Fundamentalism and Mental Illness

[JustaServant]

A connection, why or why not?
What has been your experience?

[myotch]

The connection:

Fundamentalism attracts those with mental illness.

One's OCD is an itch just waiting to be scratched by fundamentalism in numerous and varied ways.

I think abusive parents can be drawn to a religious philosophy that does much to empower those who deliver corporeal punishment.

A lot f focus has been on pedophile preachers. Methinks fundamentalism can be used to hide pedophile parents, too.

[Papa Bear]

I don't think I saw a higher incidence of mental illness in my Fundy churches than in the general population, except possibly in depression, which seemed to correlate with perfectionism and/or the pressure to be perfect. Then again, I wasn't in one of the more extreme camps, so the difference may have been present, but less pronounced. What I did see was the church strongly discouraging people from seeking treatment, particularly pharmaceutical treatment, for mental problems. "Counseling" was okay, but "Christian" "Counseling" was preferred; anything else was suspect.

[Historian]

Agree with Papa Bear. My experience isn't vast, but I didn't notice higher incidence than in the general population.

[Persnickety Polecat]

I don't think there's more mental illness. I think there's more untreated mental illness. There's a huge emphasis on "let God take care of it" and avoiding those evil psychiatrists. Precious few people would ever tell a person to pray the cancer away, but the vast majority of IFB churches are blithely telling mentally ill people to pray their illnesses away, and if they fail, it's because they just weren't good enough or faithful enough or spiritual enough.

And it's a downward spiral from there. Just like cancer or any other illness, mental illness will get worse if it is not diagnosed and treated.

[notdrinkingthekoolaid]

(08-15-2012 09:58 PM)Persnickety Polecat Wrote:  I don't think there's more mental illness. I think there's more untreated mental illness. There's a huge emphasis on "let God take care of it" and avoiding those evil psychiatrists.

Totally agree with this.

[bean]

my experience in this atmosphere i am sure contributed in part to depression, anxiety, and a recurrence of ocd which had been silent for years. even if it did not trigger these it clearly was not helpful. ...ocd back in remission...but i suffered with pray it away for years.....lots of guilt in strict rules and performance based religion and it doesnt do any good!!

[FinallyFree]

(08-15-2012 10:37 PM)notdrinkingthekoolaid Wrote:  

(08-15-2012 09:58 PM)Persnickety Polecat Wrote:  I don't think there's more mental illness. I think there's more untreated mental illness. There's a huge emphasis on "let God take care of it" and avoiding those evil psychiatrists.

Totally agree with this.

This. Sadly it's very true.

[JustaServant]

(08-15-2012 09:58 PM)Persnickety Polecat Wrote:  I don't think there's more mental illness. I think there's more untreated mental illness. There's a huge emphasis on "let God take care of it" and avoiding those evil psychiatrists. Precious few people would ever tell a person to pray the cancer away, but the vast majority of IFB churches are blithely telling mentally ill people to pray their illnesses away, and if they fail, it's because they just weren't good enough or faithful enough or spiritual enough.

And it's a downward spiral from there. Just like cancer or any other illness, mental illness will get worse if it is not diagnosed and treated.

This is true from what I have seen. Either it goes untreated or the person does not let thier church know they are seeking treatment because of the "stigma".

[JimE]

Everything is sin in fundyland so mental illness does not exist from a fundy's perspective.
Right now, my family and another x-fundy family are dealing with a woman who is OCD, Compulsive Hording flavor.
We have been trying to get her to face reality for about 8 years now. Nothing works and she refuses to acknowledge the seriousness of her situation or get professional help. She built a second home about 5 years ago and kept the old one. We are currently on the 5th dumpster and we are half done on the old house. I have not seen the inside of the new house lately but I'm sure it is at least waist deep by now.