Religion, self-help and mental illness

[MaddLlama]

Something I've wondered for a long time, and a recent thread brought the question to my mind again..

Do you feel that faith, or following a religion can be a form of "treatment" for mental illnesses, or should people seek medical treatment as well?
In the same vein, can religion provide the same benefits of a self-help program?

 

[Sunstone]

Joseph Campbell once said that the saint and the madman are in the same water, but the saint knows how to swim and the madman doesn't.

I think it is folly to try to treat mental and emotional disorders with religion. In fact, I view mental and emotional disorders as distractions and detours away from any genuine spirituality. Hence, I would urge anyone with an emotional or mental illness to seek professional help, rather than seek a religion.

 

[evearael]

I think it is folly to try to treat mental and emotional disorders with religion. In fact, I view mental and emotional disorders as distractions and detours away from any genuine spirituality. Hence, I would urge anyone with an emotional or mental illness to seek professional help, rather than seek a religion.

I tend to agree with Sunstone for the most part, though I feel that religion can certainly assist in the healing process by providing guidance and support.

 

[Sunstone]

...I feel that religion can certainly assist in the healing process by providing guidance and support.

That's a good point, Evearael. I've known people who found guidance and support in religion. I just feel that in dealing with the challenge of a mental or emotional illness, professional help should be the primary means.

 

[Hacker]

Something I've wondered for a long time, and a recent thread brought the question to my mind again..

Do you feel that faith, or following a religion can be a form of "treatment" for mental illnesses, or should people seek medical treatment as well?
In the same vein, can religion provide the same benefits of a self-help program?

I don't think a religion could compensate or even provide the same benefits of a self-help program. And when you speak of a "self-help" program, just what exactly do you mean? I understand the meaning but I was wondering if you could be more specific.

 

[gnomon]

I agree with Sunstone and evearael.

A self-help group composed of people who share the same experiences of dealing with a mental illness provides the greatest support to an individual than any religion or spiritual treatment can offer. Certainly, a person's religious belief may aid in recovery.

The idea of using religion as the only means of treating mental illness is dangerous in my opinion. Such a route relies on the concept of some higher power as the means to recovery. When an individual relapses, regardless of the mental illness, they tend to believe that is a failure on their part in meeting the standards of religious practice. Mental illnesses are not a problem of spiritual deficiency but are a physical problem.