Religious fervor. A mental illness?

[Heyo]

This is broadly true, though it is possible to have a mental illness that includes religious themes. You may believe that God speaks to you and not be considered mentally ill. If you literally hear the voice of God and he's commanding you to do things, you're more likely to be diagnosed with a mental illness. If you hear the voice of God commanding you and you also believe that you're Saint Patrick, a diagnosis is almost certain.

The exclusion of religion in the DSM is a political decision. It prevents religious people from being labeled delusional (as opposed to diagnosed). In praxis no psychiatrist will refuse to treat you because your hallucinations are of a religious nature. The higher-ranking criteria are suffering (if you want treatment) and being a danger to yourself or others (if someone else wants you to be treated).

 

[Quintessence]

This part here from the article is key:

"It’s my job to use medical evidence to evaluate and treat mental illness so as to alleviate suffering among my patients."​

Mental health is not distinct from physical health in some core regards - being in good health characterized by the (relative) absence of suffering. Suffering and hardship is part of life - it's when that suffering and hardship becomes significant enough to be disruptive to ourselves or to those around us that we can say someone has a "health problem." Health is a continuum, not an either-or, black-or-white scale. We all have health problems, both mental and physical.

In the context of ideologies and practices - and it really doesn't matter if it is labeled as "religious" or not - extreme devotion can often be problematic because it commands a significant portion of that person's life. Whether it's extreme devotion to a sports team, a child, a leadership role, or whatever... extremes beget extremes. On the one hand, extreme devotion can bring a deep sense of fulfillment, meaning, and purpose. It creates strong and lasting bonds between those who share our devotion. It can also become a deep sense of emptiness, loss, and listlessness. It creates significant and sometimes brutal conflict against those who don't share our devotion.

In any case, these extremes and diversity of human thought and practice is fundamental to life and living. It will always be with us, and the challenge is how to navigate it in the present moment to do what the author says here - alleviate suffering and make life feel more bearable. Sometimes it is about knowing when to let go and embrace change.