Answers for those wanting to know about mental health.

[Michelle]

I have going over many posts and have realised that there are many of you who have questions regarding this issue. Having been involved in this area for a very long time I hope I can allay some of the apparent fears many of you have.

Myth:People with mental illness cant become Christian because they don't understand about God and Jesus.

Fact:Many people with mental illness are Christians. If you could just see the look and passion these people have for Christ.

Myth:Psychotics can not be treated at all.

FactPsychosis comes in many forms and depending on the type is treatable. There is drug treatment available for many types of psychosis.

Myth Mental patients cant be trusted as they don't know right from wrong.

FactMental health covers a wide area and includes intellectual disability. Many patients being treated for mental illness are very honest and do know right from wrong. Once again it is dependent on the type of mental illness.

I hope this has been helpful. I know and understand why many of you have fears about the mentally ill. But please remember that sometimes fear can lead to prejudice and blatant discrimination. These people are not all monsters. They are often treated in the cruelest way possible. Put yourself in their shoes for a few minutes. Many people wont seek help for their illness because of the shame that it brings. Society still treats these people as if they are something to be ashamed and forgotten about. Many of these people live in appalling conditions, or are homeless. Imagine what it must be like to hear comments every day such as being called a stupid retard, dopey, laughed at when they get things wrong, have things thrown at them (just for fun) or been beaten up.

In the city where I live we have a bi-annual event to get the community to interact with intellectually disabled people. It is called the Big Day Out. It has been a huge success in helping many people overcome their fears of the mentally ill. So far hundreds of people have participated. At first there was the normal fear such as "what if they attack me" type attitude. However every single person who takes part in these events have said it was the most wonderful experience in their life. Many people even stated that before they met these people they never knew just how much a human could love unconditionally. These intellectually disabled people have unconditional love for people and so much joy to bring to peoples lives.

[Canuckster1127]

Thanks for the post Michelle.

I agree with much of what you have to say in this regard.

[Swamper]

I agree totally. One of my good friends has a mild case of cerebral palsy, and that doesn't stop him from being a good person.

Granted, it's only a mild case and he's nowhere near what you'd call "psychotic". But that's not the point.

[Judah]

In a previous life (as I say of an earlier career) I worked clinically with adults diagnosed with various schizophrenias, applying cognitive techniques to help them manage hallucinations and other disturbing formal thought disorders. These techniques were newly developed at the time for their application with psychotic processes, having been used more often before that with anxiety, phobic and mood disorders. I thoroughly enjoyed my work with these folks and although it is commonly held that these people are insightless, that is very often far from being so. They often have an acute sensitivity to others as well as aspects of themselves, and I found I learnt a great deal from listening to their experiences.

The words "mentally ill" cover such a huge range of things that it is practically a meaningless term until it is defined more specifically in respect of the individual who is someway impaired. Goodness, we all vary from day to day in our mental health just as much as we do in our physical health. Hopefully we don't get really ill, as with having a substantial break with reality, but just like the common cold can make a body feel quite unwell, experiences of anxiety and depression are not at all uncommon and are indeed a very unpleasant experience. None of us are totally immune to stress and the effects it can have when it taxes the system, both physically and mentally.

[bluesman]

DIVIDED MINDS: Twin Sisters and Their Journey through Schizophrenia
By Pamela Spiro Wagner and Carolyn S. Spiro, M.D.
St. Martin's Press

This a book I would highly recommend people read.
Pamela even though she suffers with schizophrenia, actually for a time attended medical school, recieved awards for her poetry and wrote this book
with her twin sister.


Michael

[identity_in_development]

"Right" and "Wrong" are considered moral judgement, yes? And one must have "moral judgment" to be Christian, yes?

Here's a thought: "Right" and "Wrong" are socially constructed concepts.

Without access to the frontal lobe, social inhibitions (what's "right" vs. what's "wrong"), higher cognition (e.g., understanding the consequences of ones actions), the expression of feelings (the act of emotion), and sympathy (relating to others) would not even be possible!

Hmm... that raises some questions... huh?

If moral reasoning (a process of the frontal lobe) is assumed to be necessary in order to be a Christian, how does that play in with frontal lobotomy's or strokes that sever connections between the limbic system (the "feelings" part of the brain) and the frontal cortex (the reasoning part of the brain)?