The Heartache No One Sees: Christ's Promise of Healing for a Woman's Wounded Heart

by Sheila Walsh

A host for Heart to Heart with Sheila Walsh and former co-host of The 700 Club discusses her own experience with mental illness, sharing practical advice for women on how to draw on one's faith in order to achieve healing.

Genres: Christian, Christian Non Fiction, Christian Living, Faith, Spirituality, Nonfiction, Christianity

208 pages, Hardcover

First published February 29, 2000

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Sheila Walsh (05-07-1956) is a powerful communicator, Bible teacher, and best-selling author with more than 4 million books sold. A featured speaker with Women of Faith®, Sheila has reached more than 3.5 million women by artistically combining honesty, vulnerability, and humor with God's Word.

Author of the best-selling memoir Honestly and the Gold Medallion nominee for The Heartache No One Sees, Sheila's most recent release, The Shelter of God's Promises, has also been turned into a DVD curriculum and in-depth Bible study. The Gigi, God's Little Princess book and video series has won the National Retailer's Choice Award twice and is the most popular Christian brand for young girls in the United States.

Sheila co-hosted The 700 Club and her own show Heart to Heart with Sheila Walsh. She is currently completing her Masters in Theology.

Twitter @SheilaWalsh, facebook.com/#!/sheilawalshconnects

Reviews

[Julie N · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sheila Walsh is quite possibly my very favorite contemporary Christian author/theologian/speaker. I've been privileged to hear her speak at a Women of Faith conference, but my first real introduction to her was on a Focus on the Family podcast where she discussed being a Christian and struggling with depression (click here to hear the podcast). I think she's the only Christian speaker/author I've encountered who actually addresses the implications of medical interventions for depression (specifically anti-depressants) for Christians. In this book, she largely focuses on her own studies in the Bible regarding depression, and where she thinks hope can be found. Her own story of depression, including a stay in a mental hospital, is told alongside her study of Scripture.

Writing
As I mentioned above, I'm a huge fan of Walsh's. I think her writing is clear and precise, but also emotional and inspiring. She manages to blend her personal story with Biblical insights that she clearly backs up with Scripture. I also applaud her for her honesty in sharing her own story with her audience, particularly when this type of story is not commonly told in conservative Christian circles.

Entertainment Value
This is intended for a pretty specific audience, which I think will have a large impact on whether or not you "enjoy" it. Obviously, it's intended for a female, Christian audience, specifically one that is dealing with depression, anxiety, or hopelessness. She addresses both clinical depression and depression that has come from a specific situation. If you're struggling, I think she's a great author to turn to and this book contained a world of help for me.

Overall
I highly recommend it to those who are struggling in any aspect of life, particularly those who are looking to the Bible for help and to the Christian community for support.

[Alyson Jefferson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grace and love meet the hidden hearts of suffering. Everyone that is in ministry or wants to be should read this book. Mental health and the church sadly, still have a great divid of prejudice and hurtful fear. What if we met it with love, helping our fellow humans remove their grave clothes with the truth of the Word of God. Christian’s would be known for their love. That God loved them so deeply and met them in their brokenness, so that fellow Christian’s would love each other with the same love. We would stop wounding one another. Grace and love is found in the binding of this book. May you find it as well.

[Jenny · Rating 2 out of 5]

hmm. it started with promise, but felt like it was like every other book. so i stopped reading.

[PollyAnna Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you ever read a book that you want to memorize and keep close to your heart forever-besides the Bible? That's what #TheHeartacheNoOneSees, and the last 2 books I've read, is for me. I want to put this manuscript all over my arms and hands so I can be reminded of it, like we are commanded to do with The Word in the Old Testament. Not in place of The Word!!! Along with it!!

Sheila has "been there"-the heartache no one sees. She GETS it. She doesn't sugarcoat the Truth, but she is sensitive to my pain because she's been through it, too. She has struggled and struggles with so much of what I do and have struggled with.

She is another who is "of the race of Joseph." I so want to run in her circle of friends. ♡ And learn to love Jesus more together.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Walsh uses plenty of personal examples and scripture to explore the common heartaches women face. I liked the way the book worked through sort of from an inside out approach moving from our own perceptions to the hurts that have affected us to our interactions with others. A good reminder of God's faithfulness in the midst of heartache and the importance of keeping His perspective on ourselves.

[Sharon Parcel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helpful for anyone hurting for any reason

[Paula Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book to anyone who has been wounded, whose heart is broken, who no longer feels loved.

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

So easy to read. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Sheila is so witty and makes it seem like you are across the table from her rather than reading her words from the page. Would definitely recommend.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have gone through a heartbreak, this is a very good book to read to help you help. Very well written

[Monica Mohr · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved her accent in the audiobook!! It was so soothing to listen to

[Naomi Shores · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jesus heals the broken hearted and binds their wounds. I don't personally deal with depression but I believe this book might help people who do. Sheila talks about what she went through when she was first diagnosed and how God is helping her through it.

[Rena · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like this book. It was encouraging to read her story and to see how she overcame the depression.

[Becki]

Synopsis from B&N: At a time that should have been considered the highlight of her career, Sheila Walsh admitted herself to the psychiatric wing of a Washington, D.C. hospital. Having worked for five years as cohost of The 700 Club, the years of treading water while trying to keep so much around her afloat and keep various plates spinning left her drowning in a hopeless sea of clinical depression. Despite her best efforts, she simply couldn't will herself out of it. \nNow more than ten years later, Sheila understands what it's like to be wounded. It has been the passion of her heart to study what God's Word has to say about this and then share her liberty with other hurting souls. \nIt took me over a year to read this book. I kept picking it up, reading some, and putting it down to think it over. And then returning to it again days (or weeks) later. \nSheila Walsh writes in an easy-to-read style and tells her story in an approachable way. I appreciated the �Application Points� at the end of each chapter, and the study guide in the back was good � if some of the questions were rather difficult.\nI think this excerpt from the book really sums up the message:\nOur very wounds, when offered to Christ, become beacons of hope to others. When you have had your heart broken, you understand what it�s like to suffer, to feel despair. You recognize that drowning look in the eyes of someone else.\nNow is the time to live as Christ lived. Now is the time to love as Christ loved. You don�t have to be perfect, just perfectly convinced that love is the only way to reach a broken heart.\nSheila challenges each of her readers to face and work through their past issues and hurts. Work through them with God, in themselves, and, at times, with others. And then continued walking in freedom by reaching out and helping Jesus heal others. \n

[Risa Hikari · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I saw this in a Book Sale shop, I immediately felt the Holy Spirit urge to buy it with another book. Currently I'm in almost end of this book. I rated this 5 stars because Sheila Walsh really saw the heartbeat of every woman with our every scars. Her honestly and openness led her to be used by God to be a "wounded healer" herself. She shows the truth that we come to our God as true and broken as we are to be healed not to face him while trying to say that we are fine and strong. Because God is a God of respect he will not force his will for us but if we want to be healed we need to surrender and admit in front of the Healer that we really need a healing that He can only deliver.

It's also amazing God used this book to speak to me his purpose for my life. Just amazing.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Real Healing

I bought this book after hearing Sheila speak some time ago and started reading it but set it aside. This week, I picked it back up and finished it within a few days. This past year, I suffered a few depressive episodes related to life circumstances. I never wanted medication, although I'm not against it. I love that Sheila doesn't condemn medication and those who use it but also encourages us to surround ourselves with a community that cares for us.

The real healing that Sheila points us to is Jesus--the great healer. The book is encouraging and The author is open about what she faced.

Im really glad I took the time to read it.

[Candi Clites · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book saved my life in 2007 - I had read it and reread it several times. It is full of hope and knowing your faith will get you through the dark times. Sheila Walsh told it like it is, and I appreciated that. Honest and truthfulness dealing with depression is incredibly important. I hope those of you dealing with depression, abandonment, and other personal issue's reads this book! You are loved, you are wanted, you are needed.

[Amy Beckman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book digs deep into the hidden heart of Christians - the part that is afraid to be exposed to the light. I think my favorite quote was, "The terror of my heart was that my behavior would leave me alone in this world." This book helped me allow God's grace to penetrate to the core and realize that I need to do my part in making sure that the church is an authentic place to bring real people who don't have to put on a facade.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing

I have certain biblical beliefs. I should have read the sample of the book more thoroughly, instead of trusting another author of a recommendation. I didn't mean to buy a sunday school booklet. I wouldnt have made the purchase if only I had paid better attention. No more blind purchases on someone else's opinion of "help"

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED this book! It's more meant for a Christian reader, but the journey of the author out of the depths of depression, (which I also suffer from), I think would be inspiring for anyone who has battled--or know someone who has battled--with this mental illness.

[Nicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book when I was in the deepest depression of my life. It saved my life, changed my perspective, and brought me to Christ. I felt like Walsh was looking through the window to my soul, understanding exactly what I was thinking and feeling. She showed me the tools I needed to heal.

[Nikole Hahn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a good bible study/self help book for anyone going through tremendous difficulty. She can really understand the heart of the matter.

[Amy]

My dear sister-in-law gave me this book. Amazing!

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I defiently recommend it to women who have suffered with depression.

[Mandy Havert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thugs was loaned to me by a friend. I think I got to it a little later than I needed it. I lost momentum and returned it more than a year after it was loaned.

[Lori Wasson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Sheila Walsh! I really connect with what she is saying and can relate to all she has gone through.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every woman should read this