Question: Does Catholicism Help The Mentally Ill?

[SaltwaterHeart]

As a bit of a background for the question:

As a kid, I went to, for the lack of a better term, the Midwestern version of a mega-church. (I say it like that, because it isn't as big as, say, the mega-churches that you see on TV.) Their denomination was Lutheran, and both of my parents attended. When my parents divorced, however, my dad went back to Catholicism, and my mom stayed Protestant; and I, being the every-other-weekend kid, went to Lutheran services on Wednesdays and Thursdays with mom, and went to Catholic mass on Sundays with dad.

Since then, things have changed. My dad, in particular, doesn't go to church at all anymore. Whenever I bring up the idea that, maybe, he should go back to church, he snaps at me and says that The Catholic Church - not just one Catholic Church, but all of them - don't help the mentally ill. Because he has bipolar disorder, he believes that The Catholic Church will not help him. I have suggested that, maybe, he should try a different denomination of Christianity, but he won't, because the other denominations haven't been around as long as Catholicism has been.

Dad has even gone so far as to say that Jesus Himself won't heal those with mental illness. He will cast demons out of people, and He will heal physical disabilities (like being blind, being paralyzed, etc.), but, because it doesn't say, "mental illness," or, "mental disabilities" in The Bible, that means that it never happened. I have suggested to him before that, because psychology and psychiatry are new sciences (in the grand scheme of things) that, perhaps, the word, "demons," refers to both actual demons and metaphoric demons; that "demons" could stand for, "mental illness." I don't think that he took it to heart, though...

So, my questions are: Does Catholicism help the mentally ill, in general? Does it depend on which church you go to, or not? Are there Catholic support groups that help those with mental illness? (For example, the aforementioned Lutheran church had groups for single moms, new Christians, teens, Bible study... etc.)

 

[JoyToTheWhirled]

My understanding is that Christ understands mental illness and anguish because of what He went through in the Garden. Don't know if that helps any.

 

[Gwendolyn]

Catholic churches do not have programs to help the mentally ill, no.

People with mental illness should go to doctors and psychiatrists for help, as they are best qualified to treat mental illness.

Relying on prayer to make your mental illness go away won't do anything. God CAN heal mental illness - He's God, He can do whatever - but for some reason, He doesn't.

I say this as someone who struggles with mental illness, myself.

I don't know where your dad got the idea that churches have to help him with his mental illness. Churches can offer prayer and support, but they can't make it go away.

Sounds like your dad has a lot more going on with his dislike of religion rather than some church's attitude toward mental illness.

 

[Solace Girl]

No, to be honest from what I have seen, the Catholic Church hasn't been particularly helpful with mental illnesses.

I agree with the poster above me that there has to be some more issues with the Catholic Church, perhaps ones he does not want you to be aware of.

 

[MikeK]

The Catholic Church is as effective at curing mental illness as it is at curing cancer. God can cure what He chooses to but as Gwen said, He doesn't always choose to.

The following is not a Church teaching but merely my opinion; I think there are some mental illnesses that religious practice, Catholicism included, might make worse.

 

[Rhamiel]

as for the statement that the Bible does not talk about mental illness, I have heard it explained like this
when the Bible talks about "unclean spirits" sometimes it means demons, like in the cases when the possessed person knows who Jesus really is (Mark 1:24) but a lot of mental illnesses were just assumed to be caused by unclean spirits, so some of those cases could have been psychiatric problems.

St. Dymphna was an Irish princess who was martyred by her father, she is the patron saint of people with mental illness

 

[Rhamiel]

as for the broader question of "does the Catholic Church help those with mental illness" that is a bit more complex question.

there are people who have mental illness and abuse the teachings of the Church, becoming overly concerned with every little sin, a lot of times Catholics do not understand mental illness and will just try to "pray it away" rather then seeking professional medical help for medical problems.

at the same time, many many many of our Priests have atleast some training in how to deal with mental illness and even if they can not offer treatment (some priests are also doctors and are qualified to offer help) they can at least recognize it and recommend the person gets help.

the Catholic Church runs many hospitals, many of which have excellent psychiatric wings.

another thing to keep in mind, is that a lot of Catholics just go to Mass on Sunday and are not very involved in the community of the parish, so you can go to a church for years, never really talk to the Priest about your problems, and that means he would have no idea that you even NEED help

 

[LivingWordUnity]

The sacrament of reconciliation is good not just for spiritual health but also for mental health as long as someone doesn't get into scrupulosity. But there are some good Catholic psychologists out there. You might want to try this website: StayCatholic.com - Catholinks

 

[Michie]

As a bit of a background for the question:

As a kid, I went to, for the lack of a better term, the Midwestern version of a mega-church. (I say it like that, because it isn't as big as, say, the mega-churches that you see on TV.) Their denomination was Lutheran, and both of my parents attended. When my parents divorced, however, my dad went back to Catholicism, and my mom stayed Protestant; and I, being the every-other-weekend kid, went to Lutheran services on Wednesdays and Thursdays with mom, and went to Catholic mass on Sundays with dad.

Since then, things have changed. My dad, in particular, doesn't go to church at all anymore. Whenever I bring up the idea that, maybe, he should go back to church, he snaps at me and says that The Catholic Church - not just one Catholic Church, but all of them - don't help the mentally ill. Because he has bipolar disorder, he believes that The Catholic Church will not help him. I have suggested that, maybe, he should try a different denomination of Christianity, but he won't, because the other denominations haven't been around as long as Catholicism has been.

Dad has even gone so far as to say that Jesus Himself won't heal those with mental illness. He will cast demons out of people, and He will heal physical disabilities (like being blind, being paralyzed, etc.), but, because it doesn't say, "mental illness," or, "mental disabilities" in The Bible, that means that it never happened. I have suggested to him before that, because psychology and psychiatry are new sciences (in the grand scheme of things) that, perhaps, the word, "demons," refers to both actual demons and metaphoric demons; that "demons" could stand for, "mental illness." I don't think that he took it to heart, though...

So, my questions are: Does Catholicism help the mentally ill, in general? Does it depend on which church you go to, or not? Are there Catholic support groups that help those with mental illness? (For example, the aforementioned Lutheran church had groups for single moms, new Christians, teens, Bible study... etc.)

The RCC does help the mentally ill in my experience & makes a point of visiting the State Hospital weekly. But we can only help as much as we are allowed or qualified to do without eventually pointing to professional help. I know my priest works with several mental health experts.

 

[LivingWordUnity]

The following is not a Church teaching but merely my opinion; I think there are some mental illnesses that religious practice, Catholicism included, might make worse.

Mental illness is very complex. The APA and the field of psychiatry itself has often done more harm than good for those suffering from mental illnesses. They don't offer a cure for most mental illnesses. Instead, they can only treat it with drugs or therapy. And often the drugs have negative long-term side effects that can arguably end up worse for the patient than the original condition that they had. The only one who has the ability to cure all illnesses whether they be mental, physical, or spiritual is Jesus. With God all things are possible. Sometimes God chooses to let someone carry a cross, but it's so we can grow spiritually from the struggle.

 

[Galilee63]

The Catholic Church in my country provide many Catholic Psychologists in Centres for people suffering from depression - one of these located only 15 minutes from my home.

There should be Catholic Centres with Psychologists in your country around.

However, with depression, one still is required to visit a Psychiatrist regardless of Catholic Centres to counsel people with mental disorders.

Love and kindest wishes my Brothers and Sisters in Jesus Christ our Saviour

 

[pyramid33]

Catholics love to help Catholics.

 

[MikeK]

Catholics love to help Catholics.

What a cute but unwaranted jab. I can't think of any Catholic charities work that is limited to other Catholics.

Catholic Charities USA gives over 2 billion dollars of aid to the needy regardless of their religious, social, or economic backgrounds. Catholic Relief Services has boots on the ground wherever disaster strikes and has as its mission overseas relief and development, including those countries like Pakistan where popular sentiment would have you believe that unarmed Christians are not welcome to tread. Please follow these links and educate yourself about the good that Catholic charities do.

Catholic Relief Services

Catholic Charities Homepage | Catholic Charities USA

 

[AlanFromWichita]

As a bit of a background for the question:

As a kid, I went to, for the lack of a better term, the Midwestern version of a mega-church. (I say it like that, because it isn't as big as, say, the mega-churches that you see on TV.) Their denomination was Lutheran, and both of my parents attended. When my parents divorced, however, my dad went back to Catholicism, and my mom stayed Protestant; and I, being the every-other-weekend kid, went to Lutheran services on Wednesdays and Thursdays with mom, and went to Catholic mass on Sundays with dad.

Since then, things have changed. My dad, in particular, doesn't go to church at all anymore. Whenever I bring up the idea that, maybe, he should go back to church, he snaps at me and says that The Catholic Church - not just one Catholic Church, but all of them - don't help the mentally ill. Because he has bipolar disorder, he believes that The Catholic Church will not help him. I have suggested that, maybe, he should try a different denomination of Christianity, but he won't, because the other denominations haven't been around as long as Catholicism has been.

Dad has even gone so far as to say that Jesus Himself won't heal those with mental illness. He will cast demons out of people, and He will heal physical disabilities (like being blind, being paralyzed, etc.), but, because it doesn't say, "mental illness," or, "mental disabilities" in The Bible, that means that it never happened. I have suggested to him before that, because psychology and psychiatry are new sciences (in the grand scheme of things) that, perhaps, the word, "demons," refers to both actual demons and metaphoric demons; that "demons" could stand for, "mental illness." I don't think that he took it to heart, though...

So, my questions are: Does Catholicism help the mentally ill, in general? Does it depend on which church you go to, or not? Are there Catholic support groups that help those with mental illness? (For example, the aforementioned Lutheran church had groups for single moms, new Christians, teens, Bible study... etc.)

I had bipolar so severe that the doctors gave me no hope for healing. But that's doctors. The Holy Spirit, aka The Divine Therapist, can do what medicine cannot, and brought me total healing. And let me tell you, being fixed by God is far better than before I was sick at all! Medicine for mentally ill is like a cast on a leg. It holds things together by controlling the symptoms, but it doesn't fix the problem. The leg has to stitch itself together. In mental illness (when there is no pathology which I contend is much more often than "common knowledge" admits) it's a matter of rewiring the way we think. Some think this is impossible, but I've done it and have helped others do it. This is what Jesus meant by the kingdom, is a state of mind/consciousness that looks at the same physical world as the rest of us, but sees it all as wonderful and beautiful rather than horrible and scary.

The problem will be rooted in any or all of the following areas, but it WILL affect each one: physical, mental, emotional, social, sexual (which is most closely related to self-identification) and spiritual. But be careful, because if you speak to an "expert" they will often try to assess your entire situation through only one point of view. Like you can be anxious over a spiritual issue, and a psychiatrist would treat you with drugs while a spiritual director would address the actual issue. So it behooves to enlist experts as necessary and available, for all six components. I'm not saying he needs experts to cover all areas; just that he should keep them in mind.

First of all, he needs to know there is an entire side of the church that most Catholics, even me as a cradle Catholic until age 42, in 2001, have never even heard of. That would be the "apophatic" tradition (as opposed to "kataphatic") which is based on the mystery (mysticism) and what we don't know about the Church, and gets into personal interior transformation like healing of the heart (my term) compared to learning a lot of head knowledge about doctrine and dogma.

Contemplative prayer, is something else I'd never heard of, until age 42. It is silent prayer, or "resting in God." The CCC article "expressions of prayer" (CCC 2700-2724) actually has more to say about contemplative prayer than vocal and meditative combined, and one paragraph even goes so far as to say a Christian prayer life "should" go deeper into contemplative prayer, which achieves true union with Jesus's prayer. It is also called, "resting in God" and is a great thing for adoration. It's basically just sitting quietly and not thinking about anything in particular. Like letting your mind settle down from its busy thoughts so it can open along with the heart, and let the HS come in with a nice massage and cleanup crew. Oh yeah, the cleanup crew -- that's where it can get messy. I recommend he reads Dark Night of the Soul, by St. John of the Cross. My 12 year psychotic episode was really well modeled by it.

So the first thing if he wants to stay Catholic, is to avail himself of what Catholics have to help him come closer to God, and to healing.

I highly recommend the book "Armchair Mystic: Easing Into Contemplative Prayer" by Jesuit Mark E. Thibodeaux S.J. which was used as a text for my son's first semester class (fall 2013) at the seminary in St. Louis, "Kenrick-Glennon" which btw is the same place Fr. Emil Kapaun graduated from. It covers all three forms of prayer: vocal, meditative, and contemplative and gives scores of ideas based a lot on the author's own experience. He goes into great detail about distractions and lack of focus during prayer, and shows how really it's all good.

Another thing, is there any possibility of getting a "spiritual director" for him? You can maybe call your diocese office and ask; they aren't always easy to find and you may not "click" with just any particular one. I had an SD for a couple years. He knew both theology and psychology and helped me a lot. But then they moved him out of town and the new guy didn't impress me as much.

Oh gosh I have so much to say. I'm glad I saw this thread; the Catholic Church has huge resources to help a Bipolar sufferer; problem is you kind of have to find it for yourself. A good SD can make a huge difference, though. Also feel free to PM me if you want to discuss this outside the forum.

Alan

 

[AlanFromWichita]

Also, Catholic sources were only one of several major factors that contributed to my healing. Like the philosopher Alan Watts; I'd never heard a philosophy lecture until right when I needed it. He was once an Anglican priest, then Buddhist guru, then he quit that and lectured and had a radio show and stuff. His strong point was lecturing western audiences about eastern thought. Considering eastern ideas gave my bipolar mind new ways of seeing things instead of the "western-only" POV.

Comparative religion in general is useful, and helps put our own Catholicism into perspective. And to me, the useful part of Catholicism is what takes us on this transformation.

Also I have a forum where we could discuss it if either of you want, and I can be your friend's online cheerleader and idea-sharer, while he goes through his Dark Night, and seeks the healing and Transforming Union from the Holy Spirit.

Alan

 

[Armoured]

As a bit of a background for the question:

As a kid, I went to, for the lack of a better term, the Midwestern version of a mega-church. (I say it like that, because it isn't as big as, say, the mega-churches that you see on TV.) Their denomination was Lutheran, and both of my parents attended. When my parents divorced, however, my dad went back to Catholicism, and my mom stayed Protestant; and I, being the every-other-weekend kid, went to Lutheran services on Wednesdays and Thursdays with mom, and went to Catholic mass on Sundays with dad.

Since then, things have changed. My dad, in particular, doesn't go to church at all anymore. Whenever I bring up the idea that, maybe, he should go back to church, he snaps at me and says that The Catholic Church - not just one Catholic Church, but all of them - don't help the mentally ill. Because he has bipolar disorder, he believes that The Catholic Church will not help him. I have suggested that, maybe, he should try a different denomination of Christianity, but he won't, because the other denominations haven't been around as long as Catholicism has been.

Dad has even gone so far as to say that Jesus Himself won't heal those with mental illness. He will cast demons out of people, and He will heal physical disabilities (like being blind, being paralyzed, etc.), but, because it doesn't say, "mental illness," or, "mental disabilities" in The Bible, that means that it never happened. I have suggested to him before that, because psychology and psychiatry are new sciences (in the grand scheme of things) that, perhaps, the word, "demons," refers to both actual demons and metaphoric demons; that "demons" could stand for, "mental illness." I don't think that he took it to heart, though...

So, my questions are: Does Catholicism help the mentally ill, in general? Does it depend on which church you go to, or not? Are there Catholic support groups that help those with mental illness? (For example, the aforementioned Lutheran church had groups for single moms, new Christians, teens, Bible study... etc.)

With the best will in the world, trying to argue rationally with a mentally ill person can be... problematic, shall we say.