Treating your mental illness is a form of sorcery

[chaotic life]

Sadly, calling it socery is really not that big of a step for some very Fundamental Christians. They truly believe mental health struggles are demon possession and something that is caused by a lack of faith. They don't believe they are real disorders and that those who do believe them to be real disorders are evil themselves.

I've managed to become the mother to several children with a variety of mental health struggles, one by birth and several by adoption. It breaks my heart that people like this will judge my children no matter how hard they fight for their necessary mental health care.

[longskirtlotsakids]

Stupid motherfucker has no concept of neuroscience. No concept of GABA, 5-HTP, reuptake inhibition, etc.

Reminds me of hearing the news yesterday of the Higgs Boson evidence CERN uncovered- basically, a scientific explanation of how something can come from nothing. Before the age of illumination, God made babies. Now we know DNA and mitosis creates babies. God made the rain, now we know exactly what atmospheric conditions create rain.

This tool is an exact replica of the doctors in the dark ages that wore scary masks to drive away illness-inducing evil spirits. He thinks a neuroscience issue can be resolved with prayer and ritual.

This is why fundies are losing power.

Here in WI the tools that prayed while their diabetic daughter died, instead of seeking a doctor, are appealing their one year jail sentence. It's legal to medically neglect your kids to the point of death as long as you "pray" for them.

[CynicMom]

But you DO have control over your mental illness! Just pretend not to be depressed long enough and your emotions will naturally follow suit. It follows that anyone experiencing mental illness is weak-willed. :roll:

[formergothardite]

Gothard believed this. That people with mental illnesses were just selfish and that if you became an "energy giver" instead of an "energy taker" you would be better. He even had an unnamed, totally made up doctor who he claimed agreed with him.

[Bloo]

Hello. When I am off my medications for more than a week, I become a person whose range from screaming to sobbing to continuous laughter to basically being catatonic. When I'm on my medications, I'm usually fine. Usually.

See, I don't have one of those clear-cut mental illnesses that fits into the physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual realm. My psychiatrist and I have had all sorts of fun trying to find things that work for me. I've been going to therapy as well as taking two different medications and that was working well until a spell about a week ago. It scares me that this may well be a life-long battle with no definite victory. It scares me that the scariest parts of my mind may well jump to the forefront without any real notice. So, douchebag blogger, the last thing I need to hear from you is that I'm weak for having this and evil for seeking the types of treatment I am.

I'm also in a 12-step program for food addiction (that was a fun one to sell on some members of my family. I got told by one relative- accompanied by an eyeroll- that "EVERYONE'S addicted to food, duh,"). One of their biggest things is the idea of a Higher Power, which most take to be God. But even they don't say that connection to the Higher Power alone is enough- they say that for the vast majority, addiction is a three-fold disease- physical, emotional, and spiritual. Oh, and the Higher Power does not have to be God, but rather any power other than yourself, because it's mostly about getting away from the idea that you (the addict) control everything. Ironically, that seems to be an issue that most fundies have yet to come to terms with.

[GolightlyGrrl]

My heart goes out to anyone who suffers a mental illness, esp. my lovely Jingerites. I've suffered from major depression for years, and with the tough economy, being out of work, money woes and our polarized nation, my depresssion is getting worse and worse. There are times I can barely get out of bed, and I have to admit suicide has crossed my mind more than once.

Mental illness is so misunderstood in this country, and it doesn't help when the religious right shows their bigotry and hate towards those suffering from mental illness. And it doesn't help the religious right is so catered to in this country, especially by today's Republican party.

And the Stinking Lousewife can go die in a fire: (scroll down)

http://www.thinkinghousewife.com/wp/201 ... happiness/

[MamaJunebug]

GoLightyGrrl, I think there's one whole circle of hell reserved for the person behind Lousewife - because it would be unfair to torment others w/him(her) in eternity.

From one depressive to another, my hopes & prayers for you!

[gingernut]

I know this guy. (Fully Persuaded Baptist). He is a despot and a control freak and his family suffers for it. So his post on mental illness is no surprise to me.

[Frumpalicious]

Okay, I do realize that this is a very old post on this guy's page, but damn, seriously, sorcery? According to him all problems from dementia to Bi-polar disorder are problems with the soul and treating them with medicine is:

The psychiatrist authority to prescribe drugs adds to the misnomer that there is an illness, when in fact what they are doing is not correcting an organic, biological problem they are using drugs to manipulate the personality. This is the practice of sorcery.

Are you depressed? Well suck it up and pray more:

Depression is not a “mental illness.†Depression may in part be due to medical reasons. Depression is always linked to spiritual reasons. We need to quit placing the emphasis on mental well-being and start talking about spiritual well-being. The humanistic culture has taken problems of living from the spiritual realm and placed them in the psychological realm. The resulting conclusion is that man has the answer apart from God.

Depression is remedied (having ruled out any biological/organic issues) by changing one’s focus

fullypersuadedbaptist.blogspot.com/2006/07/mental-illness-and-personal.html

Also, he thinks Andrea Yates should have gotten the death penalty, the only blame on her husband is for divorcing her, and her pastor is just an innocent bystander.

Then why was I at my lowest when I was fully immersed in the whole religion thing?

[gingernut]

I was also at my lowest when immersed in fundiedom.

[formergothardite]

I know this guy. (Fully Persuaded Baptist). He is a despot and a control freak and his family suffers for it. So his post on mental illness is no surprise to me.

You know him?! I am so sorry. He sounds really evil. I found his blog through a comment on Kristina's blog.

[Burris]

I feel so sorry for the people who might have a completely treatable condition, but refuse to get it fixed.

I do too.

Talk about maximizing suffering for no good reason: This guy is an inhumane dipshit. Unfortunately, some people will believe him.

[BlondeAgent007]

I have bipolar disorder. Before I got a proper diagnosis my mother used to get up and RAGE and SCREAM at me because I would stay up for 3-4 days straight. She would accuse me of doing it on purpose. I just get crazy racing thoughts and I have to keep moving around, and am doing 5 activities at once. The only way I could get to sleep during a manic episode was to drink so much straight alcohol I blacked out completely, like a 1/2 pint to a pint of vodka. It made my eventual depression worse too, but it was better than staying up half the week, half bleary and mentally exhausted. It also got my bitch mother, who probably isn't right upstairs either, to STFU. It also severely triggered my eating disorders. I'd binge/purge during depressions, and not eat at all during manics. My meds help me so much. Since getting a proper diagnosis and some good meds, I have gone the longest stretch of time since I graduated high school without a suicide attempt. Can't tell me medication isn't the answer.

Also, my mother's brother was a paranoid schizophrenic (he committed suicide in 98 when he stopped taking his meds). Apparently he didn't have symptoms until after a horrible case of spinal meningitis when he was young that he almost died from. It completely changed his brain chemistry. How is that not a physical condition?

This guy needs to be raped with a freshly peeled ginger root.

[julie paradox]

This guy needs to be raped with a freshly peeled ginger root.

No.