Which is more costly, Therapy or Religion? Which does more harm then good?

Question

Where is transference more prevelant and what are the harms done? (see below link):

http://freudfile.org/psychoanalysis/transference.html

Answer 1

Either way, you have to pay!!! But with one of the paths... you get to ingest researched pharmaceuticals!!! Woohooo!

Answer 2

If one is tithing (donating money to chirch each week), then both are pretty costly-expensive. Both can go on for DECADES with little change in anything, spiriitually, mentally, emotionally. Just because someone has multiple degrees in counseling does not guarantee that they can help you. There is a lot to be uncovered about COMPATABILITY between the client and the therapist or the clergy. Some clients are in better mental health than therapist and some clients-therapists are in a state of addiction and don't make the necessary changes. I mean psychotherapy has been around for over a hundred years and look at the world! What a mess!

Some therapists can help a person UNDERSTAND their issues, but they may or may not be able to help the person OVERCOME their issues. Some people can make the necessary shifts overnight. It has to do with how ready-willing-able a person is to confront their own faults-demons-subpersonalities-false ego!

So do your homework when seeking help in either realm. Some religions and religious leaders are full of light-compassion-inspiration and can help a person "heal-overcome" all sorts of problems even if they are without the degree. Many clergy are also very well education if you ask-check.

Love and devotion is also very healing. A deep private relationship with your CREATOR is one of the most profound forms of therapy-healing around.

Don't forget: there are also BOTH pathological therapists and pathological ministers-priests who can really make someone be in worse mental-emotional health than when they started counseling. It is a tricky world out there....finding people of integrity on all levels is easier said than done in either the religion or therapy categories.

Transference and projection are impossible to avoid on some level. Some transference is not harmful. Some is pathological.
We are all looking for true spiritual happiness in all the wrong places!

Answer 3

Older research on treatment efficacy showed social work treatment was at best harmless except for older clients who established relationships with therapists that were disrupted. They had a slightly higher mortality rate.
The efficacy of psychoanalysis is dismal. At a psychoanalytical conference a British psychoanalyst asked an American psychoanalyst why it took nine years to complete therapy in England and only seven in America. It takes the British longer to catch on to the joke.
Cognitive Behavior therapy is favored by medical insurers because it is often time-limited and has been shown to be effective for some disorders. Actually quite a few.
Religion is not a therapy, in the extreme it is a psychiatric disorder that can be deadly to the diseased and to those around them.
Finally, a good, really fast motorcycle is more therapeutic than just about anything.

Answer 4

Therapy though most expensive in most cases is still a measurable expense and limited to some extent, whereas religion (misinterpreted) in some cases causes costs that are more than some people are willing to pay.

The simple fact that religion has the power over many people (the followers of the religion) as opposed to therapy (either one to one or small groups) makes it more harmful if misdirected. It s like the Manson family, some sort of religiong misinterpreted turning out more costly and harmful than anything anyone could foresee.

Answer 5

You can do in religion what you would do on Freud's couch, but you don't have to pay $200 an hour to engage in free association.

Freudian theory, if not inappropriate, at minimum is not efficient. The studies show that Psychoanalysis is the least beneficial form of psychotherapy in most areas of abnormal psychology. It is hard to get results, and demands far more than any other field of therapy.

Religion is free.

Answer 6

Probably therapy, unless you have a good health plan that covers therapy.

However, religion does monetarily cost a worshiper a minimum of 10% of his income.

And also note, most religions require a worshiper to fully surrender his/her soul to an invisible man, and you can't put a monetary value on a soul.

Answer 7

That's a hard choice but I would say therapy is more costly as far as money is concerned
each has there on agenda, but both relies on god, so therapy is more useful, for depressed people

Answer 8

Obviously therapy is more expensive. And truth be told, can also cause more harm than good. Go with religion. You can never go wrong with God on your side.

Answer 9

Therapy is sometimes needed, even when you have a religion! For me, I am a born again Christian and if I needed to see a therapist, I would go to a Christian one!

Answer 10

Religion. Catholics are taught that only God can make you truly happy and not material items. Theropy is definately more expensive.


dylanwalker1 - However, religion does monetarily cost a worshiper a minimum of 10% of his income.
^Actually, the nun at my church told me that wasn't true