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Mental Health Awareness and Support
Melanie Roopanram
Hi my name is Melanie Roopanram and this is the story of my life with clinical depression.
I did not realize that my mental health journey started from a young age. Growing up was very hard for me because I was constantly bullied in school. During my high school years, I had lost all hope in life. I became friends with the wrong type of people. I was skipping class, causing and getting into all kinds of trouble because my self-esteem was very low. I often isolated myself and was very secretive about everything which made things worse. It got to the point that I was constantly thinking about suicide and self-harm.
During 2014, things got worse for me. Even though it seemed on the surface that I was putting it together, I was still battling inner demons. I was going to school and working at the same time and I tried to maintain this balance. Yet, after a few months, I was kicked out of school and lost my job because my depression swallowed me whole. I continued to be in denial and not get help even though my mom had consulted our family doctor and recommended I do therapy. Since my mom insisted, I do this, I started to go to therapy and this helped me for some time. However, after my therapy sessions ended, things again went downhill. I did, temporarily, turn to religion and God and it did provide me some comfort despite what was going on. But I was not ready to fully embark on a religious journey at that time.
In 2016 I got very sick with depression. I isolated myself and I spent long hours in my room. The feelings I had were very dangerous to my mental well-being. Nothing phased me outside the house and even at home I showed almost no sign of reaction to anything. I was put on medication to help with my depression. But that was not enough. My mom then scheduled an appointment for me with a psychiatrist at a hospital. I went once but did not go back because I was not interested. So, she took me to another hospital to see another psychiatrist. She went with me to the first appointment. I kept seeing the psychiatrist for over a year and was diagnosed with clinical depression.
As the years went by, family members kept telling me that I needed God in my life. He was the only one who could help change me. I would listen to them but had no intention of following through with their suggestions. I had no motivation, but I did know deep down that they were right. I needed to build a closer relationship with God. I knew that God had brought me this far for a reason. Someone had taught me that in life when you want something you fight for it. So, I started to fight all my negative thoughts. But I still was struggling with how to build a closer relationship with God.
A few months into the pandemic, Pastor Mark Jallim introduced me to his Bible study. I joined because I knew it was a start to building a closer relationship with God. Since I have been attending it, I have been learning new things every week. He has been very encouraging and supportive in helping me grow spiritually. Even though suicidal thoughts are still a struggle, I am learning to not dwell on those thoughts and remember God during my times of need.
Melanie Roopanram
Mental Health Awareness and Support
My Mental Health Journey - Chris Perreira
Hi, my name is Christopher Perreira and this is the story of my life with Borderline Personality Disorder.
My mental health journey started at very young age. My parents, brother and sister emigrated from Guyana in 1972 and settled in Scarborough, Ontario. Two years later I was born and my parents to move to Brampton, Ontario. School was my first interaction with peers, and I can remember from a very young age feeling different, like I did not fit in and I became hypersensitive when interacting with them. These feelings continued through elementary school and into high school. While at school I was bullied, accosted, abused physically (not sexually) and psychologically teased as I was small in stature and very quiet. At this time, I had lost hope in life, I did not know where I belonged and had only 1 or 2 friends in Brampton with no other social interaction. It was during this time that I accepted Christ in my life and felt the peace of God despite the persecutions.
In 1994, I took a break from school and after OAC (gr13) I stayed home for half a year. I then went to Seneca College and did a semester of electronic engineering courses. I had no interest in these course but wanted to follow my dad's engineering background to try and fit in but this didn't happen. After the semester I begged my father to support me on a trip to Guyana which he did. However, even in Guyana the rejection and bullying continued. The idea that my culture could fulfil me quickly fizzled out, and I still felt intense emptiness and the pain of loneliness even when I was not alone.
In 1996 my parents moved to Pickering. As most of my family, on both sides, dwell in and around this area we thought being closer in proximity to family would help. Nonetheless hospitalizations for suicide attempt calls began around this time and I was put-on medications. When I got my first car I tried to work but still found holding down a job difficult. As I approached my late 20's and early to mid-thirties the hospitalizations continued and the sting of loneliness continued.
At age 33, due to all the suicidal attempts I qualified for ODSP (Ontario Disability Support Program) and decided it was best to move out of my parent's home. However, I was still depressed and feelings of extreme loneliness and emptiness continued. I then reach out to my father almost daily for moral support and the Lord to help for strength and comfort.
In 2016, I was diagnosed with BPD (Borderline Personality Disorder). It is first recognized in adolescence and is thought of as bipolar disorder or just anxiety and depression but takes about 20 years to be diagnosed. The cause of BPD is bio-social. The bio-social theory states that "a predisposition to interpersonal sensitivity (not Gene's but something called endophenotypes) coupled with an invalidating social environment leads to a disruption in normal thinking patterns." DBT Skills Training Manual by Dr. Marsha Linehan (Second Edition)
Over these years God has been working in my life, I was always a peacemaker and always wanted to tell people about Jesus Christ. I was teased for this a lot but was never ashamed of God. I've had the opportunity to preach and teach in the remotest parts of southern Guyana (the interior) with our aboriginal people, and God has been leading me from truth to truth the whole way. God used the Covid pandemic to lead me to Living Hope Community Church, Pastor Mark Jallim has been very encouraging and supportive of me. He has a fair grip on mental illness, health, wellbeing and outreach and has given me a platform to speak, for which I am thankful. The pain is still daily but has morphed and changed into something more manageable than in my twenties and early thirties. Suicidal ideation (playing with thoughts of not being around) is still an everyday challenge but I've come this far and God is Good and thus I will continue to serve him and with the love and support of friends, family and my church family to press on towards the goal to which God has called me heavenward.
Chris Perreira
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Welcome to our Women's Coffee Chat!
Hello, My name is Debra Jallim, and I am the leader of the Women's Coffee Chat Group. We meet weekly on Wednesdays at 7:30 PM. As women of God, we play a key role in the lives of our families. Our goal is to encourage each other in our walk and relationship with Christ. Most importantly we challenge each other to supp
Community Engagement and Support
We are dedicated to fostering community engagement and providing support. In today's reality, many individuals are in urgent need of fundamental necessities—such as warm meals, shelter, and clothing—along with a secure place where they can find refuge. To effectively address these needs within our community, we have
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Our Elders
Spiritual Oversight
Teaching & Preaching
Responsible for the spiritual well-being of the congregation. They provide spiritual oversight, care, and guidance to the members.
Teaching & Preaching
Teaching & Preaching
Elders may be involved in teaching or preaching, assisting the pastor in conveying the Word of God to the congregation.
Leadership & Decision Making
Participate in the leadership and decision-making processes of the church. They may be part of elder boards or sessions that help shape the overall direction of the church.
Pastoral Care
Engage in pastoral care, offering support and guidance to individuals and families during various life situations.
Church Discipline
Sometimes involved in the process of church discipline, ensuring that the congregation adheres to biblical principles and addressing issues of concern.
Prayers & Intercession
Involved in leading congregational prayer and intercession for the needs of the church and its members.
Our Deacons
Service & Compassion
Primarily responsible for the practical and compassionate aspects of ministry. They focus on meeting the physical and material needs of the congregation and the community.
Financial Stewardship
Often play a role in managing the church's finances, overseeing budgets, and ensuring responsible stewardship of resources.
Care for the Needy
Involved in identifying and addressing the needs of the less fortunate, both within the church and in the surrounding community.
Hospitality
Facilitating Ministries
Involved in coordinating hospitality initiatives, welcoming newcomers, and facilitating a sense of community within the church.
Facilitating Ministries
Facilitating Ministries
Facilitating Ministries
Facilitate various ministries related to mercy, benevolence, and community outreach.
Supporting Elders
Facilitating Ministries
Facilitating Ministries
While deacons have their distinct responsibilities, they work in tandem with our elders to ensure the holistic care and well-being of the congregation.
