Is taking care of your mental state a religious/holy/spiritual directive?

Question

As a religious person, how do you know when you use religion as you would alcohol (this is a clinically proven fact that one addiction can be substituted for another)

As a non-religious person, how do you know when religion/spirituality is necessary to your mental well-being? (It has been clinically proven that meditating practices and prayer are beneficial to the chemical balance of the brain)

Answer 1

as a spiritual directive, meditation can be very helpful, but spirituality should not be confused with being religious, since they are completely different
I've met several 'born again' christians who are in dire need of medication and therapy, but they live in denial, pretending that the 'bible' will save them, when they are actually getting worse

Answer 2

Yes, taking care of one's metal state is a spiritual directive - mindless, or perverse mental states are not conducive toward truth.

You know its not a substitute addiction only when your thoughts are, as though, you are thinking it the first time, based on all available observance and mindfulness, and not habitually, or reactively, or from memory, or imagination.

To contemplate unfound mysteries is meditative, but to read other's words without that exploration is deleterious to the mind's ability to know - information is not equal to knowledge.

Answer 3

Gee, how about a simple answer, like yes.