BellaOnline Forums Religion and Spirituality Baptist Poll: Christianty and the Mentall Ill

Just curious to know what you all think on this topic.

What is your view of the mentally ill and Christianity? multiple choice
	Christianity is mental illness.
	Mental illness cannot be "cured" through Christianity.
	Mental illness can be "cured" through mental illness.
	There really is no such thing as mental illness.
	Some people are unnecessarily medicated because they fake mental illness for attention.
	If one is a Christian, he/she does not need medication.
	Mental illness cannot be faked.
	Mental illness can be faked.
	Mental illnes is the manifestation of unconfessed sin.
	Medication and/or institutionalization is best for mentally ill patients.
Votes accepted starting: 06/28/09 09:42 PM You must vote before you can view the results of this poll.

This is an interesting poll Dountonia. You have included some odd choices.

The responses are based off some research I am doing for a future article and I was just curious to know what the general public view of some the arguments raised.

Surprising, I know.

Your third choice, "Mental illness can be "cured" through mental illness." is confusing. Did you mean "through Christianity"?

OK - I chose several answers, and some may seem contradictory to each other, so I'll explain.

*Mental illness cannot be "cured" through Christianity.
*Some people are unnecessarily medicated because they fake mental illness for attention.
*Mental illness can be faked.
*Medication and/or institutionalization is best for mentally ill patients

True mental illness cannot be cured just by becoming a Christian. True mental illness is not just a manifestation of the "mind" but rather a disease of the brain. There have been incredible advances in medicine and studies over the years that show there are differences in brains of people with Clinical Depression, Bi-Polar, Schizophrenia, Autism, etc. They can show differences in CT scans, in seratonin levels, in hormone levels, etc. The brain is still not fully mapped yet - God created an amazingly complicated "machine" when he created the human body - especially the brain. So as we learn more about how the brain works, we will come closer to being able to curing more and more of these diseases rather than just controlling them.

I am sure some people DO fake mental illness in order for attention. That is why psychiatrists are needed. Mental illness has become a very popular defense for criminals to try to use for commiting heinous crimes. It takes a professional to see to the truth of these. Also, many medications prescribed for mental illnesses (particularly ones for anxiety) are addictive so people may fake illness to try to procure drugs. But people also fake physical illness to try and procure pain medication - there is not much difference.

Which answeres the next question - yes, mental illness can be faked, at least to the general public. Hopefully not to a professional. But people who suffer from Munchhausen's (not by proxy - the one where they make other's sick, but when they make themselves sick) can fool doctors for years, so a person faking mental illness might be able to as well. Thst is sad, because so many people with true mental illnes already don't have people believing them.

Depending on the severity of the disease, institutionalization might be the only recourse, for the safety of the patient and others. Only a doctor can decide if medication is best for a mentally ill patient. It is a case-by-case basis. Just like poeple with daibetes. Some can control their (generally Type 2) diabetes by closely monitoring their diet and exercise, while other need oral insulin, and yet others must have injectable insulin. The same goes for mental illness. A person with paraniod schizophrenia is almost always going to have to be on medication, it is dangerous for them not to be. A person with Clinical Depression can completely vary as to how much and what type of medication they take. Many people with ADD (which is technically considered a mental illness) find they can cope without medication at all.

From my personal experience as a Christian woman with Clinical Depression and Bi-Polar, the 2 do not have much to do with each other at all - other than the fact that they are both part of my life.

My son has Asperger's and is a Christian. He gave his life to the Lord 4 years ago, but there are many parts of his life that he has no control over due to his disorder. There are many that would question his salvation. I do not doubt his sincerity in his faith, but he has a very strong OCD component and very little impulse control. It is part of his illness that he is working to control and he takes medications to help with. As his parents we also realize that we need to help him with this be making sure he is not put into situations where he is in danger - or others might be. God will judge him one day on his actions but also on his disability. He will also judge him on what he has done to atone for what he has done wrong and what he has done to try and change it.

OK - this went way overboard, sorry, but this question is not a simple one. It is definitely a "it depends on the situation" type answer. And, abviously it is a little personal for me.

I probably have no business on this site as I would not consider myself a dyed in the wool Christian but I have to ask a question," What's wrong with you guys?" Bear with me please!!!! The Great Mother can heal immediately or over time but so can Jesus!!!!! Many years ago I used to attend old fashioned camp meetings and tent revivals with Christians in my family. I saw bonified healings of people that I knew were afflicted with some very chronic diseases and ailments and mental problems. I knew these people. These were not these staged things like you see on T.V. today. These were old sawdust covered grassy areas with folding chairs covered by a large tent. No air conditioning, no modern P.A. systems, Just an old time preacher telling us about and proving the saving and healing power of the Savior. I saw it with my own eyes !!!! Today we will bow down to doctors, psychiatrists, education, or anything else to keep us from really proving the powers of the Spirit. No wonder no one is healed !!!! You guy don't need me to tell you this, you should already know it. These gifts did not just go away with the times. Maybe our belief in them has. They are, however still there. I use them daily. Blessed Be and Glory to his name !!!!

Michelle, I completely agree with all the points you've made. I've known a few people faking mental illness just so they don't have to work or simply for attention, this of course then make it much more difficult for people who genuinely are very ill with a psychological illness� to get help. Also, a lot of people do need to be given medication, if someone broke their leg, you�d give them medication � it�s exactly the same thing. The body is ill, or more precisely, the mind. People have committed suicide over getting no help and feeling so isolated by mental illness. This is a very personal subject for me as well.

I disagree with a lot ancientflaxman has written, and I find it worrying that people still believe that someone can be healed via healings like that he has described. I think these things can help, I've known them to help certain people, especially if the person being healed has complete faith in the idea. I've also known, and do know, extremely mentally ill people that can't be cured with a few prayers - because it goes much deeper than that, and science and chemistry does have to come into it. I don't see why science and Christianity can't work together? God obviously gave us science to discover these things to help our fellow man - so to ignore our own intelligence I would feel is wrong. It's like saying that you can make someone see who is blind � if any individual could be proved to do this � they would have a queue a mile long of people begging to be healed of their ailments. I feel that because mental illness can't be seen by the eye, some people don�t take it as seriously as physical problems and personally I still think there's a stigma attached by a lot of people too � which in this day and age is unacceptable. I know a lot about it - it's a terrible thing, and opinions that it can be miraculously cured infuriate me - if that were the case, where's the queue? I'll go join it with several other people I know, whose mental illnesses have ruined or at least tainted their lives immensely.

There were a few odd choices in the poll, a few I think must have been phrased wrong, but perhaps it wasn't edited correctly. I don't like the term 'mental illness' because I think it brings up other negative connotations, I prefer �psychological� but that�s another point entirely.

This is very interesting because many in our church have mental illnesses. Unfortunantly, others have preconceived ideas about them. They function better than many "normal" people I know. One woman has been cured by Christ and the doctors are amazed that she is no longer bi-polar. The others are given strength to function and face many of their issues head on like social anxiety disorder. Mental illness is so much like physical illness. It can be cured by a miracle. It could also remain with us as we closer to God. And to be honest we might all be diagnosed with a mental illness when we are PMSing

Yes, it is supposed to be "through Christianity"

This is right on point exactly what I am talking about. I can't wait to produce the article!

By the way, you are welcomed on this site anytime (even when we disagree).

What a blessing to hear about how God is moving in your church. I am learning to redefine mental illness Biblically. I have not yet completed my study of the subject, but I do know that our Sovereign Lord is able to move in ways our finite psyches can handle or imagine. It all starts with the submission of our wills. It is amazing how God works.

I apologize for my absence. But, now that my life is a little more manageable I am excited to sharing ideas, comments, testimonies.

You are so right. The odd choices are the result of poor editing. It was my first poll and did not know how to go back and correct some of the choices (but, I thought when I deleted the original poll and started over that I re-typed it more accurately).

Prayer is powerful, but so is submitting the will to God so HE can work in a person's life to transform him/her from the iside out is a part of it all. I would love for you to share your comments when I finally get the article completed.