Mental Health Spirituality

There are times when the isolation and demands of ministry can wear down even the strongest person. When the burdens of life and ministry push you to your physical and mental breaking point, how can you lead yourself, let alone others? No one is immune from the storms of leadership and the brokenness they leave in their wake, but Leading Through Storms is the emergency preparedness kit that will keep you anchored.

Have you found yourself doing something and thinking, Why do I keep doing this? We all have an unhealthy habit - or two, or three. Yours may be as simple as wasting time on the Internet, constantly checking your email, or spending too much time in front of the TV. Or it may be more serious, like habitual drinking, emotional overeating, constant self-criticism, or chronic worrying. Whatever your harmful habit is - you have the power to break it.

Filled with simple, everyday actions we can take to avoid disease, promote vitality, and prevent dementia and late onset Alzheimer's, The Aging Brain is an easy-to-use guide to maintaining brain and body health throughout our lives. Based on solid, up-to-date scientific research, the interventions explained in this book not only prevent progression toward dementia even in those who have already shown mild cognitive impairment, they also reduce disability and depression and keep people living independently longer than those who do not practice these methods.

Ritual is one of the oldest, and certainly most enigmatic, threads in the history of human culture. It presents a profound paradox: people ascribe the utmost importance to their rituals, but few can explain why they are so important. Apparently pointless ceremonies pervade every documented society, from handshakes to hexes, hazings to parades. Before we ever learned to farm, we were gathering in giant stone temples to perform elaborate rites and ceremonies. Dimitris Xygalatas leads us on an enlightening tour through this shadowy realm of human behavior.

Kevin Leman wants you to know that men are less complicated than you give them credit for. At the core of men, you'll find a sensitive, emotional being that needs to feel loved, respected and needed. The more you understand and are sensitive to the fears, anxieties, and insecurities that make the men in your life behave the way they do, the stronger your relationships will be.

Americans spend $13 billion a year on pornography, the regular viewing of which is linked to higher acceptance of violence against women and adversarial sexual beliefs. Therapists and pastors are not always adequately equipped to address the unique demands of competent care for those struggling with sexually addictive behaviors. Reclaiming Sexual Wholeness, edited by Todd Bowman, presents cutting-edge research from a diverse group of experts in a single, comprehensive resource intended for therapists, clergy, and others in helping professions.

Wrestling with fear doesn't have to be a negative experience. This book offers an approach to life that unlocks a new way of thinking and being in the world, one that leads directly through the center of the anxieties we seek to avoid. Written in the style of an owner's manual, a guide to being human, Burkett focuses on areas of pain and anxiety as they tend to manifest for modern people: feelings of unworthiness, and issues surrounding sex, money, failure, and even death.

Due to a culture that encourages perfection, hustle, and fictional life/work balance, many are burning out. Behind her Instagram-projected image of “happy wellness founder”, Poppy Jamie was also struggling mightily with perfectionism and life purpose. She began working with mental health experts and researchers to find practical tools to overcome her inner critic and rewire her mind.

Do you feel "stuck" in your life right now? Whether you struggle with depression, anxiety, trauma—or simply feel unhappy or unmotivated—you may be seeking ways to find meaning, or discover the inspiration you need to create a new path in life that better serves you. Mindfulness has gained popularity as a self-help solution for a variety of mental health issues, and mindfulness meditation has been touted as powerfully effective in helping people find focus and balance in order to complete important tasks. But you may wonder, "How does one actually do mindfulness?"

You probably already had some incredible dreams when nothing seemed to be restraining you anymore. You woke up amazed, excited, with new insights about your life. What if you could harness this power? Dive at will into your wildest fantasies every time you close your eyes. Wake up feeling refreshed, positive and inspired. Ready to take on any challenges that come your way? This is what lucid dreaming is all about. This book will give you the “techniques” and best practices for lucid dreaming so that you can practice as efficiently as possible and put every chance on your side.

Find out what happens when you take your life. In this book, you will learn about seven compelling stories. Each profile is collected from media interviews.

Taking care of ourselves is essential, and lately, we’ve started to pay more attention to the ways our physical bodies need and deserve nourishment. But we are not just bodies, we sacred beings, and our souls need just as much care and attention to be healthy. As a clinical psychologist, pastor, and activist, Dr. Chanequa Walker-Barnes has studied and worked with clients, clergy, seminary faculty, faith-based activists, and others to encourage them to think of self-care as both a divine right and a sacred obligation.

Jesus is beside you on your darkest days, and he has good words for you. In thirty-one short, digestible readings, Edward Welch helps you to converse with him honestly amid your pain.

Lisa Jakub has always been a little weird. Sensitive. Emotional. Introverted. What else would you expect from a former child actor turned writer? But the issue wasn't just an artistic temperament; Lisa was constantly trying to hide her debilitating anxiety and depression. She assumed that retiring from her 18-year acting career and leaving Hollywood was going to be the cure for all of her issues. Guess how that worked out?

There is a famous Zen story about a disciple, Riko, who once asked his master, Nansen, to explain to him the old Zen koan of the goose in the bottle. Namely, if a man puts a gosling into a bottle and feeds the gosling through the bottle's neck until it grows and becomes a goose - and then there is simply no more room inside the bottle - how can the man get it out without killing the goose or breaking the bottle? In response, Nansen shouts, "Riko!" and gives a great clap with his hands.

The wreckage of addiction lies scattered around too many people - from the one who is or was addicted to those in relationship with that person. Age-old culprits of drugs, alcohol, and gambling are joined by newer addictions, such as food, prescription medication, shopping, pornography, and technology. Left unaddressed, addiction devastates lives now and makes it difficult to see a positive way forward. For anyone struggling with an addiction, attempting to live in recovery, or seeking to understand the mind of an addict they love, Dr. Jantz's newest book is a lifeline.

Is there really a such thing as a winning attitude? Do you know to know how you can turn a bad attitude around? John C. Maxwell not only discovered the winning attitude, but he has also experienced the incredible difference it makes.

Best-selling author Isabel Losada brings her unique blend of humor, curiosity, and honesty to the still-taboo subject of sexuality. This is a brave, funny, and often vulnerable quest to find out how we can make our sex life blissful. On behalf of all women, slightly terrified, she begins with a woman's workshop where she has to get naked. From here, Isabel journeys through the first international conference of clitoral stroking, is informed of 11 different forms of orgasm - 10 of which she hasn't had - endures NHS Kegal exercises and mystical sensations with tantric masters.

In Companions in the Darkness, Diana Gruver looks back into church history and finds depression in the lives of some of our most beloved saints, including Martin Luther, Charles Spurgeon, Mother Teresa, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Without trying to diagnose these figures from a distance, Gruver tells their stories in fresh ways, taking from each a particular lesson that can encourage or guide those who suffer today. Drawing on her own experience with depression, Gruver offers a wealth of practical wisdom both for those in the darkness and those who care for them.

Some of us start over willingly, and others are forced by circumstance - but everyone who finds herself back at square one could use a dose of courage and comfort. Listeners will discover both in O's Little Guide to Starting Over, a collection of stirring pieces on the topic of beginning again.