Faith Inclusion

Riccardo Ricciardi

How does a “typical day” consolidate with the daily reality of living with Bipolar Disorder? The answer is simple. There is no typical day.

What is Bipolar Disorder?

The American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) defines Bipolar Disorder as a group of brain disorders that cause extreme fluctuation in a person’s mood, energy, and ability to function.

I’m not a health care professional. I’m someone who has lived with Bipolar 2 Disorder for many years and has gleaned, albeit minimally, from the peaks and precipices of this condition. Each person’s narrative is unique. This is mine. [continue reading…]

Shelly Christensen

The stories we tell of our unique lived experiences with disabilities and mental health conditions matter. It is a generous act when someone pulls back the curtain to tell their story.

Novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie gave a popular TED Talk called, “The Danger of a Single Story.” A single story is a generalization about a person based on stereotypes and stigma. Often people with disabilities and mental health conditions are seen only by virtue of a diagnosis or behavior, labeled by that one piece of information. The danger of a single story is that so much about that person is never revealed—the strengths and gifts they can contribute to others and the hopes and dreams that give them a sense of purpose and belonging. [continue reading…]

Leah Ilana Craig

I’m told there’s a power to “healing out loud,” speaking to one’s experience of working through, or living with a mental health condition, physical disability, chronic illness, etc. As I tell the story of my recovery from anorexia or living life with my chronic illnesses, I’ve seen this power myself in myriad ways. Still, when I was diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder (DID) in February 2021, I wondered if there was a limit in the power of healing out loud.

DID used to be known as multiple personality disorder. It is one of the diagnoses in the DSM that remains highly stigmatized. Often the subject of sensationalized media portrayals and wild misinformation, my own DID went unrecognized for years, hidden under layers of shame and fear and confusion. Being open about anxiety or even an eating disorder was one thing. Trying to find the courage to speak about my darkest secret out loud, that I shared a body with multiple alters formed out of great trauma, was entirely another. Would my loved ones accept not just me, Leah Ilana, but the other members of my system I was getting to know in therapy? [continue reading…]

Becca Block

The month of May is Ehlers Danlos Syndromes (EDS) and Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders (HSD) Awareness Month. Ehlers Danlos Syndromes are genetic connective disorders generally characterized by joint hypermobility, joint instability, skin hyperextensibility, abnormal scarring, structural weakness, etc. EDSs are currently classified into thirteen types. People with hypermobility spectrum disorders have similar joint symptoms but do not have connective tissue involvement. Dermatosparaxis Ehlers Danlos Syndrome is more common in the Ashkenazi Jewish population than in the general population. In addition, though there has been no official study, Hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome is anecdotally noted to have a higher incidence in the Ashkenazi Jewish population.

For two communities in particular – healthcare professionals and undiagnosed patients – EDS and HSD Awareness Month is a crucial health communication campaign. Diagnoses typically take years or decades. I was not diagnosed with Hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome until I was 21 years old. Though EDSs and HSDs have no cure, symptom treatment and preventative care are essential to maintaining one’s quality of life. [continue reading…]

Matan Koch

As I count the Omer, it is impossible not to think of the seven-week journey. For those of us that have studied Jewish tradition, it is a truism that the Israelites did not leave Egypt primarily to escape slavery but rather to be free to serve God. They took a risk for a reward.

The Israelites were certainly aware of the risk. In what we would now call a good kvetch, they regularly looked at the hardship of the journey and reminisced about the illusory safety and comfort of their enslaved status. Except they weren’t really harkening back to comfort, as forced labor, inhumane conditions, and even the potential risk of death by an overseer, as we read earlier in Exodus, could not have been fond memories. Instead, I think they were lamenting their newfound lack of certainty and the unknown reward in exchange for known risks. [continue reading…]

Shelly Christensen

I’ve been counting the days since I embarked on my new journey at RespectAbility. Today is Day 20. Four whole weeks; time has flown. I’m happy to report that I feel more confident and am settling into my new routine. It has been wonderful getting to know our Staff and Apprentices and bringing my background, knowledge, and experience to RespectAbility’s mission.

Earlier this week, Matan Koch, Senior Vice President of Strategic Change, and I represented RespectAbility at the Network of Jewish Human Services Agencies Conference. The conference reminded me of my roots. More than twenty years ago, I began my career in disability and mental health inclusion in Jewish social services. The conference was a reunion of colleagues and friends and a reminder of how much the human service sector has accomplished over the years. [continue reading…]

Interfaith conversations and programs are a staple of the Religion and Spirituality Network of the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD). Every year, the Network produces a webinar series on timely and important concerns with an interfaith approach.

The Network’s 2022 webinar series, “When Hospitality & Belonging Become Hard: Faith Community Strategies for Responding to Adults with Varying Needs,” is now available. Facilitated by the Rev. Bill Gaventa, an esteemed leader in faith inclusion, religious leaders engaged in conversation to share experiences, wisdom, and practical advice from their respective faith traditions. [continue reading…]

At 19 months old, I was put on a medication called phenobarbital, which was “older than Moses.”

My first cognizant memory of being on medication is when my friends asked me, “what does it taste like?” “Cherry.” And so, my fate was sealed. I’d always be the first one asleep at every sleepover.

The very hours I was supposed to be awake, I found myself sleepwalking through life.

“And the seasons they go round and round…”*

Fast forward to middle school, where Aaron Seglin became my voice, knew the questions I wanted to ask and did. He was my clairvoyant. [continue reading…]

Shelly Christensen, Senior Director of Faith Inclusion

Counting the Omer is a reminder that, in addition to counting the days, we also must reflect on who is counted in our communities.

Everyone Counts.

Ask yourself: How do people with disabilities and mental health conditions and those who love them actually count in your community? When I was the Program Manager of the Minneapolis Jewish Inclusion Program for People with Disabilities, I gave a presentation about the program to the boards of Jewish organizations. It was a stirring presentation to raise awareness and introduce how we could work together to create communities of inclusion and belonging. “Everyone counts,” I concluded. “It’s time to count everyone in.” That was twenty years ago. [continue reading…]