hawkins-Shepard, Ph.D.
• National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI). Their phone number is 800-950-6264.
• National Mental Health Association (NMHA), another informational & advocacy group spreading tolerance & improving mental health services.