Blaming Mental Illness for Mass Shootings is Irresponsible, Lazy, and Deadly

The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz Podcast · Aug 28, 2025 · 4m

I've battled mental illness fiercely for more than half my life.

Over three decades ago, I began to realize I was different from many people (or at least I thought I was). I knew that there was a despair that should come as a natural response when we experience trauma; when tragedy visits us or when we lose someone we love, when bad things happen.

I also knew that I was feeling something far more than this normal and momentary sadness. I had an emotional cloud that lingered, one that did not require evidence or some identifiable cause to exist. Often, I could feel complete dread when all the…