Sad News: Rick Warren's mentally ill son has taken his own life.

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Pastor Rick Warren at Saddleback Church.
The Christian and secular media are reporting the tragic news that Rick Warren’s son has taken his own life after a lifelong battle with mental illness.

The Warrens will be grieving and in terrible distress right now. Every Christian reading this should please offer a prayer of support on their behalf.

At times like these the love of friends and family will be a great support to them, but will not take away the pain. Rick and Kay need the love of Jesus to be especially real to them at this difficult time. Please pray this for them.

Even with such support in prayer, they will of course still mourn. We do grieve as Christians, but we greive differently to those without hope.

Many of you will not know that I am a psychiatrist by training, and still work in that field (although I no longer have direct patient contact). As such I know the devastation that mental illness can bring in its wake only too well.

We live in a fallen world. Rick’s son reportedly received some of the best interventions medical care can offer. Sometimes that is not enough.

Please, if someone you know and love is suffering in a similar way, don’t let anyone persuade you not to reach out for everything medical science can offer. In many cases it can be literally life saving.

Too many of us don’t understand just how serious these illnesses are. I pray that this shocking news may help thousands realize that although faith may be protective in such situations, medicine is often also needed to help.

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