mental health and the pill

[Ninja Cat]

i have OCD and other mental health problems because of Blasphemous thoughts and the fact am evil
I believe that am sinful and evil and that there is no hope for me at all
there are things that i have done in my life that i am ashamed of
one of them being i use birth control because i don't want to get pregnant because of my mental health problems I hear voices and see things there has been time when i have attacked my husband with a knife thinking he was a demon if i had a baby and i though it was a demon i could end up killing it
My husband feels that birth control is the only way to go so i don't get pregnant
The medication that i am would make the baby handicapped if i keep taking them
without the medication am a danger to others and to myself
Voices now say i am evil for taking the birth control but i know if i got pregnant i would never have an abortion my mum thinks once i have a baby my mental health should just go away
my mum knows nothing about mental illness I feel like am in the wrong for not wanting a baby
Am unsure if i can call myself catholic because i use birth control
i know and my husband knows id never be able to carry a baby to full term with out my medication

Am i still catholic if i take the pill ?

 

[Second Phoenix]

You are always Catholic.

If you are hearing voices and seeing things, then you may have schizophrenia. Have you talked to a doctor about it? It is treatable. It may also indicate another health issue that can also be serious. Regardless, this is seriously affecting your life and you really should talk to someone.

 

[Gwendolyn]

Are you currently seeing a psychiatrist?

If not, the very first thing you need to do is see a doctor immediately to discuss treatment options.

Your mental health problems won't go away if you have a baby. In all likelihood, they will get worse.

I'm in a similar position. Depression with psychotic characteristics (hallucinations), ocd, generalised anxiety disorder. The meds I take cause birth defects and deformities, usually relating to the brain (seizure disorders, half of the brain missing, etc).

People who do not have mental illness seriously, SERIOUSLY underestimate the havoc that pregnancy can wreak on the mental and physical health of a mentally ill woman. If you already experience psychotic episodes (such as the demon thing), then you will likely experience post-partum depression and psychosis. (For those that don't know, post-partum psychosis is what often leads mothers to kill their children.) It is naive and dangerous to suggest that a woman suffering from mental illness would magically be "okay" going off her meds and putting herself through the most dangerous health thing most women will ever experience (bearing a child).

And then there is the issue of mental illness having a significant hereditary factor in being passed down through generations.

I don't have an answer for you. Faced with a situation very similar to yours, I readily embraced sterility (I had to have surgery to remove uterine tumours, and the surgery sterilised me, and I'm not sad about it). I feel relieved.

But there is no moral option except never having sex. Using birth control while having sex is immoral. Getting sterilised on purpose is immoral. The only moral option is celibacy.

I know that sounds horrible, and unjust, and cold, and unfair. You can still be Catholic if you do those things, but you wouldn't be able to receive communion.

Your best bet is to speak with a priest. I spoke with a priest about my issues before I had surgery. The seriousness of your situation may diminish some culpability in what you are able to choose. The anguish, pain, and shame that accompanies mental illness makes people like you and I much, much different than the average, clear-thinking person.

I'm so sorry. I hope this helps even a little.

 

[Genersis]

I've had a little experience with dealing with mental health issues myself, but I don't think I could add anything to the sound advice Gwendolyn had already provided.

 

[Ninja Cat]

The pill is making my depression worse am having mood swings and other problems looks like i have to come off it i have made a drs appointment for next week the soonest i could get was next Tuesday
unsure where to go from here
Am also feeling suicidal

 

[Anhelyna]

Please please contact your local mental health team - even at a this time of night .

If you use this site you can get help now

Features - Health Information and Self Care Advice for Scotland

There are 3 numbers on that article - the 0800 number should be operative now

you can also use 08454 24 24 24.

 

[Ninja Cat]

forgot to say i see a psych and am given medication for my voices and seeing things but he said the medication cant do everything i also go to a hearing voices group once a week for the last few weeks av not been going as i have had a cold
but i will be going back to the group again

Am going to call a crisis line and see what they say
thank you for the link Anhelyna

 

[Anhelyna]

No problems Kingdom - just take really good care of yourself

 

[FriendlyJosh]

I have lot of bad thoughts as well, they're very frustrating, I prayed to God and within the next day or next couple days on my phone showed up this scripture from the verse of the day of The Bible app I have called YouVersion. Anyway it said

Isaiah 26:3
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

here are some more What Does the Bible Say About Thoughts And The Mind?

I'm sorry you're struggling with voices in your head and seeing things i'll definitely pray for you, God Bless you sister.

 

[Rhamiel]

you are not evil
you are a child of God and He loves you very much

you should not use birth control
if you do not want a baby you should not be having sex
but this does not make you evil, we all make mistakes
and from what you have written it sounds like you have a lot on your plate

 

[Anhelyna]

Rhamiel

Please be careful - things involved in mental health care are not always back and white.

 

[Rhamiel]

Rhamiel

Please be careful - things involved in mental health care are not always back and white.

you are right, mental health issues do complicate things very much, and I would never dream of giving psychological advice over the internet

but I was not giving psychological advice, I was talking about the fact contraception used during sex is a moral evil and a sin and should be avoided

 

[Tallguy88]

you are right, mental health issues do complicate things very much, and I would never dream of giving psychological advice over the internet

but I was not giving psychological advice, I was talking about the fact contraception used during sex is a moral evil and a sin and should be avoided

That assumes she's using it for contraceptive purposes, knows its wrong, and fully consents to it anyway. Since she has what sounds like rather severe psychological issues, the issue of full consent is very blurry and beyond the scope of us to address adequately.

To the OP: aside from seeing a psychologist, I advise you to find a priest you trust and go to him regularly as your spiritual advisor. He will be able to help you with your concerns about the faith better than we people on the Internet.

 

[Rhamiel]

That assumes she's using it for contraceptive purposes, knows its wrong, and fully consents to it anyway. Since she has what sounds like rather severe psychological issues, the issue of full consent is very blurry and beyond the scope of us to address adequately.

To the OP: aside from seeing a psychologist, I advise you to find a priest you trust and go to him regularly as your spiritual advisor. He will be able to help you with your concerns about the faith better than we people on the Internet.

I did not say that it was a mortal sin, because of the reasons you mentioned
but it is a sin regardless, contraception is intrinsically immoral

she said that she was taking it to avoid children, not for any medical reason
so she is not taking a medicine that has a contraceptive side effect
she is taking contraception because it is contraception, and that is sinful

we can not judge if it is or is not a mortal sin, but it is sinful
remember, venial sins are still horrible and do harm to the soul

 

[Tallguy88]

I did not say that it was a mortal sin, because of the reasons you mentioned
but it is a sin regardless, contraception is intrinsically immoral

she said that she was taking it to avoid children, not for any medical reason
so she is not taking a medicine that has a contraceptive side effect
she is taking contraception because it is contraception, and that is sinful

we can not judge if it is or is not a mortal sin, but it is sinful
remember, venial sins are still horrible and do harm to the soul

She needs to discuss these issues with a mental health professional AND a priest before making any major changes. We are just not qualified to give any advice beyond that at this point.

 

[Rhamiel]

I am not giving advice
I am informing her that some actions are sinful and intrinsically evil


it does not help anyone to soft-pedal sin

 

[WarriorAngel]

i have OCD and other mental health problems because of Blasphemous thoughts and the fact am evil
I believe that am sinful and evil and that there is no hope for me at all
there are things that i have done in my life that i am ashamed of
one of them being i use birth control because i don't want to get pregnant because of my mental health problems I hear voices and see things there has been time when i have attacked my husband with a knife thinking he was a demon if i had a baby and i though it was a demon i could end up killing it
My husband feels that birth control is the only way to go so i don't get pregnant
The medication that i am would make the baby handicapped if i keep taking them
without the medication am a danger to others and to myself
Voices now say i am evil for taking the birth control but i know if i got pregnant i would never have an abortion my mum thinks once i have a baby my mental health should just go away
my mum knows nothing about mental illness I feel like am in the wrong for not wanting a baby
Am unsure if i can call myself catholic because i use birth control
i know and my husband knows id never be able to carry a baby to full term with out my medication

Am i still catholic if i take the pill ?

You should be on meds for the health issue.
I assume you want to fix that and it wont help your husband if you avoid such a thing.

You'd have to seek a physicians advice about getting pregnant on mental health meds.

BTW - you're not evil.

 

[Gwendolyn]

For some women, using hormones certainly can increase mood swings and depressive symptoms. Some women's bodies just do not handle the extra hormones, in which case they should avoid them if possible.

Your psychiatrist is right. Medication cannot "do everything" or completely solve issues (I still hallucinate even though I take medication, and I also still have depressive episodes, but that is another story).

I understand completely how overwhelming mental illness is. I have stood at the brink, pills in hand, prepared to down every single last one of them. I don't know why I didn't do it. Maybe I had hope - some small shred of hope that things could be different, even slightly.

Try to have hope. Mental illness is a daily struggle. You have good days and bad days, or good weeks and bad weeks, or good months and bad months. But the good IS out there. Have hope that you WILL see it, you WILL experience it, even if it is only fleeting at first.

Big hugs for you. I hope you can see your doctor/therapist soon to discuss this issue in more depth. Dealing with fertility and mental illness is a scary, frustrating, anxiety-provoking thing, but I am confident that you will be able to find a solution for the long-term.

 

[Second Phoenix]

I am not giving advice
I am informing her that some actions are sinful and intrinsically evil


it does not help anyone to soft-pedal sin

I do think in a topic in which a person speaks or show mental health issues, we ought to address the issues related to their heath. Addressing issues of sin and such may ultimately be harmful. I know you meant not harm in this, but I think it is best to relate to the person on their most pressing issue, rather than discussing theological issues that may harm them.