When I started having panic attacks in my late 20s, I didn’t tell anyone other than my wife. I was embarrassed and thought I could figure it out by myself. Even when people divulged their struggles with depression and anxiety, I didn’t come clean. I would nod sympathetically—but not even tell them about my experience.
That was a big mistake. These things thrive in the shadows, and I would have benefited tremendously from the presence and wisdom of others. When I finally reached out for help, I found the stigma was mostly with me. I heard one person say of mental illness, "It’s people keeping a secret from people who are keeping the same secret from them." How true!
The struggle is even trickier for pastors. When anxiety and depression slammed into Chip Sweney’s life, he didn’t want to admit it. ""What would people think of me if they knew what was really going on inside of me?" he wondered. Thankfully he reached out and received the help he needed. In "Pastor, You Don’t have to Suffer Alone," he shares the steps he took with his community to find hope and healing. He encourages other pastors to do the same:
"You don’t have to face this battle alone. So don’t suffer in silence. By God’s strength, be courageous. Share the truth about what you are experiencing, and begin building a community around you. We serve a loving and all-powerful God who is generous to provide. It may look different for you than it did for me, but the outcome can be just as real. After all, we serve the same faithful King!"
