By offering a psycho-spiritual approach in dealing with the problem of suicide, Dr. Ken Stifler provides perspective, hope and the possibility of God's grace by speaking directly to the individual who is contemplating suicide, survivors who continue to struggle with suicidal thoughts, relatives, friends and colleagues who have been directly affected by another's suicide, individuals personally struggling with feelings of despair, helplessness and hopelessness, anyone who knows others affected by these issues. As William Sneck, SJ, pastoral counselor and spiritual director, notes in the Foreword: The book is very personally written, deriving as it does from [Dr. Stifler's] years of experience working with suicidal persons. It contains concrete, practical suggestions about how such persons can reframe their gloomy thoughts, and what they can do. This wonderfully wise and helpful book is a tool in learning to live one's life better, overcome the trials that everyone encounters in life and live a spiritually-oriented life. Book jacket.

A compassionate, shame-free guide for your darkest days “A one-of-a-kind book . . . to read for yourself or give to a struggling friend or loved one without the fear that depression and suicidal thoughts will be minimized, medicalized or over-spiritualized.”—Kay Warren, cofounder of Saddleback Church What happens when loving Jesus doesn’t cure you of depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts? You might be crushed by shame over your mental illness, only to be told by well-meaning Christians to “choose joy” and “pray more.” So you beg God to take away the pain, but nothing eases the ache inside. As darkness lingers and color drains from your world, you’re left wondering if God has abandoned you. You just want a way out. But there’s hope. In I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die, Sarah J. Robinson offers a healthy, practical, and shame-free guide for Christians struggling with mental illness. With unflinching honesty, Sarah shares her story of battling depression and fighting to stay alive despite toxic theology that made her afraid to seek help outside the church. Pairing her own story with scriptural insights, mental health research, and simple practices, Sarah helps you reconnect with the God who is present in our deepest anguish and discover that you are worth everything it takes to get better. Beautifully written and full of hard-won wisdom, I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die offers a path toward a rich, hope-filled life in Christ, even when healing doesn’t look like what you expect.

A pastor's wife's shattering yet ultimately hopeful story of her husband's death by suicide, her journey to understand mental illness, and the light she found in the darkness. On August 25, 2018, Kayla Stoecklein lost her husband, Andrew--megachurch pastor of Inland Hills Church in Chino, California--to suicide. In the wake of the tragedy, she embarked on a brave journey to better understand his harrowing battle with mental illness and, ultimately, to overcome the stigma of suicide. Fear Gone Wild is her intimate account of all that led to that tragic day, including her husband's panic attacks and debilitating bouts of anxiety and depression. Despite their deep faith in God and the countless prayers of many believers, Andrew was never healed of his illness. Turning to Scripture for answers, she discovered that God uses wilderness experiences to prepare His children--including Jesus--for his greater purpose and to work miracles inside our souls. With a clear-eyed acknowledgment of how misguided and misinformed she was about mental illness, Kayla Stoecklein shares her story in hopes that anyone walking through the wilderness of mental illness will be better equipped for the journey and will learn to put their hope in Jesus through it all.

This work is about the art of living mentally well. Told through the first-hand experience of mental health advocate, activist and speaker Kevin Hines (who has bipolar disorder), the story is an honest account of the struggle to live mentally well, and teach others how to do t...

Despair imposes heavy burdens upon us. Under these burdens, you may find yourself in a deep, dark, lonely place, utterly overwhelmed, deeply depressed, even considering suicide. But what if within this misery you found you possessed the power to choose?to choose to move toward healing, to listen to a message of hope, to craft your true identity and find goodness in your life?This wise and helpful guide explores the nature of personal suffering and brokenness and the potential for personal crisis to be a source of strength and renewal instead of despair and death. Examining the personal journeys of biblical and historical figures such as Moses, Maimonides, Abraham Lincoln and Martin Buber?as well as the author?s own personal experience with despair?it looks at brokenness as an inescapable element of the human condition. It traces the path of suffering from despair to depression to desperation to the turning point?healing?when first-hand knowledge of suffering can be transformed into blessing.Whether you have encountered despair and depression personally?through illness, loss, trauma or betrayal?or you know someone who is struggling with brokenness, this book will provide an informative, safe and comforting look at the nature of despair and the ways we can overcome it.

This is a frank, compassionate book written to those who contemplate suicide as a way out of their situations. The author issues an invitation to life, helping people accept the imperfections of their lives, and opening eyes to the possibilities of love.

Albert Y. Hsu wrestles with emotional and spiritual questions surrounding suicide, ultimately pointing survivors to the God who offers comfort in our grief and hope for the future. This revised edition now includes a discussion guide for suicide survivor groups.

For many, the "golden years" are so tarnished they long for an ending. All too often, those who are closest to the elderly miss the warning signs. Here Nancy Osgood describes the symptoms to watch for and addresses the question of how we as a nation can change our attitudes and behavior toward the elderly and take steps to help reduce their risk of suicide.

Forty years sober when he neared the end of his life, Jack McCarthy gives the world something special in his final collection of poetry and true stories. This is his legacy to the people who saved his life. Jack McCarthy's poem "Drunks” has gone around the world on recovery websites and is one of the most popular poems on the harsh climb out of alcoholism to date.