In every home, in every life, there exist certain problems, certain realities that we don’t want to acknowledge. We think that if we ignore them for long enough they will go away on their own or no one will notice.  We all struggle with how to deal with the Elephant in the Room.

Often times we feel that we have to keep these elephants secret and tell everyone that we’re fine.  If we have to act like something we are not – it’s problematic.  Chances are the very thing you don’t want to talk about is probably the very thing that is nudging you out of a relationship with important people in your life, with God.

In this series we will talk about the elephants that exist in our lives and bring them into the light of God’s love and God’s community of believers: the church.

Resources
April 22: Loneliness
April 29: Addictions
May 6: Memory Loss
May 13: Mental Health

Resources for Assistance

We have compiled a list of area resources to contact for further support.  You can jump to sections on: Mental Health  |  Memory Loss  | Chemical Dependency
You can also download all as a printable PDF.

St. Paul area Mental Health Resources

Resources for mental health issues can take many forms. These include counseling, support groups, services to help people find and maintain housing and jobs, and resources for families. The statewide disability newspaper Access Press lists resources in its Directory of Organizations, which is available at http://www.accesspress.org/directory/mental-health/

Here are some selected resources:

• Use United Way 211 to find a wide variety of assistance. The website allows users to narrow down choices by area and type of service. Call 211 or go to https://www.211unitedway.org/
• A statewide resource is Disability Hub Minnesota, formerly Disability Linkage Line. The phone line can have long waits, so going online can be faster. Chat and email services are offered during regular business hours. 1-866-333-2466, https://disabilityhubmn.org
• Emotions Anonymous (EA) is a twelve-step program for people in recovery from mental and emotional illness. It is based on the model of Alcoholics Anonymous and relies on a safe, supportive group environment where members can be anonymous. A group meets at Hamline Church! Find out more at http://emotionsanonymous.org/
• Minnesota Association for Children’s Mental Health offers many ideas for children and families. Find out more at 1-800-528-4811, http://www.macmh.org/
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI Minnesota providing a wide range of information for people struggling with all forms of mental illness. One key feature is its many support groups, tailored to meet needs including those of families, the LGBTQ community, and people living with anxiety and panic disorders. Groups are free and meet throughout the region. Find out more at 651-645-2948, namihelps.org/support/mental-health-resources.html
• Crisis Connection. This service provides 24/7 assistance to callers. 612-379-6363, https://www.canvashealth.org/crisis-support/crisis-connection/. Be aware you may be referred to a service in your home county.
• Minnesota Department of Human Services offers a text line, 24/7, for people in crisis. Crisis Text Line, a national non-profit, will be providing text suicide prevention services free to Minnesota. People who text MN to 741741 will be connected with a trained counselor who will help defuse the crisis and connect the texter to local help.
• National Suicide Prevention LifeLine, 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
• Veterans Crisis Line (U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs) – 1-800-273-8255, press 1.
• Confidential help for Veterans and their families. Chat at netor text to 838255

St. Paul area Memory Loss Resources

Memory loss is a very broad condition. People typically think of dementia, but many medical conditions can cause memory loss issues, even in younger adults. One source of memory loss problems is head injuries, which can occur at any age. Be aware that there are differences between normal changes in memory and memory loss associated with Alzheimer’s disease and its related disorders.

Here are some selected resources:

• Use United Way 211 to find a wide variety of assistance. The website allows users to narrow down choices by area and type of service. Call 211 or go to https://www.211unitedway.org/
• One leading resource is the Minnesota-North Dakota chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. It offers a wealth of resources and supports on Alzheimer’s and dementia, including support groups, publications and a resource line. Call 1-800-272-3900 any time, or go to https://www.alz.org/mnnd/
• A statewide resource is Minnesota Board of Aging’s Senior Linkage Line. Its many resources include help with memory loss issues and conditions. The phone line can have long waits, so going online can be faster. Call during regular weekday business hours at 1-800-333-2433 or go to http://www.mnaging.org/advisor/SLL.htm
  One helpful resource listed here is the Basics of Dementia. The website also includes news articles, grant information and other helpful resources. One great link is to a statewide database of community resources including programs for memory loss issues, at http://www.minnesotahelp.info/
• Another great resource is Act on Alzheimer’s. This program has groups available around the region, including a very active program in the Highland neighborhood of St. Paul. It provides a toolkit for all kinds of community groups to work together and create dementia-friendly communities. It provides a framework for communities to organize around issues and help people. Find out more at http://www.actonalz.org/dementia-friendly-toolkit
• The Metropolitan Regency on Aging is another wealth of resources, including resources for families struggling with Alzheimer’s, dementia and other memory care conditions. This website includes many useful links for caregivers, including those who are helping veterans, who must do caregiving long-distance or who work in multi-cultural caregiving situations. Visit http://metroaging.org/help-information/family-caregiver-resources/
• The Minnesota Brain Injury Alliance offers support and resources for people with a brain injury as well as their family members. Resources include a consumer guide for people with brain injuries as well as a phone hotline. Find out more at 612-378-2742 or 800-669-6442. https://www.braininjurymn.org/

St. Paul area Chemical Dependency Resources

Many resources are available for individuals and families struggling with addiction and chemical dependency. Group and individual counseling, support groups, family resources and supports to help people find and retain stable housing and jobs are available. There are also support groups for partners and family members. Minnesota also has many inpatient treatment centers. Keep in mind as you seek resources that addiction, recovery, mental health and spirituality are often intertwined.

One stellar guide is the publication Phoenix Spirit, which focuses on addiction and recovery. The newspaper publishes a wide range of useful articles. It also offers a comprehensive resource list, for individuals and families. The monthly print publication appears monthly and is available on newsstands. Or find it at https://thephoenixspirit.com/

Here are some selected resources:

• Use United Way 211 to find a wide variety of assistance. The website allows users to narrow down choices by area and type of service. Call 211 or go to https://www.211unitedway.org/
• A longtime organization is Alcoholics Anonymous, an international fellowship of men and women who have had a drinking problem. Membership is open to anyone who wants to do something about his or her drinking problem. The group works on a 12-step model. Find a group and learn more at https://www.aa.org/ A similar group for people dealing with drug addiction is Narcotics Anonymous, at https://www.na.org/
• Al-Anon provides support for family members who have a loved one with a problem with alcohol. Separate groups are provided for teens. Call 651-771-2208 or go to https://al-anon.org/
• One umbrella organization is the Minnesota Association of Resources for Recovery and Chemical Health (MARRCH). MAARCH is a professional association of addiction treatment professionals and organizations striving to raise awareness about addiction and the power of recovery. It represents more than 75 agencies and more than 2,000 individuals (licensed alcohol and drug counselors, students, other behavioral health professionals). As a collective body, MARRCH works to educate, support and guide individuals and agencies while speaking with a unified voice in public policy venues. Learn about MAARCH at 651-290-7462, or http://www.marrch.org/
• A key for many people in recovery is to be in safe, supportive housing. One unique resource is MASH – the Minnesota Association of Sober Housing. Its features include an online guide of housing where people in recovery can live and support each other. Find it at http://mnsoberhomes.org/directory/

April 22: Loneliness
We live in a culture that celebrates individualism and self-reliance, and yet we humans are an exquisitely social species, thriving in good company and suffering in isolation. We have more technology than ever to help us stay connected, yet somehow the devices fail us: and the elephant in the room is that we feel increasingly alone. God meant for us to be in community. We need each other. How might our faith offer us ways to overcome loneliness and enter into genuine, authentic and life giving relationships.

April 29: Addiction
Addiction comes in many forms – overeating, social media, pornography, alcohol, television, tobacco, drugs and more. However, addiction is often birthed from one source: pain. Despite our best efforts to hide the elephant, eventually the side effects of addiction spill over into other aspects of our lives and can end up hurting the people we love most.

Addictions can hold us back from the fullness of life that God intends for each one of us. We can open the door to recovery (both for those addicted and their loved ones) by sharing our experiences, strengths, and hopes with one another. We can become willing to accept God’s grace in solving our lives’ problems and healing our hearts.

May 6: Memory Loss
The loss of memory is a hard thing. It cuts us off from days gone by. It strips away the treasured residue of past experience. It erases our personal history and leaves us unaccountably blank pages.
The Alzheimer’s Association estimates that more than 1 in 9 Americans who are 65 and older have some form of memory loss severe enough to interfere with daily life.

Despite its commonality, memory loss remains an elephant in the room. It’s a condition that provokes shame and uncertainty; most people are afraid to speak of it or relate to it, which leaves both the person with dementia and their caregivers feeling alone.

If we maintain that all persons, including those with dementia, are created in God’s image, how can we uphold and honor them as unique and wonderfully made? How can we keep them connected to the community of grace? If we believe that the Holy Spirit remains at work in them, how do we identify and receive the spiritual gifts they offer? If we understand that “Remember me” is among the highest mandates of Jesus and that faith regenerates through our shared memory, how can we better remember those who forget?

May 13: Mental Health
One in five people will be impacted by personal experiences of mental health challenges in any given year. The historic shame and stigma associated with mental illness creates real barriers to getting treatment because people keep silent for fear of being judged, rejected or abused. Despite how common depression, anxiety, and other mental health challenges are, in the church we are often silent about this kind of suffering. Yet throughout our scriptures there are examples from our ancestors in faith who struggled through dark times – Job, Elijah, Jonah, Moses and even Jesus. We called to bare one another’s burdens and the light of God’s love offers us hope.