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The Line Between Religious Belief And Mental Illness

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    #32
    Newaglish
    Registered Users Posts: 2,734 ✭✭✭Newaglish


    Kidchameleon wrote: »
    My brother suffers from depression. Serious depression. I have been in and out of hospital with him all my life. I practically lived in the psychiatric unit of Tallaght hospital during 2010. Used to play pool and table tennis with some of the patients, got to know a few of the doctors and nurses.

    bit of a jump to
    Which means I know quite a bit about mental illness.

    Also, there's a certain amount of irony in the part below:
    Please don't assume you know more about mental illness than someone you never met.
    Its not really insulting.

    Well that's OK then.


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    #33
    RDM_83 again
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,116 ✭✭✭RDM_83 again


    I know its not the direct discussion here, however both atheists/non-religious and "believers" have a similar rate of mental illness, with those that are spiritual but non formally religious having the highest rates. In the US I think a lot of studies show a positive benefit to religious belief.

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9774259/Spiritual-people-at-higher-risk-of-mental-health-problems.html

    King MB, Marston L, McManus S, Brugha T, Metzer H,
    Bebbington P (2012). Religion, spirituality and mental health:
    Results from a national study of English households. British
    Journal of Psychiatr

    (I think this is the right paper!)


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    #34
    MagicMarker
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 32,865 ✭✭✭✭MagicMarker


    I used to play tiddlywinks with a pilot, now I know how to fly.


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    #35
    Obliq
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,371 ✭✭✭Obliq


    Magicmarker - That's not a clever analogy for what kidchameleon has experienced. He said:

    "My brother suffers from depression. Serious depression. I have been in and out of hospital with him all my life. I practically lived in the psychiatric unit of Tallaght hospital during 2010. Used to play pool and table tennis with some of the patients, got to know a few of the doctors and nurses. Which means I know quite a bit about mental illness"

    Anyone else ever met the residents of a psychiatric unit over a long period of time? So far, me and kidchameleon. Anyone else?

    In MY book, that makes him qualified to say he knows quite a bit about mental illness. Not a lot, but quite a bit ;)

    I'm sure he won't make the mistake of using the word "mental" again, unless in the context of "mental health" or "mental illness". Magicmarker, Newaglish and Sarky - Lets not crucify the fella over it. :(


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    #36
    Kidchameleon
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,482 ✭✭✭Kidchameleon


    Obliq they are just clutching at straws anyhow so I'm not worried.


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    #37
    Obliq
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,371 ✭✭✭Obliq


    Kidchameleon wrote: »
    Obliq they are just clutching at straws anyhow so I'm not worried.

    And now you're rising them. On yer own now buddy! :rolleyes:


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    #38
    SebBerkovich
    Registered Users Posts: 1,624 ✭✭✭SebBerkovich


    Getting back to the point...
    Just a thought, if the women in question was from a less well established faith like.. a Satanist or something, (i imagine they believe in evil spirits) would THAT have been enough to perhaps have ensured she'd been given a pretty intense psychological evaluation ?


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    #39
    Obliq
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,371 ✭✭✭Obliq


    SebBerkovich wrote: »
    Getting back to the point...
    Just a thought, if the women in question was from a less well established faith like.. a Satanist or something, (i imagine they believe in evil spirits) would THAT have been enough to perhaps have ensured she'd been given a pretty intense psychological evaluation ?

    Good point, but I don't see that she'd have been saying anything different. "She claimed she had been urged on by the devil and bad spirits. At one point she believed the stick she used to punish her son was possessed by an evil spirit."

    Don't satanists and christians essentially believe in the same stuff?!


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    #40
    SebBerkovich
    Registered Users Posts: 1,624 ✭✭✭SebBerkovich


    Obliq wrote: »
    Good point, but I don't see that she'd have been saying anything different. "She claimed she had been urged on by the devil and bad spirits. At one point she believed the stick she used to punish her son was possessed by an evil spirit."

    Don't satanists and christians essentially believe in the same stuff?!

    Yup, but the fact that Christianity/Islam is much better established, their particular claim of spirits seem to generally been given more clout. while of course for a less established faiths they would more readily be seen as madness.


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    #41
    MrPudding
    Registered Users Posts: 9,788 ✭✭✭MrPudding


    RDM_83 again wrote: »
    I know its not the direct discussion here, however both atheists/non-religious and "believers" have a similar rate of mental illness, with those that are spiritual but non formally religious having the highest rates. In the US I think a lot of studies show a positive benefit to religious belief.

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9774259/Spiritual-people-at-higher-risk-of-mental-health-problems.html

    King MB, Marston L, McManus S, Brugha T, Metzer H,
    Bebbington P (2012). Religion, spirituality and mental health:
    Results from a national study of English households. British
    Journal of Psychiatr

    (I think this is the right paper!)
    Again, this is kind of the point. I have not read the study yet, but I presume that it does not class religious beliefs themselves as an indication of mental illness...?

    If certain religious beliefs, either because of particular tenants of the belief or strength of the belief, were considered to be delusional what effect do you think that would have on the figures?

    MrP


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    #42
    Zombrex
    Closed Accounts Posts: 25,848 ✭✭✭✭Zombrex


    Kidchameleon wrote: »
    Each to their own. Doesn't make them mental. Would you consider someone who smokes 20 fags a day mental aswell?

    No I would consider them to have an addiction to cigs. Even if it was part of their religion I would still say they do it because of an addiction to cigs. I wouldn't say they are just a devoted worshipper of the Church of Tobacco.

    You again seem to be missing the point. People do things due to underlying problems but then justify it by appealing to religion, and this is not investigated because doing things for religious reasons is considered a virtue.

    Imagine if in your family someone was a hoarder, they never threw anything away and their house was full of junk and disease. Normally you would say that they have a problem, that they need help.

    But then they say well actually it is part of their religion, and they don't have a problem, they are just "devoted". Then all of a sudden society goes "Oh well, being devoted to a religion is a good thing".


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    #43
    swampgas
    Registered Users Posts: 3,535 ✭✭✭swampgas


    Zombrex wrote: »
    Imagine if in your family someone was a horder, they never threw anything away and their house was full of junk and disease. Normally you would say that they have a problem, that they need help.

    * swampgas shifts uneasily amidst his hoard *


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    #44
    Bannasidhe
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 19,219 Mod ✭✭✭✭Bannasidhe


    swampgas wrote: »
    * swampgas shifts uneasily amidst his hoard *

    Bannasidhe wonders when OH is going to notice that much of her hoard of jackets and shoes are currently 'in storage' in the nearest V de P shop and not in Bannasidhe's wardrobe where she thinks they are...


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    #45
    Obliq
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,371 ✭✭✭Obliq


    Bannasidhe wrote: »
    Bannasidhe wonders when OP is going to notice that much of her hoard of jackets and shoes are currently 'in storage' in the nearest V de P shop and not in Bannasidhe's wardrobe where she thinks they are...

    Ooh! Is there going to be an online domestic? Now where did I put that popcorn gif......:rolleyes:


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    #46
    Bannasidhe
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 19,219 Mod ✭✭✭✭Bannasidhe


    Obliq wrote: »
    Ooh! Is there going to be an online domestic? Now where did I put that popcorn gif......:rolleyes:

    Nah - I meant OH but said OP by mistake then wondered off (to clear out more shoes that are not mine but are in my wardrobe :p)...at least I think not ...

    She could be a lurker :eek::eek:


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    #47
    Obliq
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,371 ✭✭✭Obliq


    Ha! Damn, I thought that would be fun. Actual OP is probably male anyway? :)


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    #48
    recedite
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,993 ✭✭✭✭recedite


    Its safe to come back now OP, your shoes are still in the wardrobe.


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