I started this blog some years ago. Its been seen and read a lot. A lot more than I ever thought it would. I am very grateful for this. I started this blog with the intention of it not only helping me but that others would also be able to see my struggles and day to day issues and draw some help and hope from them.
I have been a Pastor for about 10 years now. Which is huge. Not only do I have the normal struggles with being a Pastor, which is no where as easy as many think it is, but I have to add being an Avoidant on top of it. Being an Avoidant means that I dont like people. It means that I want to run from them. I certainly dont want to talk and preach to them.
But being a Pastor is all about people, helping people and working with people. So it is a constant struggle to not give in to the Avoidant part of me that does not want to be with people.
I have run a ministry called Needs Met for about 6 years now. Needs Met is all about helping people with needs. We provide needs like food, clothing and such to anyone.
We recently decided that God was telling us to become a Church. But its a bit different than the norm. We are an on-line only Church. That means that we dont have a building that would have to be maintained.
This does give me a level of anonymity and safety for my Avoidantism. I do help people, but my actual contact with people is typically limited to online, emails, chats, and callers into the service.
One thing that I want Needs Met the Church to focus on is Avoidants and others with mental disorders. In our Churches, we love to deal with physical diseases and such. As well we should. Jesus tells is that we are to heal in his name. But that healing in our Churches typically takes the form of physical issues. We pray for healing of back troubles, eye infirmities, heart issues and on and on.
But what about mental problems like Avoidants? In all my years of going to Churches, I have heard very very little to nothing on mental issues. We dont seem to get the time of day.
Maybe its because so few in Churches understand mental problems. Maybe its because those with mental issues have been ostracized from our Churches, so there is just no one there that knows how to help. Whatever the reason,
There are thousands of agencies, foundations, and such that deal with the physical infirmaries. Muscular Dystrophy being one of the biggest. But what about us?
We dont get any respect. Well, I want to change that.
In my Wednesday night service called Keeping It Real, on October 2nd, I will be sharing on mental disorders like Avoidant Personality.
If you are an Avoidant, think you are an Avoidant, live with someone you thing might be an Avoidant, or have another metal disorder, please come and listen. There will also be a time for prayer request for healing of mental issues.
This is my log of my issues with living to Avoidant Personality Disorder. My hope is that in writing this, it will help myself and perhaps others that are also struggling with this disorder and others like it. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1tyKSgW-IeaK851gvIjjthije0kOwg3tZxVqKXSC1xXg/viewform I am trying to get more information on this disorder so that we can find commonalities. Perhaps if we can learn more about this, we can figure out how to combat it and get better lives for us all.
