Elahe Hessamfar

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These are my reflections on those Scriptures that God has used to comfort me as I have travelled through the "valleys of Shadow of death." I am hoping that they will comfort those fellow-travelers who are going through the wilderness of life. At times, I will also write blogs relevant to mental illness, particularly as it relates to issues of faith, theology and community. All Scriptures used here will be from New American Standard Bible, unless otherwise specified.

Reflections

How Fulfilling Are Your Impulses?

Posted on January 14, 2016 by Elahe Hessamfar

Are you an impulsive person? Do you enjoy living dangerously? Do your impulses drive you to do things against your better judgment? Many of us are impulsive shoppers, impulsive eaters, impulsive talkers, and impulsive decision makers in our daily lives. In a new study, featuring 503 individuals, ... [Continue Reading]

Category: Personal Reflection, Research Tagged: Christ, fulfillment, God, health, impulse, Joy, purpose, Spirit, strength

To be Considered “Worthy of the Kingdom of God”

Posted on December 4, 2015 by Elahe Hessamfar

Therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure. This is a plain indication of God’s righteous judgment so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ... [Continue Reading]

Category: Devotional Tagged: 2 Thessalonians, Faith, Grace, image of Christ, Kingdom of God, perseverance, Providence, righteousness, salvation, Sanctification, sin, Suffering

Expectations That Disappoint

Posted on November 19, 2015 by Elahe Hessamfar

Photo: Eleonora Festari / EyeEm/Getty Images We are a nation of great technological and financial successes built upon disappointed souls, and despairing spirits. A major study recently published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science, claims that “adolescents reported greater ... [Continue Reading]

Category: Personal Reflection, Research Tagged: Christ, Christianity, contentment, Despair, disappointment, expectation, failure, Faith, God, Hope, Mental Illness, optimism, parenting, success, Youth

The Passing Vanities of Life

Posted on November 16, 2015 by Elahe Hessamfar

And now, Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in You. Deliver me from all my transgressions; Make me not the reproach of the foolish. I have become mute, I do not open my mouth, Because it is You who have done it. Remove Your plague from me; Because of the opposition of Your hand I am perishing. ... [Continue Reading]

Category: Devotional Tagged: Christianity, Darkness, Depression, Faith, God, King David, Psalm 39, Vanity, wisdom

Our Obsession with Happiness is Making us Miserable

Posted on November 2, 2015 by Elahe Hessamfar

Photo: Genevieve Biloski and Chloe Cushman We are a nation obsessed with happiness. Every time we turn on the TV, look online, or turn the pages of popular magazines, we are seduced to spend our money, change our lifestyles, eat foods that we know are not good for us, follow dreams that we know are ... [Continue Reading]

Category: Personal Reflection Tagged: Christianity, Despair, Ecclesiastes, God, Happiness, Joy, misery, seasons of life

Strength in the Midst of Weakness

Posted on October 20, 2015 by Elahe Hessamfar

If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my weakness. (2 Cor.11:30) This world teaches us that it is the strong, the beautiful, the powerful, the wealthy, and the influential that rule. They are the ones who receive the honor, the respect and the rewards of this world. Most of us grow ... [Continue Reading]

Category: Devotional Tagged: 2 Cor.11:29-30, Apostle Paul, Christ, Christianity, Grace, Knowing God, Strength in weakness, Suffering

Guns, Violence, Mental Illness, and the Church

Posted on October 7, 2015 by Elahe Hessamfar

Once again we are confronted with a horrific mass shooting on a college campus. Once again, we mourn the loss of promising lives, and out of chaos and confusion, in search of answers, our collective dialogue focuses on guns and mental illness. The gun lobby is too strong to allow any blame to land ... [Continue Reading]

Category: Personal Reflection Tagged: Christ, college shooting, Evil, Grace, Gun, mass shooting, Mental Illness, Oregon, sin, violence

Care for Severe Mental Illness— What We Can Learn from Geel

Posted on September 14, 2015 by Elahe Hessamfar

The care of the insane has presented major challenges to Western civiliza­tion in the past sixty years. With the advancement of psychopharmacol­ogy, the insane have been sent back into communities hoping for an “ordinary” life. But the ordinary life has been challenging and mostly out of their ... [Continue Reading]

Category: Research Tagged: Care of souls, Christ, Christian, church, Community, Compassion, Geel, home care, hospitality, madness, Mental Health, Mental Illness, psychiatric, psychosis, Schizophrenia

The Love of God and His Fatherly Discipline

Posted on September 13, 2015 by Elahe Hessamfar

  Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “that I will punish all who are circumcised and yet uncircumcised. (Jeremiah 9:25)   By being circumcised, men declared that they belong to Yahweh. They were people chosen by God for Himself, that they may bring praise, renown, honor, ... [Continue Reading]

Category: Devotional Tagged: Circumcision, God's discipline, God's love, Jeremiah, Sanctification, Suffering

Addiction—What is the Right Way of Treating It?

Posted on September 8, 2015 by Elahe Hessamfar

Is addiction a disease? Can it be uprooted with a medical treatment? Photo: Shutterstock Although drug and alcohol addictions are classified as psychiatric diseases by the Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, science has never been able to find the cause of addiction merely in the ... [Continue Reading]

Category: Research Tagged: Addiction, Alcoholism, Christianity, drug addiction, God, Mental Illness, Mind

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Elahe Hessamfar

Elahe Hessamfar

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In the fellowship of His suffering: A Theological Interpretation of Mental Illness.

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  • What if Some of Our Psychiatric Symptoms are Iatrogenic?
  • Gaining Freedom in the Midst of Darkness: A Theological Perspective
  • A Theological Interpretation of the Language of Madness
  • What Should We Make of Hearing Voices?
  • Do Not Trust in Riches and Worldly Goods

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A Theological Interpretation of Mental Illness. - A Focus on "Schizophrenia"

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