Healing Minds

Mental health, overcoming despair, addiction recovery, and finding hope in the midst of struggle.

A Glimmer

Photo by lyrical ethereal

In a world saturated with difficult news, rising anxiety, and collective trauma, many of us are carrying invisible wounds. “A Glimmer” speaks to those moments when life feels overwhelming—when disasters strike, when headlines stress our hearts, when even those outside the military find themselves battling PTSD from simply living in our modern world.

This poem acknowledges the weight we carry while pointing toward the unshakeable hope found in faith. It’s a reminder that even in our darkest days, God’s light never fades, and we are never truly alone in our struggles.


Many disasters strike.
Our hearts grow heavy.
The winds of life beat against us
’til countless anxieties rise.

Worried.
Weary.
Troubled.

By all the things
that leave us burdened—
longing to be free.

The news today.
The wars that never cease.
Another headline fades,
we’re struggling
just to breathe.

PTSD,
straight up, PTSD.
And many of us are not
even in the military.


Let’s hold on to this glimmer—
the hope that lives within us.
Even in the darkest days,
His Light will never fade.

And still, we rise unafraid.

You Are Not Your Brain: A Poem for the Mood-Weary


It’s late at night again.
I haven’t slept a wink in days.
My mind is teetering on the verge 
of the apocalyptic urge
to return to a state of chaos. 
That is what its molecules 
tell me they’re made of.

So I must calm the nervous tension. 
Perhaps, a substance for intervention. 
To be used as a prevention. 
When my brain defers correction. 

But it’s not the high that I fear,
that euphoria of feeling impaired.
It’s the valley that I plunge to
that leaves me zombie-d
like cheese to fondue.
That is no fun to ever return to.

I’ve been tagged 
and I’ve been hallowed. 
That mad one! 
They shout, they bellow.
I’m not loved!
My heart has cried...

But a voice cuts through my brain, 
it says it’s fighting for my pain. 
And says I need no longer be ashamed,
His love always, always remains.

“You are not your brain.
 You are much more 
 than the neurons 
 that misfire within 
what that gray 
 matter contains.
So be at peace.”

You Are Not Your Brain: A Reflection for the Mood-Weary

It’s late… Again. Sleep is nowhere to be found, and your thoughts just keep going on and on. The highs you experience feel electric—powerful. But they soon wear off. What comes after is the crash, the heaviness, the silence. Oh, what a silence it is—numbing, draining; giving space to your mind to whisper lies: You’re broken. You’re worthless. You’re not loved.

If you live with bipolar disorder—or any mental health struggle—you know this cycle intimately. It’s not just “ups and downs.” It’s like your own mind turns against you. In the midst of all these challenges, the hardest part is believing that you are still you, separate from the chaos in your brain.

But here's the truth:

You are not your brain.
You are not the misfiring neurons.
You are not the diagnosis.
You are not the shame.
You are much more—so much more than what your chemistry tells you. You were created in the Image of God, known intimately, and loved without condition. Even when your thoughts spiral, or when your mood crashes, or when you can’t feel anything at all, God is right there, ready to help.

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18)

This is raw truth.
So let His loving Voice filter through your mind —a divine whisper longing to save you. 

You are beloved.


Resources to Help:

  • National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): www.nami.org — Offers education, support groups, and helplines.
  • Grace Alliance – Mental Health & Faith Resources
    www.mentalhealthgracealliance.org
    Offers Christ-centered support groups, self-guided recovery tools, and resources for individuals, families, and churches.
  • 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (U.S.): Call or text 988 anytime, 24/7. Free and confidential help for mental health crises.