Christian approach to mental illness...

[Christ_empowered]

...Just what would such an approach involve? I'm confused, personally. I apparently have some sort of severe "Bipolar I disorder," but I don't think I really fit into the DSM. Actually, I think that if you look closely at patients who do seem to fit into the DSM, you'll find confused, damaged people leading chaotic lives who come under psychiatry's power.

I don't mean to sound completely anti-psychiatry, but I'm starting to wonder. I was The Village Idiot for what could have/should have been some of the most fun years of my youth, in large part because of psychiatry. When I got a brain scan after a head injury (botched mugging), it turned out I had enough brain damage in all the right places to make me a vegetable. Whoops. Thanks, modern psychiatry.

God had and has a plan for me, of course. My IQ is apparently back up, I've got social skills, I can write OK and figure things out. Apparently, this thing that one shrink called "transcendent intelligence"---a sort of intelligence that doesn't come from the brain---is not only keeping me from being a vegetable, its keeping me from being low-functioning. Awesome...for me. What about all the other "mental patients" ? And why is it that the "Christian response" to mental anguish seems to be either: 1) take your meds and do what your (of course well-intentioned) doctor says or 2) pray it away.

Its worth noting that some of the early asylums for crazy people in the US were Christian. Quaker, to be specific. They practiced "moral treatment," in which people were given rooms and space and taught how to be normal. They apparently had a rather high success rate, until the state hospitals started getting crowded and lobotomies, ECT, and later high doses of Thorazine became the name of the game.

That's the other thing...we're so quick, as Christians, to trust our minds to non-believers. Trust me, shrinks are some of the most thoroughly un-Christian people you'll ever meet. A lot of their theories are also decidedly un-scientific. The few doctors I've known have a low opinion both of shrinks and of their profession. That should tell you something.

But, yeah...lobotomies, Thorazine, and electroshock in one era, Zyprexa, Adderall, and Cymbalta in another. Has anything really changed? How should Chrisitans in general respond to those who suffer in this way? And how should a Christian who suffers interpret and deal with his/her experiences?

I should note that, personally, I'm doing better than ever. My doc is even talking about cutting my Abilify dose, possibly in 1/2.

 

[DarkHorseRising]

It's good to know things are looking up for you. Hope it continues!

There's several related disciplines, which have varying levels of legitimacy and accuracy.

Pharmacology involves body (usually brain and endocrine) chemistry; if your body is producing too much or not enough of a substance, it can often be corrected. This is pretty mainstream.

Psychology is another beast. While there's solid evidence and precedents for many diagnoses and treatments, it's far less open to critical examination for a variety of reasons. it's what you would call "not an exact science".

Mental illness, in my opinion, is little different from many of the other diseases that we experience as an imperfect species. Just as God has given some people talents in healing physical injury, so too does he give people talents in healing psychological disorders.

 

[Former Christian]

Can't say as I see much difference. A disease is a physical problem. Mental illness is a mental problem. We should treat them the same. Try to help in remedying whatever the problem and ask God's help in doing so. Since as Creator, God would know better than anyone what the real problem is and how to remedy it.

PS: DarkHorseRising. I'm not a non-Christian. Not yet. I'm a former Christian. There's a difference.

NC

 

[Kidron]

...Just what would such an approach involve? I'm confused, personally. I apparently have some sort of severe "Bipolar I disorder," but I don't think I really fit into the DSM. Actually, I think that if you look closely at patients who do seem to fit into the DSM, you'll find confused, damaged people leading chaotic lives who come under psychiatry's power.

I don't mean to sound completely anti-psychiatry, but I'm starting to wonder. I was The Village Idiot for what could have/should have been some of the most fun years of my youth, in large part because of psychiatry. When I got a brain scan after a head injury (botched mugging), it turned out I had enough brain damage in all the right places to make me a vegetable. Whoops. Thanks, modern psychiatry.

God had and has a plan for me, of course. My IQ is apparently back up, I've got social skills, I can write OK and figure things out. Apparently, this thing that one shrink called "transcendent intelligence"---a sort of intelligence that doesn't come from the brain---is not only keeping me from being a vegetable, its keeping me from being low-functioning. Awesome...for me. What about all the other "mental patients" ? And why is it that the "Christian response" to mental anguish seems to be either: 1) take your meds and do what your (of course well-intentioned) doctor says or 2) pray it away.

Its worth noting that some of the early asylums for crazy people in the US were Christian. Quaker, to be specific. They practiced "moral treatment," in which people were given rooms and space and taught how to be normal. They apparently had a rather high success rate, until the state hospitals started getting crowded and lobotomies, ECT, and later high doses of Thorazine became the name of the game.

That's the other thing...we're so quick, as Christians, to trust our minds to non-believers. Trust me, shrinks are some of the most thoroughly un-Christian people you'll ever meet. A lot of their theories are also decidedly un-scientific. The few doctors I've known have a low opinion both of shrinks and of their profession. That should tell you something.

But, yeah...lobotomies, Thorazine, and electroshock in one era, Zyprexa, Adderall, and Cymbalta in another. Has anything really changed? How should Chrisitans in general respond to those who suffer in this way? And how should a Christian who suffers interpret and deal with his/her experiences?

I should note that, personally, I'm doing better than ever. My doc is even talking about cutting my Abilify dose, possibly in 1/2.

Well, while reading your comments i noticed that you sound lucid, astute, and synatically excellent.
I noticed no rambling incoherent spaghetti speech such as you find here all the time for example.

Are you sure you are having any issue?

I know of a Christian medical health care person in Florida, tho i dont think he is a shrink, i think he is trained in the art of Psychoanalysis.
I would be happy to forward you his email, but i think he'll just tell you that you are more normal then most of the people you find on Christian forums.;)
He's a good Christian, served on the Mission Fields of Latin America for years, has 3 kids, and is also a full time minister.
He also worked in a local hospital "mental health" clinic for about a decade, as well as having his own private practice.



If i can help, let me know.

 

[Zom]

I personally have had a limited but good experience with my "shrink." He's a neuropsychologist who is also a man of the faith, so I can speak with him in terms we both understand. He's been a great help to me over the years. Medication, on the other hand, is something I'm leery of.

 

[Christ_empowered]

Meds--or at least 1 medication, Abilify--seem necessary for me, at least for the next couple years. My problem is that I've personally experienced such incredibly harsh, punitive treatment at the hands of mental health "professionals."

I'm not the only one, but I think my case is a little extreme. I just don't like this position I'm in, where I have to see an un-believer to alter my brain chemistry and then a nominal believer every now and then to talk things out. I wonder if maybe Christians should come up with a good spiritual response to mental distress that would help us all make sense of things.

As for my "problems"...sometimes, I suspect its more PTSD than anything, but my breakdowns have been major (one involved 6 months of psychosis, hypertension, weight loss, agitation, and a "psychosomatic regression") and kinda sorta fit a bipolar I pattern, so I take Abilify. A PTSD diagnosis would just mean more medication/different meds, so I'll just stick w/ Bipolar I.

 

[tim-from-pa]

...Just what would such an approach involve? I'm confused, personally. I apparently have some sort of severe "Bipolar I disorder," but I don't think I really fit into the DSM. Actually, I think that if you look closely at patients who do seem to fit into the DSM, you'll find confused, damaged people leading chaotic lives who come under psychiatry's power.

I don't mean to sound completely anti-psychiatry, but I'm starting to wonder. I was The Village Idiot for what could have/should have been some of the most fun years of my youth, in large part because of psychiatry. When I got a brain scan after a head injury (botched mugging), it turned out I had enough brain damage in all the right places to make me a vegetable. Whoops. Thanks, modern psychiatry.

God had and has a plan for me, of course. My IQ is apparently back up, I've got social skills, I can write OK and figure things out. Apparently, this thing that one shrink called "transcendent intelligence"---a sort of intelligence that doesn't come from the brain---is not only keeping me from being a vegetable, its keeping me from being low-functioning. Awesome...for me. What about all the other "mental patients" ? And why is it that the "Christian response" to mental anguish seems to be either: 1) take your meds and do what your (of course well-intentioned) doctor says or 2) pray it away.

Its worth noting that some of the early asylums for crazy people in the US were Christian. Quaker, to be specific. They practiced "moral treatment," in which people were given rooms and space and taught how to be normal. They apparently had a rather high success rate, until the state hospitals started getting crowded and lobotomies, ECT, and later high doses of Thorazine became the name of the game.

That's the other thing...we're so quick, as Christians, to trust our minds to non-believers. Trust me, shrinks are some of the most thoroughly un-Christian people you'll ever meet. A lot of their theories are also decidedly un-scientific. The few doctors I've known have a low opinion both of shrinks and of their profession. That should tell you something.

But, yeah...lobotomies, Thorazine, and electroshock in one era, Zyprexa, Adderall, and Cymbalta in another. Has anything really changed? How should Chrisitans in general respond to those who suffer in this way? And how should a Christian who suffers interpret and deal with his/her experiences?

I should note that, personally, I'm doing better than ever. My doc is even talking about cutting my Abilify dose, possibly in 1/2.

Well, my friend, you already know my stance from the health boards. I tend to keep far from doctors if possible and seek the Lord and His natural ways (including bible foods) which you said you already knew about, specifically some vitamins, ect. If you can afford it, a good naturopath may help, and notice I said "good" because even they may fall into certain clicks.

On the legal end of the drug issue, people deemed with "mental" issues or kids are still at the mercy of those vibrating jelly-chinned judges that mandate drugs at the slam of an authoritative gavel. On just the other thread the issue was brought up that most drugs that kids are on were never tested well on kids, and adverse reactions happen all the time. However, that's just why they are on them in some cases when the parents were forced with the "gaveling" either that or have them taken away.

It's a big money racket that they want to cram down everyone's throats. I hear ya.

 

[Christ_empowered]

hey tim. These days it is all about $$$ because Big Pharma is pumping out all kindsa super expensive drugs for various ailments. Sometimes they just dress up old drugs, like Vyvanse, which is just Dexedrine+lysine, so its supposed to be non-abusable or something.

Anyway, that's part of my problem with the mental health industry. The other part is that it just isn't very scientific and its very self-focused, except when you get slapped with a severe label and you're suddenly facing involuntary treatment and/or commitment.

There's something godless, cold, and almost death-loving about psychiatry. Plus, its un-scientific. All they can do is try to suppress certain symptoms and hope the drugs don't make you incapabe of doing something productive. And if they do...well, you have a "disease," after all; suck it up!

I'm glad Abilify is on the market. I mean, psychosis isn't fun and for me, its physically dangerous (hypertension, weight loss, severe insomnia). Without the supplements, an effective dose of Abilify would be impossible to tolerate for me. With all my supplements, I get the best of both worlds: 1 helpful medication+lots of good for you supplements. Its a good set up.

But I hate being in "the system." And now I'm on disability, largely because "the system" destroyed my life before God restored and transformed me. My long term goal is to get some sort of education and then try to wean myself off the Abilify once I've been more or less psychosis free and I've made more spiritual progress.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

Its worth noting that some of the early asylums for crazy people in the US were Christian. Quaker, to be specific. They practiced "moral treatment," in which people were given rooms and space and taught how to be normal.

I'm convinced this is the answer for anyone struggling with the flesh, whether your struggle is with an official ailment, or not.