What was perceived: I am righteous. You are not. Everyone who believes in God is perfect and does not struggle in life. You are a sinner and got what you deserved.
The Fallacy: Bipolar Disorder is the result of misconduct.
The Facts: Bipolar disorder is not your fault. It is not the result of something you did or didn’t do. “Bipolar disorder has no single proven cause, but research suggests the illness is due to abnormalities in the way some nerve cells in the brain function or communicate.” (Kahn et al, 2004).
(Source: Kimberly Read & Marcia Purse, About.com. Updated: June 26, 2007)
The last comment sent me running off in another direction. Exactly how does the incorporation of ones religious views play out when mental disorders are involved?
Take the Christian and Catholic faiths for example. There have been many news worthy instances of parents and individuals opposing medical or drug treatment, standing by a conflict with their religious practices. (Such as the current fiasco involving 13-year-old cancer victim Daniel Hauser of Minnesota. His mother briefly fled the state with him in an effort to object to state determined necessary treatment…)
Many whole heart view Christian values as contradictory to the bipolar disorder and have reacted to those seeking support with misunderstandings, judgment, and even accusations of demon possession.
(Previously discussed on About.com’s article Christianity Verses Psychology – Opposing Views?)
Members of the forum said some of the following comments:
“If anything, the Bible would be PRO medicine and PRO getting psychological help.
“If Christians are truly the Body of Christ and God has made it clear that no one is supposed to go it on their own then why in the world would we assume that we are supposed to be strong enough on our own with mental disorders?
“Although there are Christians who are against any kind of medicines, a lot of Christians think its fine to take meds for ‘physical’ problems, but not for ‘psychological’ problems. Well, physically there’s proof of brain damage from manias. Apparently there’s also research indicating that depressions cause brain shrinkage. Also MRIs clearly show variations in brain functioning between those who are normal and those with depression. When a person is depressed, the brain colors are all kinds of blues. When a person is manic, the brain lights up with reds and yellows. These are physical manifestations of what some people call a purely emotional problem.
“Not taking meds means, quite literally, that you cannot follow Christ as closely as you would be able to otherwise. Does it make sense to you to choose a path that would lead you away from God? How in the world would that be pleasing to Him?”
Jumping off from the last point of interest, I found myself being led to a particularly fascinating blog entitled, Bipolar Muslim.
There on a daily basis she discusses how she lives her life as a person of Muslim beliefs and the religious path that led her there.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Why are you Muslim?
I am a convert/revert (depending on which you prefer) to Islam. I was raised Roman Catholic. I went to college and I guess you can say this is where my journey to Islam started.
In college I was a religious studies major. Now this was a Catholic college.
During college I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Also known as manic depression. It was a difficult time for me for many reasons.
My bipolar was particularly bad at this point. It was discovered that I have rapid cycling bipolar and that I was medication resistant, which meant frequent changes in medication.
During what was a very stressful and confusing time for me, I experimented spiritually. You name it I tried it out. Judaism, other forms of Christianity, Buddhism, Wicca, other pagan religions… And during this time I also for lack of a better explanation “tried out” Islam.
On Jeremy’s web blog he speaks of his Wiccan faith as a male with bipolar disorder.
Author Lizzie Simon discussed her book on bipolar disorder, at various California Jewish Healing Centers. Where their mentality is, “The notion of healing really stretches the boundaries. In Jewish healing, we feel that any aspect of mind/body/spirit is appropriate to be addressed.”
It makes sense that if it has to do with your head and mental capacity, as a person of whatever faith, your beliefs will direct your course of treatment. I’m crossing my fingers that you personally never encounter a therapist or doctor that says you’re “demon possessed.” I don’t even think a Wiccan would want to be told that.
-Posted By Eliza Barnett
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Filed under: Eliza Barnett, bi-polar , bipolar, bipolar treatment, catholic, christian, faith, jewish, muslim, wiccan
Well meaning friends so often say the wrong things. A close friend of mine said two things that hurt deeply. One was, “I think a demon comes on you when you cycle.” How frightening it was, as I respected him. If the demon thing was true (I know now it is not), then no medication or talk therapy would help. It made me feel like giving up. The second thing he said was, “Listen to Simon and Garfunkel’s song, ‘Sounds of Silence,’ particularly the line, ‘Hello darkness my old friend, I’ve come to talk to you again.” What I ‘heard’ him say is, “You choose to go to the dark side of your illness.” Of course no one would ever choose the deep, dark and desperate state. For these reasons, I believe it is critical to have a sound and wise counselor deal with the issue, ‘Stupid things people say.’