Mental health stigma refers to negative beliefs that people may hold about those with mental illness. It can lead to stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination. Stigma often arises from a lack of understanding or fear, perpetuated by inaccurate media representations of mental health conditions.

There are different types of stigma: Public stigma: This involves negative or discriminatory attitudes that others may have about mental illness.

 Self-stigma: Refers to the negative attitudes, including internalized shame, that people with mental illness may have about their condition.

Structural stigma: More systemic, involving policies that unintentionally limit opportunities for people with mental illness, such as lower funding for research or fewer mental health services relative to other healthcare.

Stigma not only affects individuals with mental illness but also their loved ones. It can be a significant barrier to accessing mental health services, especially in diverse racial and ethnic communities. For example, cultural values and distrust of the mental healthcare system can hinder seeking help. Let’s continue to raise awareness and promote understanding to reduce mental health stigma.

Trey Knowles song Mental Illness lets people know it’s ok to talk about Mental Illness and how they don’t have to be ashamed of themselves or their condition.

When individuals experience mental illness stigma, it can have profound effects on their well-being and quality of life. Here are some common ways in which stigma impacts people:

Self-Isolation: Stigma often leads individuals to withdraw from social interactions. They may fear judgment or discrimination, causing them to avoid seeking help or sharing their experiences.

Delayed Treatment: Due to stigma, people may delay seeking professional help for mental health conditions. This delay can worsen symptoms and hinder recovery.

Reduced Self-Esteem: Negative stereotypes can erode self-esteem and self-worth. Individuals may internalize these beliefs, feeling ashamed or inadequate.

Barriers to Employment and Education: Stigma can affect employment opportunities and educational attainment. Discrimination in the workplace or educational settings may limit career growth and personal development.

Lack of Support: Stigmatized individuals may struggle to find a supportive network. Friends and family may distance themselves due to misconceptions about mental illness.

Impact on Relationships: Stigma can strain relationships. Partners, friends, and family members may not understand the challenges faced by someone with a mental health condition.

Underreporting and Misdiagnosis: Fear of judgment may lead to underreporting of symptoms or misrepresentation during clinical assessments. This can affect accurate diagnosis and treatment planning.

Media Influence: Media portrayal of mental illness can perpetuate stereotypes. Sensationalized stories or inaccurate depictions contribute to stigma.

Internalized Stigma: Individuals may internalize negative beliefs, leading to feelings of shame, guilt, or hopelessness.

Reduced Quality of Life: Overall, mental illness stigma diminishes the quality of life by limiting opportunities, hindering social connections, and affecting emotional well-being.

Let’s continue to raise awareness, challenge stereotypes, and promote empathy and understanding.

Mental Illness

by Trey Knowles

 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” -Isaiah 41:10

Note: God will help you and uphold you with his righteousness.

I know I am not the only one who is suffering. His grace is sufficient for me it’s more than enough. So let me share this. Are you mentally ill or is it a deception? The process of thought, thinking, and belief.

Thinking is meditating on the act of manipulating information, such as when we form concepts, solve problems, reason, or make decisions. Thinking also helps us analyze thoughts and ideas, good from bad, and right from wrong.

Thought is an idea or opinion suddenly occurring in the mind, it can be an idea, image, sound, or even an emotional feeling or it can be the product of thinking. Thought and thinking are related cognitive processes that can happen independently of sensory stimulation, but thought and thinking is not the same.

The main difference is that, although thoughts are self-arising, thinking is a choice. It is something you can choose to engage in or not. Thoughts can be deceptive giving an appearance or impression from the truth, misleading. The thinking process is to think over the thoughts, and then make a choice about that thought, choose to believe or not entertain that thought.

Not thinking over the thought can lead to misconception. Once the misconception gets in your heart it affects your belief system. Note: The heart is like a storefront of products sitting inside a storefront.

Why do I say this? In the Bible, Jesus asks "Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts?" in Matthew 9:4 to some teachers of the law who thought he was blaspheming. Jesus knew their thoughts and had the power to forgive sins and heal miraculously. The evil thought Jesus was referring to was their unbelief. Note: The teachers of the law entertain that misconception thought and believed the thought without thinking it through. This is why Jesus ask them why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts?

Thinking is the process of understanding the truth. Most deception thoughts are intrusive coming from the air. Note: What do I mean by the air? Well, it says. Ephesians 2:1-3 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.

Note: (Those who are dead in their transgressions and sin do not notice the deception of the mind and they carry out the devil's evil ways).

 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. So this is where unwanted intrusive thoughts and thoughts of deception come from the air meaning in the spiritual realms. This is why it is, very important to live in truth, by obedience and think over the thoughts by bringing it captive to the righteousness of God. Note: ( To avoid temptation). 

2 Corinthians 10:5 says, casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing it into captivity, every thought to the obedience of Christ.

Note: “The air” in Ephesians 2:2 may refer to the invisible realm above the earth where Satan and his demons move and exist. This space, of course, is the location of the earth’s atmosphere or “air.” In Ephesians 6:12, Paul writes, “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” This evil realm called the “air” could be an actual locality, but it could also be synonymous with the “world” of John 12:31. This whole world is Satan’s domain (Matthew 4:8–9).

Are you mentally ill or is it a deception? The process of thought, thinking, and belief. In the New Testament of the Bible, Jesus says to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan!" in Mark 8:33 and Matthew 16:23. In Matthew 16, Jesus says this after explaining to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer, including being killed and raised to life. Peter responds, "Never, Lord! This shall never happen to you!". Jesus then turns to Peter and says, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men"

Note: So we know that Peter is not Satan but the thought was Satan. Peter didn’t process the thought by thinking if he would have understood Jesus's mission at the time of his comment.

Confusion happens in the mind not by thinking by thoughts. Note: Why do I say this. Luke 22:31 Jesus says “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat.

Note: Sift as wheat meaning to make you doubt and throw you into confusion, this is the intrusive thoughts from the air.

Fear, worries, and confusion play on thoughts and emotions. The person's desire to covet or want can be manipulated. The only true cure is Jesus Christ, the foundation of life. Love God with all your heart. If you have noticed this is a mind-spiritual war, try chasing God with all your heart with your love. You will notice that there is a mind war with thoughts. Note: Why do I say this?

The Parable of the Sower in Mark 4:1-20

Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.

Note: (The seed is the word entering the mind. You have to choose to place in the heart).

Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Note:  Why no root? (They did not fear God).

Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Note: (Choked plants are the pride) Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew, and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.” Note: (Faithful doers of the word).

Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that, “‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’

Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? The farmer sows the word. Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Note: (How? By the air, through thoughts).

Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Note: (You must be strong in your faith. Love always perseveres, not giving up). 

Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.

Note: (Worries of Life. Meaning do not worry about what you going to eat or wear. God feeds the birds in the air. Everything that comes from God is all-natural, so do not worry. Hebrews 13:5 says. Keep your life free from the love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you).

Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.” Note: (Good soil means keeping the faith to end).

Note: What should we do after knowing and reading all this? Have a strong foundation in the Lord. Love God with all our heart and mind and lean not on our understanding, but He shall direct our path. Think everything through in a God-understanding way even through the difficulties.

Key Point: Romans 8:31 says. What then shall we say of these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

Key Point 2: John 3:17 says For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Are you mentally ill or is it a deception? The process of thought, think, believe.

Note: If the suffering from intrusive thoughts is getting too bad think about this. Romans 5:3-53 says not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings because we know that suffering produces perseverance;  perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

The process of thought, thinking, and belief.

by Trey Knowles

Jacob is introduced in the Bible in the Book of Genesis, beginning at Genesis 25:19. Jacob is the grandson of Abraham and Sarah, and the son of Isaac and Rebecca. He is also the younger twin brother of Esau, who is the ancestor of Edom. Jacob is a pastoralist, while Esau is a nomadic hunter, and the two represent different social orders.

Jacob's story is full of adventure, ups and downs, and entertainment, and his character develops over the course of the story. Some interesting facts about Jacob include:

He was born grasping his twin's heel.

He tricked Esau out of his birthright and parental blessing and received the inheritance from his father

In the Bible, Peniel is a place where Jacob wrestled with God in a mysterious encounter described in Genesis 32:24–32. The name Peniel means "face of God", and Jacob gave the place this name because he said, "It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared".

Genesis 50 Introduction: Joseph was truly Jacob's son, and Jacob's influence on his life was profound. Joseph was one 12 sons that became the patriarchs of the nation promised to Abraham. Like Jacob, Joseph's character was challenged early in his life because of the brokenness in his family.

Movie Watch Below after skipping Ad: Jacob and Joseph The Bible Story

Abraham, known as the “father of many nations,” is one of the greatest examples of faith and obedience. His life invites all humanity into the blessing of salvation through Jesus Christ—who would later come from his lineage. It’s a story of redemption through faith and faith worked out through obedience. The story ultimately points our eyes to the God of Abraham, whose covenant-keeping nature cannot change. Abraham is one of two people in the Bible called “God’s friend” (James 2:24). Clearly, God holds a special place in His heart for this man, and there is so much we can learn from his life. From great victories to great shortcomings, Abraham is revealed as a flawed yet faithful man whose radical belief in God and His promises leads us to know him as our faith’s father or patriarch.

Movie Watch Below after skipping Ad: Abraham The Bible Story

Patience comes with faith without patience, you can lose faith. Why do I say this? With patience, you can wait on God without patience you are acting on your own accord. God always has a plan. Do not interfere with God's plan by doing something that is not in God's will. Always remember adversity is temporary. 

Patience Comes With Faith

by Trey Knowles