ON GETTING OUT OF BED:
The burden & gift of living
By Alan Noble
InterVarsity Press. 120 pages. £15.99
ISBN 978 1 514 004 432
The premise of this slim book is that for many people getting out of bed each morning is a monumental achievement.
The author has succeeded in writing a personal and honest book about mental health that opens vital windows of understanding for those navigating mental health issues, and for the people who love them and are seeking to stand by them in their struggles.
It was good to have a chat with the author about this book. He said:
‘I picture this book as a letter from a friend from someone who cares about you…
‘I would like people to have a resource that they can turn to when they need comfort… There is a voice that can speak into their lives and encourage them, even when they don’t have that person right there.’
There are four things that stand out for me in this book.
Firstly, the book helped me get close to something of what it feels like to be mentally ill, captured in lines like: ‘Living with mental illness feels like falling into the same hole every day.’ The author helpfully shows what it is like to be overwhelmed by the tedious monotony of a ‘Groundhog Day’-like cycle of despair.
Secondly, the book eschews the formulaic quick fix or ‘technique’, that offers to provide an uncomplicated remedy. This is not a rejection of the need to receive treatment, but the recognition that no one-size-fits-all approach to mental health is going to help in every case.
Thirdly, the book is practical, providing help on how to make progress. The author suggests that when in the pit of mental health, even the thought of taking one step at a time seems to be overwhelming; progress will probably be more like micro steps, a moment at a time.
And one of these steps is the willingness to seek help.
‘Never apologise for needing help,’ he said, adding that: ‘The hardest but most loving thing is to speak honestly and personally, sharing your burdens with those who have earned your trust – neither advertising nor hiding your burdens.’
Family members and friends of those who have mental health issues will find this book useful for beginning to understand what their loved one is enduring, and how they might avoid trying to fix them, but instead sensitively ask: ‘How can I be of help to you?’
Fourthly, the book reminded me of the importance of seeing the grace of God at work in life, both the special grace of God’s acceptance in Christ, and the common grace of beautiful moments, special people and our own dignity that can give us gratitude, joy and hope. The author reminds us that such an attitude builds trust in God and those God has sent to help us. Although the way to peace does not always seem to be within reach, we can trust the God of peace as we learn take our next small step towards that peace.
Highly recommended for those in the pit of mental illness and those who love them and look on with a feeling of helplessness.
