Resilient and Redeemed: Lessons about Suicidality and Depression from the Psych Ward by Chris Morris

 

About the Book

 

Book: Resilient and Redeemed: Lessons about Suicidality and Depression from the Psych Ward

Author: Chris Morris

Genre: Christian Living / Mental Health

Release date: June 11, 2024

God cares deeply about you and your mental health. Author and mental health advocate Chris Morris has battled depression and suicidality his entire adult life. Even coming to Christ didn’t change this, which is something many fellow Christians don’t seem to understand. He still had to face the grief of unrelenting illness, the shame of struggling, and the pain of poor guidance.

In this compassionate and engaging book, Chris shares how he overcame these challenges and invites you to do the same–no matter your diagnosis. Weaving biblical truth and personal stories with thoughtful strategies and hard-earned wisdom, he helps you move past fear and shame to combat the specters of depression and suicidality.

God is still there, even in the darkest of places. May this book be a step in the process of healing and help you find hope in your battle.

Includes reflection questions, Scripture meditations, and a bonus video course.

 

Click here to get your copy!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions given are my own and not an

endorsement of all author's opinions. 

 

Author Interview

● What was your process to align your book with your target audience?

This book pretty naturally aligns with its target audience, to be honest. It is written for

people of faith who struggle with this mental health, their loved ones, and church leaders

who want to better understand the mental health struggles their people are going

through. And frankly, the nature of the stories in the book lend themselves quite naturally

to those three audiences.

I do worry that someone who isn’t in my target audience might pick up this book and

expect something very different than what the book actually gives them. For example, if

they are looking for a quick answer to solve a mental health dilemma, this book won’t

provide that. I will say that the reason that won’t be provided is because I don’t believe

there are quick answers to mental health challenges. But that’s one example of how

someone might be disappointed with Resilient and Redeemed.

● What was the most challenging part of writing your book?

One of the chapters details my suicide attempt. This was intense and challenging to

write on many levels. For starters, my suicide attempt is probably the biggest mistake

I’ve ever made in my life, so revisiting that was humbling and brought a lot of pain to the

surface. Beyond that, I had to rely on my wife’s memories of the suicide attempt, so we

had to walk back through the most painful thing we’ve experienced together in our

marriage. There were lots of tears shed, and we had to decide together whether it was

appropriate to even share pieces of this moment with the whole world.

On a related note, every part of this book was hard to write because I am exposing

myself and my struggles to every reader of the book. I worried, and still do worry, about

people thinking less of me or dismissing me because of the stories contained in Resilient

and Redeemed.

● Was your writing process spontaneous as it came to you or very planned and

organized? Why?

I have a combination of spontaneous and organized portions of my writing process. I do

start with an outline, so I’m not fully a “pantser” by any means. Especially with a book

like this, it’s too important to make sure that I’m covering all the important parts of my life

and detailing all the ways God proved himself faithful in the midst of my life. However,

my outline consists of about a paragraph for each chapter that I plan to write. Crafting

that outline is a very intentional and slow process, that takes a lot of time, planning, and

thought.

But, once I have that outline, I just roll with it and see what flows out of my brain. I free-

write based on the paragraph summaries. Surprisingly, most of the first drafts that I write

end up being part of the final project. I think that the outlining and the thought that goes

into the outlining frees my brain to focus in the background on the full chapters, so that

it’s almost like I’m just capturing the ideas that are already fully formed in my head on

paper.

● How many books do you personally own?

I own about 300 physical books. I have a wide floor-to-ceiling bookshelf in my office, and

it’s overflowing with books. That doesn’t even count the ebooks and audiobooks that I

have. I would say I have a problem, but then again, isn’t it a good thing to never run out

of books to read? Truthfully, I have about 50 books on my TBR list right now, and I just

bought a new one the other day. Whoops!

● What is your next big goal as an author?

My next big goal is to land a TEDx spot. I know it’s not technically an author goal, but it’s

where I am focusing right now. I have met so many people who want to support mental

illness communities, but feel like they have nothing to offer. My TED Talk would be

focused on the ways that anyone can impact those with mental illnesses. Too many folks

believe they need to be a social worker or a psychiatrist to make a difference, but often

times it’s as simple as being an excellent listener.

About the Author

Chris Morris is a certified mental health coach dedicated to promoting understanding of mental health issues within the church. Because of a lifelong struggle with depression and suicidality, Chris became committed to breaking down the stigma surrounding mental health and encouraging others to seek after holistic health.

As a writer and speaker, Chris has shared his personal story and insights with audiences across the country, inspiring many individuals to take control of their own health, break free from poor theological teaching placed upon them, and seek the support they need. He has published several books on mental health, the most recent being Resilient and Redeemed. His work has been featured in a number of media outlets, including CrossWalk, The Mighty, and Fathom Magazine.

Chris is deeply committed to creating a more compassionate and supportive world and church for individuals living with mental health issues. Through his writing and speaking, he is a powerful voice for change and a beacon of hope for those in need.

More from Chris

Resilient and Redeemed is a book that the Christian community needs. For too long, those with mental health conditions have been forced to be shamed or to hide their struggles. Especially in a post-COVID world, mental health has to come to the forefront of the conversation. This book details in an unapologetic way my struggles with depression and suicidal ideations. The core message of this book is that God doesn’t write people off because of their struggles with their mental health. No, God is with us and for us no matter what.

Resilient and Redeemed is full of hard-won, battle-tested tools that will help people fight the battle for their mental health. There are no easy answers given, because no two mental illnesses present the same. Ensconced in story, this book gives a full toolbox of practices to support better mental health, ranging from how to find a counselor that will work for you to daily rituals that will ground your days and affirm your agency in your life.

I also put together a video series talking about resilience to accompany this book. As a member of the blog tour, you’ll gain access to over 40 minutes of me talking about resilience. We cover things like where does resilience come from, what does resilience have to do with faith, and so much more. I’m especially proud of the work I did for this video series, and I think you’ll find it incredibly valuable.

Blog Stops

Vicky Sluiter, July 27 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 27

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, July 28 (Author Interview)

Simple Harvest Reads, July 29 (Author Interview)

For the Love of Literature, July 30 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, July 31

Tell Tale Book Reviews, August 1 (Author Interview)

Through the Fire Blogs, August 2 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 3

Blossoms and Blessings, August 4 (Author Interview)

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 5

Stories By Gina, August 6 (Author Interview)

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, August 7 (Author Interview)

A Reader’s Brain, August 8 (Author Interview)

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, August 9 (Author Interview)

Artistic Nobody, August 9

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, Chris is giving away the grand prize package of a $75 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book, and an Audible copy of Whispers in the Pews: Voices on Mental Illness in the Church!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/2dbd9/resilient-and-redeemed-celebration-tour-giveaway