Customer Reviews

Broken Minds: Hope for Healing When You Feel Like You're "Losing It"

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Bloem and Bloem write a telling personal and biblical narrative for those dealing with depression. This is a rare book from a conservative Christian perspective. Many authors from a secular perspective have shared about their own battle with depression (William Styron, Lewis Wolpert) or bi-polar disorder (Kay Redfield Jamison), but few evangelicals have done so. Fortunately the stigma of depression is fading as Christians of today realize what Christians of the past have known--there are many causes of depression (for a powerful look at "famous" Christians who struggled with emotional issues, see "Genius, Grief, and Grace").

For an honest, open, biblical, theologically-sound, and helpful conservative Christian approach to hope for healing, "Broken Minds" should be tops on your list.

Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of "Soul Physicians," "Spiritual Friends," and "Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction."

This book is vitally important to our understanding of the mechanics of depression and mental illness. After reading a plethora of books on the subject over the years, this is the ONE book that I am excited to recommend, and I highly recommend it.

"Broken Minds" is both practical, sensitive, compassionate, and very biblically sound. In fact, it should be required reading for every pastor, elder, ministry leader, counselor, or person who is wrestling with the effects of depression, PTSD, OCD, SAD, bipolar, panic disorder, and so much more. Having suffered clinical depression more than once in my life, I'm amazed at the volume of wisdom contained here. It's like five books in one. I believe God will use this book to to broaden the church's understanding, dispel the stigmas, and to literally save people's lives.

"...blessed is the church that has access to pastoral staff who understand both theology and the dynamics of major mental illness. The care of souls requires balance and discernment."

Amen to that. Many years ago I threw away my antidepressants, to prove to a Christian counselor and friends that God had healed my depression. I did okay for awhile but wasn't sleeping. Years later, unexplainable depression cloaked my mind again. Not only was I suffering from severe sleep deprivation by that time, I felt like a failure to need pills because of the stigma attached to them. Lo and behold, God began to show me that my brain is just different. My neurotransmitters get out of whack. Light and sleep deprivation will do me in. You'd think it wouldn't be rocket science to figure that out, but even the professionals were saying that my root causes of depression were unforgiveness or "anger turned inward." I was chastised by one person for "choosing depression" as a coping mechanism and response to life in general. That only served to push me further down the dark abyss.

Needless to say, it was frustating to spend over ten years processing a boatload of misinformation and bad counsel. Folks just didn't know better. But now they can!

I thank God for the Bloems. Their book is a lighthouse of spiritual truth and information that we've needed for too long. I plan to re-read it, and keep a ready-copy for reference. Let me shout it to the housetops: There IS hope because somebody finally understands!

Praise God for what He is doing through Steve and Robyn Bloem! Sadly, many lives have been lost to depression, but the Bloems have taken a strong stand on the front lines trying to keep more people from giving up on life. It's sad that the insidious belief, that one can merely "snap out of it," has pervaded even the walls of the Church. This book is especially helpful for those who know someone dealing with mental illness.

When you are a Christian who is depressed, where do you turn for help? Authors Steve and Robyn Bloem tell their personal story about Steve's battles with deep depression. Both authors perspective is weaved into the fiber of this book yet the book is much more. It is a resource so Christian counselors and pastors can increase their understanding of the broken people who enter their office and guide them to professional help. BROKEN MINDS is packed with careful research and documentation to provide hope and healing. If you live or work with anyone who is depressed, this book is a valuable resource.

I am a Christian who has struggled with depression off and on for decades. It seems to run in my family. Through my life I have read many books on depression and overcoming depression. Many of them are mentioned in "Broken Minds". I have bought into one theory of depression after another. I've tried over and over to get my act together and solve my depression but always ended up feeling like I was just going through the motions or whistling in the dark. For years now I have been moving towards the idea that my depression is not the result of something I am or am not doing but just how I am "wired".

This book somewhat validates that way of thinking. There is still much to be gained with cognitive therapy and looking to God for help. But it is also helpful for me to realize that when my thinking gets dark I am not necessarily thinking correctly. The chemicals in my brain are out of balance and my brain is not working correctly. I try to remember not to do or say anything with long term consequences because my thinking isn't right.

The open, and painfully honest, account of the author's experience with depression ties together the topics covered in the book. I found it an easy to read book. It held my interest.

The church needs to think this through better and realize that depression is much like any of many other afflictions in life. It isn't necessarily the individual's fault. I hope this book will be an important step in that direction.