Darkness Is My Only Companion: A Christian Response to Mental Illness

Where is God in the suffering of a mentally ill person? What happens to the soul when the mind is ill? How are Christians to respond to mental illness? In this brave and compassionate book, theologian and priest Kathryn Greene-McCreight confronts these difficult questions raised by her own mental illness--bipolar disorder. With brutal honesty, she tackles often avoided topics such as suicide, mental hospitals, and electroconvulsive therapy. Greene-McCreight offers the reader everything from poignant and raw glimpses into the mind of a mentally ill person to practical and forthright advice for their friends, family, and clergy.
The first edition has been recognized as one of the finest books on the subject. This thoroughly revised edition incorporates updated research and adds anecdotal and pastoral commentary. It also includes a new foreword by the current Archbishop of Canterbury and a new afterword by the author.
Contents
Foreword to the Second Edition-- Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury
Preface to the First Edition
Introduction
Part One: Facing Mental Illness
1. Darkness
2. Mental Illness
3. Temptation to Suicide
4. Mania
5. Darkness, Again
6. Hospital
Part Two: Faith and Mental Illness
7. Feeling, Memory, and Personality
8. Brain, Mind, and Soul
9. Sin, Suffering, and Despair
10. Dark Night, Discipline, and the Hiddenness of God
11. Health and Prayer
Part Three: Living with Mental Illness
12. How Clergy, Friends, and Family Can Help
13. Choosing Therapy
Conclusion
Afterword to the Second Edition
Appendix I: Why and How I Use Scripture
Appendix II: A Brief Checklist of Symptoms and Resources
Appendix III: Discussion Questions