A thing that really disturbs me is when members of the Church reject the existence of mental illness, or believe its effects are easy to nullify. Sufferers are told to just "get over it", or that they're simply claiming it for attention. Some are even told that their suffering is due to a lack of faith, or to some great sin, and even that they're going to Hell.
One thing the Bible makes clear is that alcohol has a tangible effect on the mind. When you're drunk, your mind isn't working properly. As God tells us in Ephesians, we are to avoid drunkenness, because it leads to dissipation. The mind is not constant. It can be affected by many things. The thing with mental illness, however, is that it does not require any external influences. A sufferer does not need a drink, or a drug, or a bad situation, or to be doing anything wrong at all, in order for their illness to affect them. Rather, just as alcohol affects the brain, mental illness is a result of the brain itself having something not quite right with it.
Because of this, mental illness is demonstrably serious. It is as serious as drunkenness, but without such a simple solution. In order to avoid getting drunk, we should simply not drink. But a sufferer of mental illness cannot just avoid drinking. Whatever causes their illness affects them regardless of the choices they make.
As a Church, therefore, we have some responsibilities. First, we must acknowledge that mental illness exists. It isn't just an excuse, it genuinely has some tangible effects. It isn't just for attention, people with such illnesses rarely enjoy discussing it, and often fear judgment for it (justifiably so, as the very existence of this conversation shows). It isn't the sufferer's fault, it is an illness, just like any other. As a Church, we must acknowledge that mental illness exists.
Knowing that it exists, we also have a responsibility to act appropriately. It is wholly unrealistic to expect people to learn about every mental illness in existence on the off chance you will meet someone with it, but when you do know such a person, or are in a position where you are likely to meet one, it is essential to at least try to understand and accommodate them. And not in a condescending way, but in a way that actually seeks to help. In a way that says "you have this struggle, but I do not see you as a lesser being. I love you as I am commanded by Christ, and if that means I must make certain accommodations for you, so be it."
Treating the mentally ill as our equals is the Christian thing to do. It is no different than how we treat the physically ill. How do we treat the blind? Jesus loves them. How do we treat the deaf? Jesus loves them. How do we treat the lame? Jesus loves them. These illnesses all affect a part of the body that affects the daily life of the sufferer. So also does mental illness affect the most important body part of all: The brain. Just as we are to serve the physically ill, we are to serve the mentally ill. Therefore, let us drop the bigotry, take up our cross, and love our fellow man. Jesus is watching you. Make sure He likes what He sees.