Which religion supports mental illness best?

[oldbadger]

I know this is an odd question... and to be honest, I don't really know whether anyone can answer it.

I have a mental health problem and feel that Christianity just doesn't explain it or support it.

What religion would you say does support MI best?

Excellent and interesting OP.

Over the decades, in several films about North American tribes, it was claimed that people with mental illness were cared for and not treated harshly. Some films have also shown that Gay indians were treated with respect and kindness by some tribes.

The question is: Which tribes?
This does count as religion, I reckon, because for most North American Indians their lives and surroundings were their religions, I think.

As for Christianity........... oh dear! Over here folks who were seen to be mentally disabled were shut away in hospitals like Bethlem and the (Christian) public payed to come inside and watch, laugh at, abuse the 'patients'. Several members of Royal families have been locked away so as not to bring embarraddment upon those families.

If you visit extreme Christian forums you may notice that descriptions for mental disability such as 'mentally retarded', 'mentally defective' 'loons' and such are quite common.

 

[oldbadger]

I'd answer the OP's question, but to say which religion best
foments the spread of mental illness would be divisive.
There are so many, & I'm sure each would want the honor.

On behalf of the Studd Hill Moonlight Naked Frolickers and Ravers, we take great exception to the suggestion that anybody in our Moonlight Naked Frolicking group might be in the least bit 'nutty'. It could be argued that Henry Winstanley is in the final throws of total dementia, but that don't count.

So there......... (rave on in the moonlight, yeah.....)

 

[Lyndon]

Most illnesses can be cured, but there is no cure for Midnight Naked Frolicking!!

 

[Tabu]

Religions provide a set of guidelines which prevent one from falling sick and God is the stick religions use to scare people from going near these prohibitions which mostly tend to make people ill. ( suggested by intellect and experiences )
Now if one doesn't follow these guidelines , trespasses them ,does what is prohibited and sadly falls ill , any amount of regretting will not help in any way but rather add to the disease and make it more severe.
What comes handy here is spirituality (if there is a misunderstanding , surely it doesn't mean calling the spirits or deities) . It focusses on building and strengthening spiritual values like power , peace , happiness , contentment within oneself by reaffirming them through meditation . Its like building your immunity i.e your inner strengths .
Sharing my personal story here , I was on anti depressants for 2 years and suicidal for almost 5 years , yes , every time I used to read religious scriptures during those days I felt God was scolding me saying , ' You didn't do this or that , now suffer ' , so I had to search for something else , and this is how I got into Bk Spirituality and it helped me a great deal in making me stronger from within ( as I see mental illness as an internal weakness , a weakness of the soul to cope up with undesirable events or situations)
There is a saying which I came across once and hold it dear,
" Religion is for those who fear falling into Hell,
Spirituality is for those who are already there ".

 

[McBell]

I know this is an odd question... and to be honest, I don't really know whether anyone can answer it.

I have a mental health problem and feel that Christianity just doesn't explain it or support it.

What religion would you say does support MI best?

My experience has been that it is not so much the religion as it is the congregation.

Meaning that I have been to southern baptist churches that claim mental illness is because of sin, etc. and I have been to southern baptist churches that do not believe that mental illness is because of sin, etc.

The point being that it is not the religion so much as it is the individual congregations.

 

[Brickjectivity]

I know this is an odd question... and to be honest, I don't really know whether anyone can answer it.

I have a mental health problem and feel that Christianity just doesn't explain it or support it.

What religion would you say does support MI best?

I have been in several kinds of Christian churches. I attend and recommend an Unprogrammed Quaker meeting. We have silent worship for about an hour. Some people may stay to talk and eat or to plan how to do community service. You can attend without having to convert from or to anything.

 

[Revoltingest]

On behalf of the Studd Hill Moonlight Naked Frolickers and Ravers, we take great exception to the suggestion that anybody in our Moonlight Naked Frolicking group might be in the least bit 'nutty'. It could be argued that Henry Winstanley is in the final throws of total dementia, but that don't count.

So there......... (rave on in the moonlight, yeah.....)

Yours sounds like one of the more enlightened religions.

 

[oldbadger]

Most illnesses can be cured, but there is no cure for Midnight Naked Frolicking!!

Who wants or needs one?

 

[randomvim]

I know this is an odd question... and to be honest, I don't really know whether anyone can answer it.

I have a mental health problem and feel that Christianity just doesn't explain it or support it.

What religion would you say does support MI best?

what do you mean by support?

 

[Riders]

I say The Unitarian Universalist church which is one of my 3 different worship places, Ive been with my church 12 years. They've had a lot of mentally ill people, Ive had leaders explain stuff to me individually when I don't understand whats going on if you say have a panic attack you can come and go without being harrassed to stay and join, you don't have to join to go, I have left at times and Ill go to the kitchen drink something get some quite and peace you can come and go into any of the rooms of the church they don't gie you an issue if your having a hard time. The UU church in the past its history did have at leaste one of our leaders who fought for the mentally ill peoples rights.

 

[Iti oj]

I know this is an odd question... and to be honest, I don't really know whether anyone can answer it.

I have a mental health problem and feel that Christianity just doesn't explain it or support it.

What religion would you say does support MI best?

Secular humanism

 

[Quintessence]

What religion would you say does support MI best?

Whichever religion it is that you are currently devoted to.

Alternatively, this is just the wrong question to ask. One should not be looking for "a religion" but particular human beings who have the skills and temperament necessary to help you.

 

[Lyndon]

Actually the OPs current religion, Pentecostal, may be particularly poorly suited to treating mentally ill people with the care and concern they deserve and need, and that may well be why the OP posed their question.IMHO

 

[Quintessence]

Actually the OPs current religion, Pentecostal, may be particularly poorly suited to treating mentally ill people with the care and concern they deserve and need, and that may well be why the OP posed their question.IMHO

What I mean when I say that one's own devoted path is best is that if the assistance given is religiously-oriented, trying to get help from a foreign religious framework is not likely to be helpful. You don't follow their stories, you don't follow their practices, and you may not share their values either - it could very well be alienating. I know if a Christian started trying to explain my mental health issues in Christian terms, it would probably be some mixture of offensive, unhelpful, and off-putting.

 

[Lyndon]

I think the OP is a Christian looking for a more supportive Christian support group or church. Not a satanic temple.

 

[psychoslice]

Of course mental illness isn't a sin, is heart disease, or diabetes a sin, of course not, mental illness is just an illness of the brain, just as the heart being an organ can have problems, if there is anyone who thinks mental illness is sin, then that person isn't good to be around, or religion also, its pure ignorance.

 

[psychoslice]

I was raised Seventh Day Adventist, they never blamed people for their mental illness, they might blame causal factors like drug addiction, which was a factor in my case, they also speak of genetics, also a problem in my family, but that's not blaming me.

Yes that is true, I was a SDA for many years.

 

[Skwim]

I know this is an odd question... and to be honest, I don't really know whether anyone can answer it.

I have a mental health problem and feel that Christianity just doesn't explain it or support it.

What religion would you say does support MI best?

Not quite sure what you mean by support, but from what I've read of your other posts here I think you'd be best off looking for support from those religions that rely on reason and common sense, and stay away from both scriptural blame and support. Spiritual practices also tend to deviate from healthy support and instead substitute highly questionable "communication" practices. My suggestion is to look into Unitarian Universalist Fellowships. While perhaps not as huggy-feely as some of the others, they're more practically grounded, and won't waste your time with some particular brand of help that requires committing yourself to their specific beliefs.


.

 

[Rick O'Shez]

What religion would you say does support MI best?

Religions which don't encourage delusional thinking.

 

[Nerthus]

Of course mental illness isn't a sin, is heart disease, or diabetes a sin, of course not, mental illness is just an illness of the brain, just as the heart being an organ can have problems, if there is anyone who thinks mental illness is sin, then that person isn't good to be around, or religion also, its pure ignorance.

This is something I have tried explaining - but when it's "in your head" people do see it differently.

I was raised Seventh Day Adventist, they never blamed people for their mental illness, they might blame causal factors like drug addiction, which was a factor in my case, they also speak of genetics, also a problem in my family, but that's not blaming me.

I don't know much about then actually. There is one near me, but because it isn't out trying to convert, I think I'd be too nervous to go there.

My experience has been that it is not so much the religion as it is the congregation.

Meaning that I have been to southern baptist churches that claim mental illness is because of sin, etc. and I have been to southern baptist churches that do not believe that mental illness is because of sin, etc.

The point being that it is not the religion so much as it is the individual congregations.

Oh, I agree.
I think the congregation pave a way for how people are seen and treated.
I have a friend whose church is very welcoming to those who have mental health problems, who are homeless, gay, awkward, anything! But there are not many places like this within his denomination and he gets a lot of criticism for it.

I have been in several kinds of Christian churches. I attend and recommend an Unprogrammed Quaker meeting. We have silent worship for about an hour. Some people may stay to talk and eat or to plan how to do community service. You can attend without having to convert from or to anything.

I don't know much about these either.
Might look them up.

what do you mean by support?

Whichever religion it is that you are currently devoted to.

Alternatively, this is just the wrong question to ask. One should not be looking for "a religion" but particular human beings who have the skills and temperament necessary to help you.

I am not looking for another religion. I am happy with what I believe.

Actually the OPs current religion, Pentecostal, may be particularly poorly suited to treating mentally ill people with the care and concern they deserve and need, and that may well be why the OP posed their question.IMHO

True. I have been told so many times that I should just pray more and read the bible daily and then things will be great for me.