Religion and psychosis/mental health?

Question

Okay, so religious 'delusion' or 'obsession' is noted in cases of OCD, severe psychotic episodes, schizophrenia and manic depression. But where is the line drawn between religious devotion and mental illness?

Answer 1

Thank you for asking.

Both "superstition" and "psychosis" can be defined as the irrational belief in things that don't exist, that's just a "given". But in other words a lot of our atheists seem to enjoy picking on our superstitious patients by getting into irrational debates over superstitious concepts, so then who's to say one group is more psychotic over the next when both our superstitious patients & our minority of lost atheists both engage in illogical conflict with each other over superstitious content? Besides, religion isn't the only induced superstition because there are other old as well as modern superstitions afflicting our family species. But I've seen enough insane fighting so I'm telling Mother Nature on all of you.

But again, thank you for asking. Tsark out.


In a related subject the following Question was deleted after I posted my Answer:

My Answer:

Thank you for asking.

You may not agree but you are welcome to disagree. Only living animals possess the power-of-thought because of physical visible brains with the necessary specialized tissues for carrying out the functions of what constitutes the power-of-thought. The more some of us become determined to undermine this fact of reality then the more we tend to adopt the psychosis that inanimate things including invisible things can also possess the power-of-thought. If those of us who know with 100% certainty only live visible brains have the power-of-thought then consider ourselves sane in this regards, however, for those of us who's imaginative wishful thinking tempted us to go over the edge of sanity by adopting the psychosis of inanimate, invisible, or make-believe entities could somehow possibly have the power-of-thought, it's a nice thought but it just isn't real. Either we recognize it as a psychosis or some of us just don't see the sane logic because of denial among plenty of peers which makes it seem as if it's okay to adopt the psychosis since so many other people have already adopted it. We're ordinary animals and one of our instincts is to follow along with the herd. The herd itself might not know where we're headed but usually somebody else knows it for us such as 'people-movers'.

In summary, United States citizens can believe or acknowledge whatever they want within the sanctity and privacy of their own minds as long as it doesn't harm anyone. Both Federal and State Laws protects our right to have crazy thoughts as long as no one is harmed. I don't think certain psychoses especially in the far run are necessarily harmless but we have the freedom to chose and express our own psychoses, if any.

Sum-a-us bring da holy wine while rest-a-us score da glory smoke den can't we all jest lern to git-a-long-lil-doggie?

And thanks again, for asking. Tsark out.


The deleted Question:
ATHEISTS ONLY...again!!!!!!?
I would love for you to disprove God, but the only way I will read your response is if you my response of proving God on someones question a few minutes ago. I would love to hear you disprove everything I have said. Or just give me some feedback that would be good to. the person's question was "I want some 1 to prove God" or something like that. Just click on my face then go to answers and it will be like the second one down of something and I think my answer is still the last one on the page. Have Fun!!! PS Christians Don't hate you at all.
* 13 hours ago
* - 3 days left to answer.
Additional Details
13 hours ago
V if you would have read the stuff above hear and gone to where I proved God then maybe you would actually have something smart to say to me. read all the info.
13 hours ago
then do it tigris because I would love to know. Don't just say that you can, actually do it
13 hours ago
paradox...can you prove that he is. I would love to hear how.
13 hours ago
no, moas i don't care. And you can't read minds because if you could then you could have prevented 9-11. get a grip. that is what you don't understand how naive you can be sometimes and hardheaded.
13 hours ago
HAHAHA. I love you guys, and so does God! He truly does. Your answers have put a smile on my face but also make me very sad. I will pray that each of you will find God. don't worry about churches and religion, but God himself, a greater being then yourself, I know you feel it. AFIG

Answer 2

If religious devotion does not prevent normal functioning in society it is generally not considered to be symptomatic of mental illness. This is not the case if AND ONLY IF the religious devotion is at a level that could be considered obsessive and likely to cause harm to one's self or others....

There are some people who, for example, feel that Pastor Fred Phelps of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, KS has crossed the line into mentally ill. Time will be the only test of if this is the case.

Answer 3

There isn't a clear distinction between religious belief and clinical delusions. The DSM (diagnostic and statistical manual) used by mental health professionals excludes religious and cultural beliefs as sole criteria for a clinical delusional disorder.

Some theorists point to the similarity between religious beliefs and clinically significant delusions: understanding the dynamics of one may shed light on the dynamics of the other.

One approach is to focus less on the content of the belief, but on other characteristics such as the conviction, and level of preoccupation of the belief, its congruence within the culture or subculture within which it occurs, and the degree of distress or dysfunction it causes.

Answer 4

Well, mental illness is a medical condition, so if you are prone to it, even if you are religious you will manifest the effects of mental illness. Most people of faith, as are most people in general, are not mentally ill and would not be diagnosed as such using DSM IV criteria. So, using medical practice and psychological techniques, any competent professional should be able to discern the difference, if they can keep their own personal prejudices out of the equation.

Update: I do agree with Raz, some of those people are probably mentally ill to some degree, but it is fallacious to say that they are mentally ill because they are religious.

Answer 5

You know, they say that to utterly refute a claim all that is needed is a counter-example. I am the counter-example to this claim. I was diagnosed with OCD AND manic-depression two years ago, and nothing of religion was noted in my diagnosis.

Sort of renders the last half of your delusional rant meaningless, too, huh?

Nice try, honey, but not nice enough.

Answer 6

So are you telling us that you are mentally ill?

Where is the line drawn between hate and mental illness?

Answer 7

I was agnostic and experienced a psychotic break with hallucinations. Even several years later, I remember the details and that area of my brain was open for a while and accessed my subconscious. It is possible that we are hard wired to believe in God as we see him.

Answer 8

Normalcy is defined by society. since most people in the world believe in a religion. that would make atheist delusional and need to seek mental health. (that's just the truth)

Answer 9

When a person does not bomb an abortion clinic, and does not picket funerals of fallen Heroes and says they hate Gay people, or when somebody straps himself with a bomb and proceeds in killing himself around with other people, thats where the line is drawn

EDIT: and Fundamentalists are really whackos