I had surgery last week. Technically, it was not surgery; it was a “procedure.” But if I’m not conscious, there’s an IV and you’re giving me schedule 2 narcotics for pain, I’m calling it surgery. Just to let you know, I’m fine. But I want to tell you about it because I’m angry. I had…
The best thing about Valentine’s Day is the day after Valentine’s Day. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good greeting card holiday. (Do people even send greeting cards anymore?) And it’s not like one is enough for honoring love. I grew up in the Midwest where we have “Sweetest Day” – literally, a Valentine’s…
In 2020, I was scheduled to speak in western Michigan at the Institute for Theology and Disability. I love thinking about disability theology. I contribute my thoughts about mental health, but I also get to learn so much about things I’m not normally thinking about – things that push me to be even more inclusive…
There are many New Year traditions in which I take part. I do make resolutions – well, mine are more like intentions and plans. Leave me alone too long and I’ll break them down into quarterly goals and objectives and action steps. But I try not to over-think them. For many years, I was at…
There was a season in my life where I moved cross country every 2-4 years. I was making moves for education and career, and I became a packing and moving maven in the process. I had a system with my boxes and labelling and finding movers and laying out my apartment floor plan on graph…
How does it feel to be a problem? W. E. B. DuBois posed this question in the essay “Our Spiritual Strivings” in The Souls of Black Folk. DuBois was referring to the ways in which African Americans were understood by white American society in the early twentieth century. This quote came to mind last week…
This Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, I’m interviewing Wizdom Powell Hammond, Assistant Professor of Health Behavior, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I met Wizdom Powell years ago at a conference. We quickly realized that we had several friends in common, and we starting chatting about work in…
10 ways you can pray for mental illness Today is the National Day of Prayer for Mental Illness Recovery and Understanding. People often ask me how they can pray for people who live with mental health challenges. I like prayer. I pray. I’m a minister who often prays for other people. I believe that God…
I was instantly nauseous. My stomach turned in knots and I doubled over. I collapsed into my seat and held to the edges. I became sick. Literally. This was my response to hearing the news of the verdict in the trial against George Zimmerman for the murder of Trayvon Martin. In the hours…
Many people describe depression as a kind of intense grief. It is a deep sadness. It’s like heartbreak, agony and despair all at once. I think depression is worse than grief. Grief usually has an identifiable cause. There are stages. People understand why you are sad. It eases with time. I find that depression is…
Dr. Monica A. Coleman is an award-winning scholar, writer, and minister dedicated to the intersections of faith, social justice, and transformation. Through speaking, consulting, and writing, she empowers individuals and organizations to navigate change with purpose and integrity.
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