SharePoint
Sign In
Help
ADN logo

Through the Wilderness
 

  • Home
NavigationSearch
  • Home
    • About
      • Our Mission and Vision
      • Our History
      • Who Are Anabaptists?
      • Our Staff
      • Field Associates
      • Board of Directors
      • Annual Reports
      • Staff Openings
    • Get Involved
      • Congregational Advocates
      • Partner Congregations
      • Accessibility in all aspects of church life
      • Barrier-Free Grant
    • Newsletter
      • Latest issue
      • Previous issues
      • Subscribe
    • BlogCurrently selected
      • Latest Posts
      • Subscribe
      • All Posts
    • Resources
      • Accessibility and Awareness
        • Accessibility
        • Accessibility Audits
        • Awareness
        • Changing Attitudes
        • Emotional Support Animals (ESAs)
      • MC USA Accessibility Resolution and Study Guide
      • ADN Books
      • ADN Disability Language Guide
      • Barrier-Free Grant
      • Book and Media Recommendations
      • Caregivers
        • Circles of Care
        • Families
        • Support Groups
      • Congregational Assessment Survey
      • COVID-19 Resources
      • Disability Topics
        • ADHD
        • Autism spectrum
        • Disabilities of Aging
        • Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
        • For the Deaf
        • Hearing Loss
        • Hidden disabilities
        • Intellectual disabilities
        • Mobility Impairment
        • Vision Disabilities
      • Faith Formation & Worship
        • Children
        • Classroom Accessibility
        • For Church leaders
        • Book Reviews
        • Our Speakers
        • Youth
      • From Other Faith Traditions
      • On Mental Health
        • Children and Youth
        • Depression and Anxiety
        • Healthy Boundaries
        • Mental Health Education
        • Mental Health Resource for Congregations
        • Mental Illnesses
        • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
        • Suicide
      • Speakers and Trainers
      • Webinars
      • All Resources
    • Donate
      • Support ADN: Donate Now
      • Legacy Giving
      • Honor And Memorial Gifts
      • Building the Future Partners
    • Contact Us
Left Menu
  • Pictures
  • Lists
  • Libraries
  • Recent
  • Blog
    • Latest PostsCurrently selected
    • Subscribe
    • All Posts

Through the Wilderness
Leading with Mental Illness during COVID-19

Posted by J.E. Misz / Goshen, Indiana
5/18/2020
Page Image
desert oasis
Image Caption

Acacia in a Khadra Desert Oasis*

Opening paragraph

​​My wife and I have been discussing lately if this is what it felt like to experience the plagues in ancient Egypt. The uncertainty. The confusion. The fear of wondering, “What could possibly be next?” As the first born in my family, I even briefly considered redecorating our doorposts. 

Page Content

COVID-19 continues to impact every aspect of our society, and we are beginning to wander through the desert of a pandemic-stricken world. As a clinical social worker, I must admit that I have been increasingly aware of the signs of depression and anxiety within my own mind and body – a general restlessness, some panic and hypervigilance around others at the grocery store, low energy and motivation and an increasingly prosaic lack of hope. For those of you who also may be new to anxiety or depression in this moment, welcome. You are not alone. You are also not the first to be on this wilderness journey. Others have gone before us.

I have had the privilege to be witness to those who have long been experiencing anxiety and depression at clinical levels. They have been pilgrims on this journey of uncertainty, loss and fear for some time. Although so much is new in this era, this is not entirely uncharted terrain, and those who have lived in this wilderness already know what it takes to survive in it, and maybe they can lead the rest of us through it.

After a series of plagues befell ancient Egypt, the Israelites journeyed out of the familiar and into the wilderness. Moses was reluctantly called from among them to be their guide. At the time of his calling, Moses had already been in exile for 40 years in the desert land of Midian. I wonder if this previous experience of exile is in part what gave Moses the capabilities to lead others through their communal exile and through the wilderness.

Much like Moses, those who have long experienced mental illness have learned how to survive in this climate and can act as guides and teachers for the rest of us now. 

In my work, I have already witnessed this. I have been shepherded by those who have been experiencing social isolation for years as they shared with me how I can best spend my time and get through the days. I have encountered a growing confidence in some who are teaching coping skills they have learned along the way to others now in need.

I recently polled some of my clients to ask them what advice or insight they would give to those of us who may be new to mental illness during COVID-19 and two answers consistently emerged. The first is a calling to stay active, even if it does not seem productive. Like the Israelites, we keep walking even if we do not know when or how the journey will end. The second piece of advice is to remind yourself that there will come days when you will feel better. We will not be in the depths of the wilderness forever.

Maybe it is time that we reach out to those who have had encounters with depression and anxiety not just to check on their wellbeing; but rather to glean from their insight on how to manage our own symptoms.

We are in the wilderness together now. We have no idea how long we will be here or what lies on the other side. As we wander, may we listen to the wisdom of those among us who have been in familiar mental landscapes and allow them to usher us into a promised land.


Jon-Erik (J.E.) Misz lives in Goshen, Indiana where he works as a licensed clinical social worker. While previously serving as a youth pastor, he learned of the strong need to provide churches and church leaders with access to mental health resources. Some of his favorite people in the world have experienced mental illness, and he views their presence in our church communities as a true gift. Integrating his interest in spoken word poetry, he discusses subjects such as trauma-informed care, anxiety and depression, and adolescent mental health. He is a member of Waterford Mennonite Church, where his wife, Katie, serves on the pastoral team.

*Photo attribution: لا روسا / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)

Subscribe to Opening Doors Subscribe to Opening Doors

 Related posts

  • The "Me" You Don't See
  • Taking the Mystery out of Mental Health
  • Depression and Anxiety Rise among Young Adults during COVID-19
  • When Someone is Considering Suicide
    How can we help prevent suicide?
  • The Least of These
    The intersections of poverty culture, race, and mental health
  • Worship Service Marks Mental Health Awareness Month
    One congregation's effort to raise awareness and offer support

 Latest posts

  • Epiphany: See Our Guide!
    Brandon Grady draws a connection between navigating life as a blind man and searching for Jesus as a magi.
  • Immanuel: God with Us
    God is with us in our pain, suffering, and isolation. Jesus's incarnation brings us hope.
  • The Kin-dom of Heaven
    Sarah Werner provides an eloquent imagining of what it feels like to be wholly welcomed into God's Community
  • Wounded and Whole
    Why does the Resurrected Jesus have wounds? Laura Stone muses in her sermon on disability and wholeness. Plus a sneak peek of Laura and Peggy Gilbert's performance poetry.
  • Embodiment in Worship
    Sarah Werner reflects on the church's changing beliefs about physical disabilities and calls us to a more embodied approach to worship.
  • After We're Gone
    Considering your mortality can be uncomfortable, but end-of-life planning is necessary for everyone, especially for primary caregivers of someone with a disability.

 Read more about

  • Mental health

Contact us

P: 877-214-9838 (Toll Free)
P: 574-343-1362
3145 Benham Avenue
Suite 5
Elkhart, IN 46517-1970
Visit the Anabaptist Disabilities Network on Facebook!

Support ADN

Use your credit card to contribute online:

Donate Now Through Network for Good

Donate Now Through PayPal

    Resources

  • Staff
  • About
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Donate
  • Employment
  • Sign In
  • © Anabaptist Disabilities Network 2019