“This must be done: help and accompany more depressed patients to return to their families and society.” Even after I went to a ministry for depressed people, I could still hear the words.
A Christian workshop that helps people with mild to moderate depression recover and returns to daily life is little known. The founder is a Christian expert in psychology and mental health. Deeply convicted by the healing power of Jesus, who proclaims freedom for the prisoners and sets the oppressed free, the Christian is convinced that “helping more depressed patients return to family and society” must be accomplished.
When I visited the studio for the first time, I learned that two patients who went through rehabilitation had jobs. The counselors spend the day and night with them and give them food and a place to sleep. These counselors lead them to read the Bible, sing hymns, learn history, and teach them to recite Chinese poems. In addition, they are trained to take part in exercises such as practicing hung gar, a kind of kung fu in the southern Shaolin style, and shooting arrows together.
An anonymous counselor said that every counselor has been professionally trained, and their faith has been witnessed by everybody. They treat every trainee preciously.
He added that the Christian faith had played a critical role in the operation. People suffer from depression due to a lack of love, so what’s important is that the patients are fully recognized and accepted in communal living. Then their physical, mental, and spiritual health will be gradually restored.
The counselors care for them like parents taking care of children, arranging their daily lives, and engaging them in cooking and chores. They have to keep an eye on how the trainees feel at all times, which makes them emotionally stable. They impart knowledge to them and seek employment opportunities for them. When a trainee gets their salary for the first month, the counselor is happier than them. Brother Y shared that the counselors are excited at every growth and progress in their lives, especially their faith growth.
When I paid a second visit to the workshop, a trainee from the south was absent. Brother Y told me that he moved out to live with his parents in an apartment for some time nearby.
The counselors should guide how their parents get along with their children who are temporarily recovering from depression - “transplanting” the healthy daytime routines they have formed in the workshop to their family life. He stated that some parents ask him how to pray when they see their children praying often. Some parents have become Christians, and they have family worship at home, which helps build a stable, healthy parent-child relationship.
When it comes to their future marriage, Brother Y said that the trainees would move into a bachelor pad when they adapted to work. While they work during the day, they are more exposed to "peer companions” and get premarital counseling in preparation for the future.
Brother Y stressed that he would not lose the heart of being an “elder son” and the consciousness of a “leader” even though he is doing very ordinary things daily.
He encouraged believers not to spend too much time alone in the post-pandemic era. He urged people to participate in group events, exercise more, and pay attention to their mental health.
- Translated by Karen Luo
“帮助和陪伴更多的抑郁症患者重返家庭、重入社会，这件事情必定要做成。”虽然已经跟抑郁症患者帮陪工作室的弟兄告别良久，这句话还是久久在耳边回荡不绝。
众所周知，人们偶尔休息不好，再遇到一些不开心的事情，难免会有短暂的抑郁状态，若内心的郁结仍旧得不到及时、有效的缓解，就极可能患上长期“心灵感冒”，更有甚至会把自己关在“内心的监牢”里。
而“自我囚禁”的人也很容易“囚禁他人”，久而久之，伤己及人的人只能被送进精神病医院接受治疗。而他们重返家庭、重入社会的路也变得异常艰难和漫长。
然而，不为人所知的是，有这样一家基督徒创办的工作室，有那么一群基督徒，在陪伴和帮助着许多出院后继续恢复的中轻度抑郁症患者逐步走出困境，重返社会，也给他们的家庭和家族带去极大的安慰。
笔者初次访问这家帮陪工作室时，得知几个正在进行恢复训练的学员中，有两个已经找到工作。这些学员由工作室的辅导员昼夜照顾和陪伴，他们吃住都在一起。辅导员还会带着他们一起读圣经，一起唱赞美诗，一起学习历史知识，教他们背诵古诗文，带他们一起打洪拳锻炼身体，甚至带着他们一起参加团体射箭活动以陶冶性情。
帮陪工作室的弟兄说，每位辅导员不仅受过相关的专业知识训练，每个人的基督信仰也是得到了众人的见证，他们都非常宝贵地看待和对待每一位学员。
帮陪中心的弟兄还强调说，基督信仰在工作室运营过程中起到至关重要的作用。由于爱的缺失会导致人们产生抑郁状态并患上抑郁症，所以重要的是，在充满爱的集体生活中使学员们充分地得到肯定与接纳，精准地得到破碎与重塑。这样，他们身心灵的健康也会逐步得以恢复。正如圣经所说，耶稣来了，为要叫羊得生命，并且得的更丰盛。辅导员们就像耶稣爱教会，爱门徒一样，服事着每一位学员，为他们营造出健康的、不一样的家的氛围。
辅导员们像父母照顾孩子一样，照管学员的生活起居，也带着他们一起参与做饭和做家务。辅导员们更是随时敏锐地觉察学员的心情和情绪的变化，引导和帮助他们平复心情，稳定情绪。辅导员们教导他们知识，也为他们寻找工作机会，当学员拿到第一个月的工资时，辅导员比学员还要高兴。y弟兄说，学员成长的点点滴滴，尤其是在基督信仰方面的每一次成长和进步，都令他们激动不已。在精心照顾学员的同时，他们也在不断操练自己的信仰，多方祷告，渴慕圣经真理并学会坚定而温柔地带领学员们往前奔。
当笔者再次访问帮陪工作室时，发现有一位来自南方的学员没在，便询问y弟兄关于他的情况。弟兄说，他的父母过来探望他，并在附近租了公寓，要与孩子一起生活一段时间。
原来，辅导员也会引导和帮助家长如何在短暂时间内跟恢复中的孩子更好地相处，如何把在工作室所养成的习惯化、有秩序的健康生活移植到家庭生活中。y弟兄说，因为学员常常祷告，有家长也向他询问如何祷告。他说，学员家长接受基督信仰，并在家中一起做家庭礼拜，对建立稳定、健康的亲子关系起到积极作用。
当我们谈到学员的未来婚恋问题时，y弟兄说，学员逐渐适应社会上的工作时，会搬到单身公寓居住，一边工作，一边接触更多同龄的“同路人”，并接受进一步的婚恋辅导，为将来进入婚姻做准备。
当问及帮陪工作室的创建历史时，弟兄坦言，工作室负责人是一位心理健康和精神卫生领域的专家，也是一位基督徒。他坚信“上帝说有就有，命立就立”，耶稣受差遣医好了很多伤心的人，报告“被掳的得释放”，“被囚的出监牢”。耶稣说，他所做的事，信他的人也要做，并且做更大的事，所以这位牧者相信“帮助和陪伴更多的抑郁症患者重返家庭、重入社会”这件事情必定要做成。
y弟兄说，作为一个基督徒，他虽然每天在做着平凡的事情，但是他不会失去一颗“长子”的心和“领袖”的意识。
最后，y弟兄鼓励大家说，在后疫情时代，尽量不要一个人过长时间独处，要多参加集体活动，多锻炼身体，及时关注和维护自己的心理及精神卫生健康。
带着为父为兄的心医好伤心的人——记一家主内抑郁症帮扶事工
“This must be done: help and accompany more depressed patients to return to their families and society.” Even after I went to a ministry for depressed people, I could still hear the words.
A Christian workshop that helps people with mild to moderate depression recover and returns to daily life is little known. The founder is a Christian expert in psychology and mental health. Deeply convicted by the healing power of Jesus, who proclaims freedom for the prisoners and sets the oppressed free, the Christian is convinced that “helping more depressed patients return to family and society” must be accomplished.
When I visited the studio for the first time, I learned that two patients who went through rehabilitation had jobs. The counselors spend the day and night with them and give them food and a place to sleep. These counselors lead them to read the Bible, sing hymns, learn history, and teach them to recite Chinese poems. In addition, they are trained to take part in exercises such as practicing hung gar, a kind of kung fu in the southern Shaolin style, and shooting arrows together.
An anonymous counselor said that every counselor has been professionally trained, and their faith has been witnessed by everybody. They treat every trainee preciously.
He added that the Christian faith had played a critical role in the operation. People suffer from depression due to a lack of love, so what’s important is that the patients are fully recognized and accepted in communal living. Then their physical, mental, and spiritual health will be gradually restored.
The counselors care for them like parents taking care of children, arranging their daily lives, and engaging them in cooking and chores. They have to keep an eye on how the trainees feel at all times, which makes them emotionally stable. They impart knowledge to them and seek employment opportunities for them. When a trainee gets their salary for the first month, the counselor is happier than them. Brother Y shared that the counselors are excited at every growth and progress in their lives, especially their faith growth.
When I paid a second visit to the workshop, a trainee from the south was absent. Brother Y told me that he moved out to live with his parents in an apartment for some time nearby.
The counselors should guide how their parents get along with their children who are temporarily recovering from depression - “transplanting” the healthy daytime routines they have formed in the workshop to their family life. He stated that some parents ask him how to pray when they see their children praying often. Some parents have become Christians, and they have family worship at home, which helps build a stable, healthy parent-child relationship.
When it comes to their future marriage, Brother Y said that the trainees would move into a bachelor pad when they adapted to work. While they work during the day, they are more exposed to "peer companions” and get premarital counseling in preparation for the future.
Brother Y stressed that he would not lose the heart of being an “elder son” and the consciousness of a “leader” even though he is doing very ordinary things daily.
He encouraged believers not to spend too much time alone in the post-pandemic era. He urged people to participate in group events, exercise more, and pay attention to their mental health.
- Translated by Karen Luo
Christian Depression Rehab Center Heals the Brokenhearted With Fatherly Heart
