Youth battling anxiety, depression & suicide ideation

YOUTH BATTLING ANXIETY DEPRESSION: At this time we face a far greater demand for counselling than before. Especially from youth. I didn’t anticipate that when I organized a Christian counselling referral service called CARE Belize in November. CARE stands for Counsellors Associated for Relationship Empowerment. When it began, LGBT advocates accused evangelical publicly of not caring about LGBTs. Or about any of the 14 other disadvantaged groups identified by their failed “Equal Opportunities Bill.”

Instead, I found that experienced Christian counsellors are working with all those groups and the LGBTs too. Of course, they are seeking to restore their God-given male or female identities to them rather than affirm any number of false LGBT+ identities. Only the truth will set us free.

Fifteen counsellors have agreed to join the CARE Belize confidential list. We keep it confidential because of the sensitive nature of many of the issues they address. But we do have a public list of 17 pastors on our carebelize.com/help web page. These pastors have agreed to take calls about any of the 15 issues, and get back to the caller within 48 hours. They may decide to handle the counselling issue themselves, with the grace God gives them. Or they use their discretion to refer any issue to one of the experienced counsellors.

Woke or Holy Spirit Counselling?

Recently the Department of Youth Services (DYS) surveyed young people to determine their most pressing concerns. They asked them how issues affected them such as crime, gangs, drugs, unemployment, Covid-19 and poverty. The results surprised them.

The survey found that more young people than ever want counselling for emotional and mental issues. Now the DYS plans to do a bigger nationwide survey of 8000+ young people ages 13-29 to find out their counselling needs. And DYS is already offering free counselling at their Belize City office.

But we know that any such government program will tend to be woke or pro-LGBT. Calling evils good will ensnare young people more deeply in evils. So CARE Belize is stepping up our promotion. Now we are making announcements on secular as well as Christian radio.

Woke awakening or great awakening?

Like so many Christians worldwide, we are anticipating great global revival, even a great awakening. But revival usually reaches young people more than other age groups. We don’t want to lose this harvest to the devil.

Here is what we are announcing on the radio. Because of the recent demand, we are tailoring it more to youth:

“We are CARE Belize, C-A-R-E, Counsellors Associated for Relationship Empowerment. We are here to help. Do you feel alone in your struggle against depression or anxiety? Go to carebelize.com/help. Are you struggling to find a job, or keep a job, because of racial prejudice, or political prejudice, or religious prejudice, or other disadvantage? Go to carebelize.com/help. Do you feel alone in your struggle because of pregnancy, or lack of baby care, or lack of childcare, or too many family responsibilities? Or, have you lost your parents? Go to carebelize.com/help.

“If you’ve been sexually abused, or if you feel alone in your struggle with sexual attractions or addictions, or if a past criminal record keeps you from getting a job, where do you go? Go to carebelize.com/help, Does life get so hard that you sometimes think of killing yourself? CARE will provide you with a list of pastors who can help. These pastors have access to many kinds of counsellors who can also help you. Go to carebelize.com/help, and you will find out how to contact these experienced counsellors. CARE can help you build better relationships and a better future. That’s carebelize.com/help.”

Bowed down by depression, or lifting our heads?

We mention anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts because they plague today’s youth more than other issues. A recent study in the US found that 56% of 18 to 24-year-olds report anxiety and depression issues. Even more startling, 25% in this age group reported that anxiety and depression led to suicidal ideation. Suicide has become now the second leading cause of death for people ages 10 to 34.

At an earlier and earlier age, young people face challenges they have not yet grown into. Teachers tell them whatever they feel about their sex is right, but keep them from learning right from wrong. So when God shakes the world, as He is doing now, their anxiety increases.

“There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken” (Luke 21:25-26).

We need to share Christ with them more than ever. Not only to overcome the world now, but to look forward to an eternal future with Him. “Then they will see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN A CLOUD with power and great glory. But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near” (verses 25-26).