Resources on Suicide, Grief, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Depression

Provided by Bob Kellemen (RPM Ministries: https://www.rpmministries.org/ )

SUICIDE INTERVENTION AND GRIEVING A SUICIDE

If you or anyone else is struggling with suicidal thoughts, contact the Suicide Prevention Hotline at 800-273-TALK (8255).

BLOG POSTS ON PASTORS AND SUICIDE

Why Do Pastors Die by Suicide?
BY Ericka Anderson

Faith has proved to be a solace to many church attenders, contributing to lower rates of suicide and higher rates of happiness, so it’s difficult to reconcile how a visible and engaged church leader isn’t among the saved. No easy answers exist, but there are a few telltale signs to examine in order to effectively grapple with how pastors and other faith leaders came to such a point of desperation.  

What Pastors and Congregations Need to Know About Suicide
BY KEVIN CARSON

In light of a recent suicide of a pastor, Pastor Kevin Carson addresses issues such as the pressures pastors face, biblical resources for dealing with depression and suicidal thoughts, and how congregations can minister to pastors. 

A Pastor Dies by Suicide: Three Things We All Need to Know
ED STETZER

 We must recognize that suicide is a very real issue for all of us, including pastors. Pastors, after all, are people too. And sometimes there are unique reasons pastors struggle with depression (and other issues). Let me share some of those reasons.

Why Pastors Are Committing Suicide
BY EEKHOFF Zylstra

Pastors aren’t immune to the rising suicide rates. More than half of pastors have counseled people who were later diagnosed with a mental illness (59 percent), and about a quarter say they’ve experienced some type of mental illness themselves (23 percent). According to LifeWay, 12 percent have been diagnosed with a mental health condition. Burnout, getting to severe points of desperation, should not be the purple heart of ministry. Here is a resource to help you avoid ministry burnout.

SUICIDE INTERVENTION

Suicide: Understanding and Intervening
jeff Black

Suicide is profoundly tragic. What depth of unbearable pain and hopelessness suicidal people experience. And when a Christian commits or contemplates suicide, it is both tragic and confusing. Jeff Black tells us that the intention to commit suicide is a crisis—a sinful act born out of pain and sorrow. Though promised new life in Christ and a living hope, some believers don’t keep their eyes focused on these truths. God has the power to help. Here we learn the signs of suicide and guidelines for intervening when someone appears suicidal. 

I Just Want to Die: Replacing Suicidal Thoughts with Hope
David Powlison

Are you having suicidal thoughts and feelings? Perhaps you are convinced that life is not worth living. Your life seems hopeless, like a black hole with all love, hope, and joy sucked out. In I Just Want to Die: Replacing Suicidal Thoughts with Hope, David Powlison describes the various reasons you might be feeling hopeless and explains that God is not surprised or put off by your hopeless feelings. Your life is precious to God. He knows everything about you. He wants you to bring your despair to Him and cry for help. He will answer and replace your suicidal thoughts with hope for a future filled with love for Him and others.

Help! My Friend Is Suicidal
Bruce ray

Statistics indicate that more than 101 people take their own lives every day. However, those who work in the field of crisis intervention also testify that a significant number of suicides are preventable provided help is available. This mini-book will help you to recognize the warning signs of suicidal thinking and increase the possibility of giving hope to a suicidal friend before it’s too late.

Help! Someone I Love Died by Suicide
Bruce ray

Losing someone through suicide is deeply painful. It sparks questions, doubts, and confusion. Like ripples in a pond after a rock has been thrown in, the startling news of a suicide swamps the boats of those who are closest, and even rocks the boats of those who are far removed. This sensitively written mini-book comes alongside to offer help to those who are grieving, and, most importantly, provides hope in Jesus Christ.

Assessing and Counseling a Person with Suicidal Thoughts
Aaron Sironi

Caring for a person who is struggling with suicidal thoughts requires skill and sensitivity. This resource provides tools to assess the risk level of an individual who is contemplating suicide. Caring wisely for this person will include making thoughtful and difficult decisions while awakening true hope. This lecture is from the 2011 CCEF National Conference, “Psychiatric Disorders.”

GRIEVING A SUICIDE

Making Sense of the Suicide of a Christian
Black, Jeffery

As a pastor, I can’t think of many things I like to do less than conduct the funeral of a believer who has committed suicide. The paradoxes pile up on top of each other. Making Sense of the Suicide of a Christian gives advice to counselors on what the Bible teaches about the suicide of a Christian and on what to say to family members and friends.

Life After the Suicide of a Loved One
Gossack, Julie

Suicide ends one life but brings intense pain into the lives of family members and friends. How can people respond to their pain in ways that bring true healing? How can this pain draw them into a closer relationship with God? Julie Gossack tells of her own journey through this painful arena. She replays the smorgasbord of lies often heard in connection with suicide and presents the truth of God’s Word in response to these lies.

Grieving a Suicide: Help for the Aftershock
Powlison, David

Someone you know and love has died. You feel the emptiness and sorrow of loss. That alone is extremely hard. But suicide adds many other painful reactions to the heartache that death brings: feelings of anger, guilt, betrayal, and many unanswerable questions. This is one of life’s broken, dark experiences in which you need help and encouragement to remember that the promises and presence of your God and Savior are real. David Powlison speaks into this darkness with Grieving a Suicide: Help for the Aftershock. 

GRIEF: GRIEVING WITH HOPE AND COMFORTING THE GRIEVING

Grief: Learning to Live with Loss
HOWARD Eyrich

Many Christians do not handle grief well. Howard Eyrich seeks counsel from God’s Word to show you how to work through your grief, emerging on the other side grown and matured.

Becoming a Widow: The Ache of Missing Your Other Half
ELIZABETH Groves

No matter whether your husband’s death was expected or sudden, your loss is a shock. Your world will never again be the same. You wonder how you can go on without him. How will you manage the details of a life you built together? How do you get through each day? Through the lens of her own experience of losing her husband, Elizabeth Groves helps connect you to the rich tenderness of Christ’s love and daily provision for you in Becoming a Widow. Firmly grounding you in His constant presence, she carefully guides you through the process of grieving and beginning to move forward with your life.

Hearing Jesus Speak Into Your Sorrow
Guthrie, Nancy

Nancy Guthrie gently invites readers to lean in along with her to hear Jesus speak understanding and insight into the lingering questions we all have about the hurts of life: What was God’s involvement in this, and why did he let it happen? Why hasn’t God answered my prayers for a miracle? Can I expect God to protect me? Does God even care? This questioning is not a bad, but instead an opportunity. It’s a chance to hear with fresh ears the truth in the promises of the gospel we may have misapplied. It lets us retune our souls to the purposes of God we may have misunderstood.

What Grieving People Wish You Knew About What Really Helps (and What Really Hurts)
Guthrie, Nancy

When someone we know is grieving, we want to help. But sometimes we stay away or stay silent, afraid that we will do or say the wrong thing, that we will hurt instead of help. In this straightforward and practical book, Nancy Guthrie provides us with the insight we need to confidently interact with grieving people. Drawing upon the input of hundreds of grieving people, as well as her own experience of grief, Nancy offers specifics on what to say and what not to say, and what to do and what to avoid. Tackling touchy topics like talking about heaven, navigating interactions on social media, and more, this book will equip readers to support those who are grieving with wisdom and love.

God’s Healing for Life’s Losses: How to Find Hope When You’re Hurting
Kellemen, Bob

Are you ready for real, raw, honest, and hopeful conversation about suffering, loss, and grief—from a Christian perspective? When life’s losses invade your world, learn how to face suffering face-to-face with God. God’s Healing for Life’s Losses is the perfect gift book for those dealing with any type of loss and suffering. Biblical and relevant, each chapter includes personal reflection questions and small group discussion questions. 

Grief: Walking with Jesus
Kellemen, Bob

This thirty-one-day devotional booklet guides you on a journey through the gospels. Page-by-page and day-by-day, you’ll walk with Jesus as He models how to cling to the Father as He faces suffering, loss, grief, and death. Jesus is a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief, and He is your sympathetic High Priest. So, He not only models godly grieving, Jesus also grieves with you. Grief: Walking with Jesus is ideal for the person who wants to grow closer to Christ while facing life’s most excruciating losses. 

Grieving, Hope, and Solace: When a Loved One Dies in Christ
Martin, Albert

Here is a tender blending of memoir and theology, a joining of heart and mind, a sober yet joyful consideration of Scripture in the face of one of life’s deepest and most grievous trials. What happens to those who die as Christians? What do they immediately experience? What is their existence like right now? What will happen to them when Christ returns to earth? These are the questions and concerns that faced Pastor Albert Martin following the death of his wife. He knew that if he were to grieve in a way that glorified God, he needed to know the answers to those questions, as clearly as possible, directly from Scripture. 

Grieving the Loss of Your Child: Comfort for Your Broken Heart 
Showalter, Ryan

The unthinkable has happened. Your child is gone, and you are left with a gaping hole in your heart and in your life. How could this have happened? How is it possible that you have outlived your child? Ryan Showalter understands the magnitude of grief and pain that has entered your life. With compassion, grace, and a pastor’s heart, he walks with you through the valley of the shadow of death and leads you toward the comfort only God can provide.

Comfort the Grieving: Ministering God’s Grace in Times of Loss
Tautges, Paul

Death is not foreign territory that ministers of grace walk upon. As a result, “Death,” writes Paul Tautges, “provides a natural opportunity not only for ministry to others, but also for personal growth in ministers.” Church shepherds must not waste these precious and painful occasions that God provides for the demonstration of mercy and the advantage of the gospel. This book is a treasure chest of pastoral theology that equips ministers to reach out to those who grieve with the Christ-centered comfort of God. 

A Small Book for the Hurting Heart: Meditations on Loss, Grief, and Healing
Tautges, Paul

In this powerful devotional book, men and women will see Jesus Christ, the Man of Sorrows, who is well-acquainted with grief and sadness. Author and pastor, Paul Tautges, directs readers to our comforting High Priest, sharing how the Holy Spirit ministers to our hurting heart through the healing balm of God’s Word graciously applied to life’s wounds.

Grief: Finding Hope Again
Tripp, Paul

No matter what the circumstances, death shakes us to the core. It seems so wrong, and it is! We long for comfort, but we don’t know where to look. Can God really help when we are overwhelmed with grief? With compassion and biblical wisdom, Paul Tripp shows us how to think and what to do when death enters our door. He reminds us that we have a Savior who knows our sorrows, hears our cries, and promises to one day wipe away all tears.

Suffering: Gospel Hope When Life Doesn’t Make Sense
Tripp, Paul

Weaving together his personal story, pastoral experience, and biblical insights, best-selling author Paul David Tripp helps us trust God in the midst of suffering. He identifies traps to avoid in our suffering and points us instead to comforts to embrace. This raw yet hope-filled book will help you cling to God's promises when trials come and move forward with the hope of the gospel.

Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy: Discovering the Grace of Lament
Vroegop, Mark

Lament is not just tears or pain in our own soul; lament is inviting Christ to come alongside our casket of loss. Lament is not just a prayer; it is a prayer to God expressing our pain in our fallen world. Lament does not stop at pain; through Christ’s comforting presence, lament enriches our trust in our Father of compassion. Anyone who wants to learn biblically and experientially how to candidly call out to our comforting Father will benefit greatly from Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy. This book restores the lost art of lament in order to help readers discover the power of honest wrestling with God about the questions that come with suffering. 

POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER

Help! I’ve Been Traumatized by Combat
Craig, Barrett

For some veterans, the stress from combat becomes so overwhelming that it debilitates them, preventing them from carrying on in life. Relationships are affected, addictions begin, sleepless nights are frequent, and thoughts of suicide may seem attractive. This mini-book demonstrates that these responses are common and that you are right to think that things aren’t the way they should be. It also offers hope and practical help on a journey of restoration from the darkness of combat into the light of life.

PTSD: Healing for Bad Memories
Lane, Tim

The event occurred in the past, possibly many years ago, but you still carry it with you wherever you go. Some days the memory keeps replaying over and over again in your mind. You feel angry, jumpy, even guilty or ashamed. You want to move on with your life and wonder why you can’t just “get over it.” With wisdom and compassion, Tim Lane walks with you through this difficult struggle. As he unpacks God’s message to you in the Bible, you will begin to realize that you are not alone in your struggle. Christ, who Himself suffered intensely, is with you. You can trust Him to guide you through the haling process.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Recovering Hope
Lelek, Jeremy

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder—a profoundly intense response to profoundly dangerous experiences, manifests itself in fear, terrifying vulnerability, and lack of a sense of control. While these responses are often involuntary, Jeremy Lelek reminds us that they are still responses, and, thus, different responses are possible. Here he relates the narrative of creation, fall, and redemption to the experiences of PTSD, reminding us that the gospel speaks to our experiences with danger as part of its redemptive message. He points to the wisdom of God in our suffering and reminds us of the saving grace offered by Jesus, guiding readers to the peace and contentment found in seeking God’s glory.

DEPRESSION

Depression: Booklets

Depression: The Sun Always Rises
Ashmore, Margaret

The periods of depression that we all share can range from having a bad day to grieving the loss of a loved one. Our fallen world harbors a broad spectrum of suffering that has always been part of the human condition. Margaret Ashmore reminds us that however difficult our circumstances, they cannot determine whether our lives are ruled by joy or depression. She lays before us a set of godly choices we can make in our dark night of the soul to seek God’s freedom from our dominating depression.

Overcoming Depression: Help and Hope for Christians Who Struggle
Tautges, Paul

We are always body and soul together. So, even if our body is a contributing factor in depression, every emotional struggle we experience includes a spiritual element. Therefore, we always need the help and encouragement found in Scripture. This Bible study booklet provides a devotional look at a portion of Psalm 119, and a guide to personal application. 

Help! I’m Depressed
Trahan, Carol

Troubling thoughts flood my mind. I lie in bed alone, beseeching God on behalf of my three children. The tears come as I wonder why the Lord seems so far away and why prayers remain unanswered. Life seems so unfair. In the depths of despair I know I have a choice to make. Am I going to allow these feelings to destroy me? Help! I’m Depressed directs readers struggling with these thoughts and feelings to the hope found in God.

Depression: The Way Up When You Are Down
Welch, Ed

If you are one of the many people suffering from depression, there is hope and there is help—a way up when you are down. This booklet provides manageable steps for getting started on the path that leads out of depression.

Depression: Books

Spurgeon’s Sorrows: Realistic Hope for Those Who Suffer from Depression
Eswine, Zack

Christians should have the answers, shouldn’t they? Depression affects many people both personally and through the ones we love. Here Zack Eswine draws from C. H. Spurgeon, “the Prince of Preachers,” experience to encourage us. What Spurgeon found in his darkness can serve as a light in our own darkness.

Seeing Depression Through the Eyes of Grace
Ganschow, Julie.

For the person struggling with depression this book may be your first step on the journey back to joy. This is not just another book on depression; it is an interactive journey from despair to hope. As you read and journal through this book you will discover the truth about your heart, the God of the Bible, and the real cause for your pain. You are invited to study, to interact, and to receive the knowledge that will lead you out of the pit of depression and right to the throne of God.

Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Its Cure
Lloyd-Jones, D. Martyn

Believing the Christian joy was one of the most potent factors in the spread of Christianity in the early centuries, Lloyd-Jones not only lays bare the causes that have robbed many Christians of spiritual vitality, but also points the way to the cure that is found through the mind and spirit of Christ.

Christians Get Depressed Too: Hope and Help for Depressed People
Murray, David

 Many Christians mistakenly believe that Christians don’t get depressed, and this misconception heaps pain and guilt onto Christians who are suffering from mental and emotional distress. David Murray comes to the defense of depressed Christians, asserting that Christians do get depressed. He explains why and how Christians should study depression, what depression is, and the approaches caregivers, pastors, and churches can take to help those who are suffering from it. With clarity and biblical insight, Murray offers help and hope to those suffering from depression, the family members and friends who care for them, and pastors ministering to these wounded members of their flock.

When the Darkness Will Not Lift: Doing What We Can While We Wait for God and Joy
Piper, John

Even the most faithful, focused Christians can encounter periods of depression and spiritual darkness when joy seems to stay just out of reach. It can happen because of sin, satanic assault, distressing circumstances, or hereditary and other physical causes. In When the Darkness Will Not Lift, John Piper aims to give some comfort and guidance to those experiencing spiritual darkness.

If I’m a Christian, Why Am I Depressed?
Somerville, Robert

In this achingly honest work, Bob Somerville explains that depression is not restricted to the secular world. Throughout history, godly men and woman—among them Martin Luther and Charles Spurgeon—have suffered in the deep trenches of dark emotion. But God’s Word promises victory at the seemingly unreachable end of trials, and new strength forged from adversity and pain in the new light that follows the darkness of despair. You are not alone. In If I’m a Christian, Why Am I Depressed? you will find not only the author’s testimony, but also those of others who have struggled with depression and through prayer and biblical counseling have overcome by embracing Christ’s healing love. 

Depression: Looking Up from a Stubborn Darkness
Welch, Ed

Where is God in the struggle? Looking away from despair towards hope can feel risky. What if God doesn’t come through for you? What if you don’t feel instantly better? Ed Welch addresses the complex nature of depression with compassion and insight, applying the rich treasures of the gospel, and giving fresh hope to those who struggle.