Dear Mr. Ephraim,
Your response to WISH reveals precisely why mental health advocacy remains critically important in our community. While you frame your position through scripture, I must firmly yet respectfully challenge several misconceptions that could harm vulnerable individuals seeking help.
First, your characterization of mental health challenges as primarily spiritual matters or “victim mindsets” demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of psychiatric and psychological science. When you state that “most of the modern so-called disorders… should not be so labelled,” you dismiss decades of rigorous research, clinical evidence, and the lived experiences of millions. Mental illness, like physical illness, does not discriminate based on faith, character, or resilience.
Your personal triumph over childhood trauma through faith is commendable. However, suggesting that others who struggle with mental health challenges simply lack sufficient faith or spiritual fortitude is both scientifically inaccurate and potentially dangerous. It’s akin to telling someone with diabetes to pray instead of seeking medical treatment. Faith can provide tremendous comfort and support, but it need not conflict with professional mental healthcare.
The comparison to “our grandparents’ time” overlooks historical realities. Mental illness wasn’t less prevalent then – it was more stigmatized and hidden. People suffered in silence, often with devastating consequences. The increased visibility of mental health challenges today reflects progress in recognition and treatment, not moral decay.
Your dismissal of compassion as merely a “code word for ‘don’t hurt my feelings'” reveals a concerning misunderstanding of its importance in healthcare and human dignity. Compassion isn’t weakness – it’s a strength that allows us to recognize suffering and respond with both truth and kindness. The suggestion that we must choose between truth and compassion creates a false dichotomy.
When you claim authority to speak on mental health because of a relative’s condition, consider that this is precisely why WISH advocates for better understanding. One person’s experience doesn’t encompass the vast spectrum of mental health challenges. Each individual’s journey is unique and deserves respect, not judgment.
We will continue to speak up, not to silence faith or religious perspectives, but to ensure that those struggling with mental health challenges know they aren’t alone and that seeking help isn’t a sign of moral or spiritual failure. The stakes are too high for silence. Every time someone in authority suggests mental illness is simply a lack of faith or resilience, it creates another barrier between a suffering person and the help they need.
To borrow your metaphor about a sinking ship – yes, we must warn people of danger. But we must also throw them life preservers, not stones. Professional mental healthcare, community support, AND faith can all be life preservers. They need not compete.
We invite you to join us in building bridges rather than barriers. Imagine how much more powerful your message of faith could be if it embraced both spiritual AND scientific understanding of mental health. The God you speak of is surely big enough to work through both prayers AND psychiatrists.
WISH will continue its mission because lives depend on it. We will speak up because silence costs lives. We will advocate because every person deserves access to mental healthcare without shame or stigma. And we will do all this while maintaining our compassion – not because we’re afraid of hurting feelings, but because compassion itself is a form of truth-telling.
Let us move forward together in creating a community where both faith and science serve humanity’s well-being, where seeking help is seen as strength, and where compassion and truth walk hand in hand.
With sincere hope for dialogue and understanding,
Chaneil C. Imhoff
Founder
Wadadli Initiative for Self-Care and Healing (WISH)
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Please do not get into a back-and-forth with Yves.
a noarticement he a look!
More crazy people out than in..ah so dem say. Who knows maybe me ah one ah dem.
Standing Ovation!!!
Well said!
This discourse highlights the need for mental health awareness initiatives, which hopefully creates more empathy and awareness for Mental Health and not just assume that we know it all.
A ‘WISH’ FOR ‘…YVES AND WISH’
Even without reading comments by ‘…YVES,’ was easy to glean from ‘…WISH’S RESPONSE,’ that the former had used ‘…Spirituality’ in support of advanced arguments, be they rational or irrational.
SPEAKING VOLUME
Suffice to say, that this counter response, ‘…SPEAKS VOLUME.’
Whether or not accused of being ‘…Cautious’ or Reckless,’ none shall be naive in believing that global societies are faced with a problem ‘…Scientifically’ referred to as ‘…PSYCHIATRY.’
From ‘…CRIMINAL PSYCHOLOGY TRAINING,’ in guiding ‘…CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS,’ the experts have guided the human understanding that the issue of ‘…Mental Health’ is more of a ‘…Degenerative Diseased Mind’ or ‘Defect,’ than it is of ‘…SPIRITUALITY.’
They have further guided the understanding of how the mind descends into ‘Degeneration.’
Firstly, it begins with: ‘…PARANOIA:
Secondly, with ‘…SCHIZOPHRENIA: then
Thirdly, with …PSYCHOSIS.’
*****
MIRACLE HEALER
Though not necessarily ‘…DOUBTING THE SCRIPTURES,’ but seemingly, it may take a ‘…MIRACLE HEALER,’ as the now unseen being of ‘…JESUS CHRIST’ to visit ‘…MOTHER EARTH’ to do as he did to the ‘…10-LEPER’S’ [Luke 17: 11: and Matthew 8: 1].
For now, it seems that hope lies in the ‘…SCIENCES OF PSYCHIATRY.’
Whether agreeable or disagreeable, all comments shall contend, and all arguments shall end.
EVERYONE SHALL ‘…WALK,’ BUT IT LOOKS MORE LIKE ‘…TALK GOOD.’
An absolutely brilliant article by this young lady!! Well rounded, objective, dispassionate and most of all…highly informative and educational on the topic of mental health. Thank you Ms. Imhoff please keep up your very important work!!
Well said WISH. I like especially how you extended an olive brach to him. Much sucess in your efforts
At first I got annoyed with the back and forth but after reading this article, I am happy that WISH responded. The part of the article which stood out to me most is, “Faith can provide tremendous comfort and support, but it need not conflict with professional mental healthcare.”
To me, both are important in the course to good mental health.
Let’s move on. This is giving me anxiety.
…..a very beautifully balanced articulated response ….
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