Are Catholics ignoring the Mentally Ill and being indifferent to them?

[enbell]

@ Cat Herder :

I was hoping someone would mention St. Dymphna . What she went through in her own life was pretty hair-raising.

I fail to see the connection : The OP posts some pictures from a prison which is state-run ; but in a way that would seem to imply the question whether this is somehow the Church’s fault.

As a personal assistant to a severely disabled priest who spent the last 10 years of his life in a long term-/palliative care facility , and who served 16 years prior to those last 10 as a chaplain in a home which served to re-integrate people suffering from more difficult cases of mental illness back into society , I find the insinuations to be rather insulting.

I also know a gentleman who runs 3 different homes for patients with mental illnesses - which receives them once they’ve been released from their respective psychiatric wards - because no one else wants them or can live with them - including their families. He once opened a new center in a neighboring town and was forced to move it elsewhere - the civil authorities let him know they weren’t welcome there. . . it was the local authorities - not the Church who did the dirty deed.

Where the OP’s post misses the point most tragically is that it would imply/presume, much as those who come here to promote active homosexuality , that our own family and/or its members are somehow immune to mental illness because they have Catholics in them . That’s an error. And as someone who has family members and friends (one of whom committed suicide at the tender age of 26) who struggle with mental illness, I posit that whether the OP’s assertion is based on ignorance or not , I find its approach both unrealistic and offensive.

Maybe it would be a good idea to read around these forums a little when someone comes here before they end up posting something that could offend some of our other members who are doing such a great job too :

Catholics and Mental Illness

Returning to the real world , here we are told by experts that 1 in 5 Canadians will suffer from some form of mental illness in their lives :

Statistics on the prevalence of mental disorders and related suicides in Canada


Finally, I would note that the OP’s post has tried to position active homosexuality as something separate from mental illness . Many of us on these forums are already aware that the only reason the APA removed homosexuality from its list of mental disorders was that they were intimidated into doing it by the gay militants. There was no scientific basis to remove it.

Homosexual Activists Intimidate American Psychiatric Association into Removing Homosexuality from List of Disorders

Thank you for articulating your point of view and your experience so eloquently. I was honestly so infuriated by the implication of the OP I couldn’t see straight! Thank you also for your dedication to the priest you work with!!

 

[NeedImprovement]

Thank you for articulating your point of view and your experience so eloquently. I was honestly so infuriated by the implication of the OP I couldn’t see straight! Thank you also for your dedication to the priest you work with!!

Speaking of being too miffed to see straight , I should’ve been a little clearer myself by saying “the* final *ten years of his life” as opposed to “the last ten years” (Father is in very good HANDS now . )

Another patient I served in this apostolate and who had spent his final years on this earth in the same institution was (yet another) Catholic psychiatrist (Catholic psychiatrists are less rare than some people think ,). What I found to be particularly edifying was when I would bring this gentleman Holy Communion and we prayed together before administering Holy Communion . He had a way of praying his Hail Mary (in the french language) which was quite moving:

Instead of praying "Holy Mary, Mother of God , pray for us sinners . . . " , he always prayed “Holy Mary , Mother of God and our Mother, pray for us sinners . . .”

To hear this coming from the heart of an accomplished psychiatrist can be both a profound and at the same time quite a humbling experience :

The Catholic faith has the fullness of truth , yet psychiatry partially remains an imperfect science. To see the two of these melded seamlessly in one soul is to see God’s own Hand at work.

 

[NeedImprovement]

. . .
I didn’t quite understand the homosexuality comment.

In the post quoted,there were actually two distinct comments made on that subject . If you could indicate clearly which one you’re referring to and what you don’t understand about it , I might be able to provide a little elucidation later this evening . Right now I don’t have any time left , there’s an apostolate to tend to.

 

[RPRPsych]

A Catholic Psychiatrist,that’s refreshing
I agree Catholic Church is definitely much more aware and cautious regarding the distinctions of mental illness vs possession then many other Christian churches and is accepting of Psychiatry.
That’s great what the Missionaries of Charity are doing.I’d love to see more of that everywhere and also priests inspiring everyday Catholics what they themselves can do.

Well, a lot of parishes, including my own, have basic counseling and referral services in place, at least for alcoholism and family / marital issues.

In my own town, there’s another organisation (the Fraternal Life Service Home) also run by Catholic priests and laymen, which provides a “halfway home” sort of environment for patients transitioning between hospital and home, as well as those who need longer-term institutional care. They do a great job, and many of the patients in the hospital I work in (which is Government-run) have benefited from a stay there.

 

[teeboy]

A Catholic Psychiatrist,that’s refreshing
I agree Catholic Church is definitely much more aware and cautious regarding the distinctions of mental illness vs possession then many other Christian churches and is accepting of Psychiatry.
That’s great what the Missionaries of Charity are doing.I’d love to see more of that everywhere and also priests inspiring everyday Catholics what they themselves can do.

Possession and depression are surely two different things.

However, I believe both are effected by the evil.

 

[Christy_Beth]

A person could have a “dual diagnosis.” That’s where a “high funtioning” mentally ill person starts drinking or taking street drugs in an attempt to cope with their illness. When they get the diagnosis, real treatment can be started. I mean “real treatment” as opposed to what was being attempt. Getting the person the right medication and help learning how to cope. This may be through one on one counseling, family counseling, or even groups targeted for that diagnosis. It’s possible, but it isn’t easy.

 

[NeedImprovement]

Possession and depression are surely two different things.

However, I believe both are effected by the evil.

*Mentall illness * and *mental disorders *cover a lot more ground than clinical depression does.

It also has to be considered that posession and obsession exist both apart, and in combination and may involve all sorts of different manifestations, intensities, proportion, periodic frequency (and whatever other categories we may use to try to classify or measure these things).

Most exorcists will tell you rather poignantly,that abortion is demonic in its nature.

Here is a link to a general list (hard to find 2 identical lists) categorizing mental disorders. One gets an idea by scrolling down the page just how expansive/comprehensive the subject matter alone is.

 

[NeedImprovement]

Well, a lot of parishes, including my own, have basic counseling and referral services in place, at least for alcoholism and family / marital issues.

In my own town, there’s another organisation (the Fraternal Life Service Home) also run by Catholic priests and laymen, which provides a “halfway home” sort of environment for patients transitioning between hospital and home, as well as those who need longer-term institutional care. They do a great job, and many of the patients in the hospital I work in (which is Government-run) have benefited from a stay there.

In a neighboring borough, I would give honorable mention to a non-profit organization called Friends For Mental Health. They rely a lot on donations. They dedicate themselves to providing support for the caregivers -(most often family members) of those loved ones ;some of whom are still able to cope with their mental illness in a home environment. So the approach is family oriented where warranted.

They’ve helped, counseled and educated a lot of different people in this area . . . a lot of them.


There are Catholics who are members of the organization, and the last time I checked there was also at least one of the staff psychologists who is a Catholic, but this organization is for anyone who needs to deal with mental illness.

Here’s the link asmfmh.org/html/english/index.html/ . . . BTW I’m not the little furry guy being held by the man in the forefront of the photo - I’m actually much smaller than that. ,http://i881.photobucket.com/albums/ac14/girlee_girl/emotions/cdwink.gif

 

[3DOCTORS]

It has taken awhile - but dioceses are coming up with more, including support groups for families dealing with mentally ill persons. Recently saw this advertised:

catholicdioceseofwichita.org/ministry-with-persons-with-disabilities/services/days-of-retreat

 

[Michael19682]

A nationally heterogenous religious practice of Christianity, and infreuding (yes) among us has led to inroads made by the devils in mental health care. Jesus needs some state funding. There is a soul, a God, and a spirit, like it or not!

 

[losh14]

I think mental illness doesn’t get nearly the attention or energy of physical infirmities partly because of ignorance of the conditions (you can tell the guy with a broken leg, but not the parishioner who is suffering from depression, anxiety or schizophrenia), but also because very few know what to do to help. Many people don’t know that psychiatric hospitals often (though not always) allow visitors, and there’s an unfortunate perception of psychiatric care as being somewhere between taking a pill and laying on a couch talking about bad relationships.

This sounds like a great challenge for a parish who is looking for a way to minister to the under-served. What kinds of things can a group of people do to help persons being treated for mental illness to recover? Would it be something as simple as befriending them, or helping them to develop social or workplace skills, or just making sure they have a decent meal to eat.

On a personal note, I wish that my friend Tricia had told me that she was going on an SSRI for depression. I’d have rounded up our friends and spent the next two days hanging out with her. Had we known she needed help, she may not have taken her life 10 years ago, in what at the time was considered to be an eventuality that even Paxil couldn’t prevent. Maybe something like this is a start - if someone is taking a medication and are advised to have company to observe them, I think this is a great way to reach out.

 

[Linda_Clare]

Nope, not really. (But then I’m a Catholic psychiatrist, so I would say that!) In fact, most “religious anti-psychiatry” has come from Protestants like Jay Adams, and even Catholic exorcists are careful to stress the difference between mental illness and demonic possession.

On a personal note, the Missionaries of Charity in my town run a home which cares exclusively for mentally ill or intellectually disabled women, many of whom have been abandoned by their families, or found wandering the streets in a pitiable condition. That certainly counts as concern in my book.

Why is it then, that whenever I ask a question about paranoid schizophrenia, the thread comes up about demonic possession?

 

[Linda_Clare]

Why is it then, that whenever I ask a question about paranoid schizophrenia, the thread comes up about demonic possession?

My son has a disease. He is NOT possessed. It came slowly for him. As a child, he had imaginary friends, but, he also had a wonderful imagination. He was off the charts on his IQ tests. His writing was incredible as a child. Gradually, the irrational thoughts crept in. Later, certain triggers caused episodes in his life, some more serious than others. Paranoid Schizophrenia is a disease no different than physical diseases. It eats away at the person’s psyche until they are no longer the same person. My son’s mind sorta unraveled.

In the Catholic Community, we did not receive the help that should have been there. I worked for the church for years, yet, when I needed help, they turned their face. I could have searched further, but, we were in our own turmoil facing such a diagnosis. It takes years to even talk about it.

My son wanted to be confirmed, which thrilled me. He was a reader once and the assembly became unusually quiet to listen to him. He had a charisma. A very nice priest told me that it would be better if he did it on a one to one basis with me rather than in a group.

After a horrible episode in college, my son “borrowed” a friend’s car to escape what he felt was an extremely dangerous situation. He turned himself in and was taken to jail where he was sentenced to community service. I called the Church in our new area. I was not working for the Church at the time, but, I knew the youth minister. He did some of his service, but, he was sent home if the “people” were around. They were afraid he might have an episode. No priest or anyone ever talked to him or me at all. I was hoping for a little help, like a family. He finished up at my school where he did get some quality help from the custodian. St. Francis knew what was needed to spread love to the “lepers”. Today’s Church doesn’t get that.

 

[Michael19682]

Why is it then, that whenever I ask a question about paranoid schizophrenia, the thread comes up about demonic possession?

It has been a common theory for millenia. Personally, it can’t be proven incorrect, either - I’d say. I’d love to get a response from someone who has synthesized a theory briefly combining the demonic possession theory and the biologic brain illness theories into one. That would interest me because after so many years of living with an illness originally characterised as p.schizophrenia, I do fairly well with or without the medicine; though I take it for (my personal) security’s sake.

 

[Ridgerunner]

One of the difficulties with this whole subject is the fact that “mental illness” is not just one thing. On one hand we have the mentally disabled. Some of those are developmentally disabled, but not all are. Some are simply so mentally ill that they can’t live in ordinary society. For SOME of those, there are societal efforts, though inadequate.

But most people with mental illness are not casually determinable as such. Nobody has any idea who most of them are or what difficulties they are having. Most are “ambulatory” within society, and function in what, to most, seems a normal manner.

The Church institutions ought to be more attentive to both, but frankly, it appears to me the church in the U.S. is as close to broke as you can get without being in bankruptcy. Some of that is due to lack of generosity on the part of parishioners. But a great deal of it is due to the fact that government is so demanding of our resources that it’s very difficult to pay it, to raise a family and to live decently at the same time, let alone be extremely generous to church institutions. If a person wants to have a number of children, the parents are essentially penniless beyond necessities nearly all the time.

 

[Matilda_Bennett]

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