My name is Lauren.

I am a Christian, and I struggle with schizoaffective disorder. My struggle has taken many forms, including attempted suicide, self-harm, panic attacks, and nightmarish psychosis. God has carried me through, and I have found peace and strength in getting to know my Savior, Jesus. I believe God has everything to offer when it comes to mental illness. He has provided me with therapists, psychiatrists, medications, friend groups, healthy coping mechanisms, and most of all, hope.

I want to share this hope with others, and the Church, that is, the community of brothers and sisters in Christ, offers a means for that. Like many people, I have received both support and misguidance from my church community. I see great need in our churches to better understand chronic mental illness and how it relates to faith in Jesus. In addition, I think we can benefit greatly from the testimonies of those who have struggled against self-harm, feelings of worthlessness, panic attacks, suicidalism, and abuse. If we listen closely, we start to hear God speaking in all these situations.

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For these reasons - to benefit both the Church and the mental health community - I seek, by God's grace, to continue and deepen the conversation between the two communities. Chasing the Dawn aims to bring conversation of depression, anxiety, suicide, and psychosis into the walls of the church building and news of the hope in Christ beyond those walls to those suffering from mental illness.

I hope you will join me!