Dale Johnson: Dr. Street, listen, these are wonderful questions and we have tons of counselors Im sure out there who are asking these very questions. In this series of information sheets we look at spirituality from a number of different perspectives both when it becomes a problem as in religious delusions and when it becomes a supportive component of a recovery process. These are endocrine pathologies that can have schizophrenic-like symptoms. Dale Johnson serves as the Executive Director of the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors. In days of old and many societies in the developing world today, mental health and spirituality are seen to be closely related. One of my healers told me that people who are labeled "schizophrenic" have the door to the other side wide open and let anything in, be they positive or negative entities. . Now, were not opposed in biblical counseling to recognize genuine physical diseases and that there are complex component parts of the physical body that affect the spiritual conditioning of a person. On the other hand, I think itd be just as dangerous to label this only as a spiritual problem too, because the interplay of the mind and body is very complicated. This is because the delusions suffered by people with schizophrenia often have a religious content. The notion of evil spirits influencing human behavior or mental processes is used in many cultures to justify various symptoms or experiences. Shortage of Psychiatrists in the UK Gets Worse. As a Christian, holding on to the faith that no matter what you see, hear or think, on the basis of Gods love and goodness means everything will ultimately result in a happy conclusion. The Bible also tells us that a mentally unstable person can be seen in disorganized and sometimes very harmful personal behavior, so we have to take that into account as well. In addition the positive symptoms diminish as we no longer allow them to drive our emotional and behavioural responses. By the early 20th century, the old concept of insanity or madness became fragmented into diseases or psychosis, but soon the term schizophrenia was being used and it was actually coined by a Swiss psychiatrist in 1908. (Image: Welburnstuart on Shutterstock). I dont want to die; I want to be safe and secure and to stay alive. Our minds and hearts become divided in directions other than Christ, creating a schism or split within us. But where does it come from? I bring schizophrenia to your throne of grace and I command it to be rebuked from all the schizophrenics in Jesus's name. Although acknowledging that peoples previous experiences can form the framework for psychotic thinking, it is not the same as saying that it causes it. Some authorities in the field of mental illness estimate there may be as many schizophrenics as one out of eight persons in the United States. I think thats an important piece of how we think about schizophrenia and schizophrenic symptoms and our engagement with people who struggle in this direction. . Thats what being ashamed means: I dont want to look like a foolish Christian when all the adulterers and sinners are so cool! And you should. If you have a person that comes to you in terms of counseling, one of the first things you need to do is get them to have a very thorough medical check-up and exam. This is totally in the physical realm. And the reality is we have to be cautious on both sides because to assume that something is physical when its not really physical becomes an issue. How to overcome porn & masturbation Video: Rapid removal of Jezebel and pride spirits Deliverance videos Video: Get out spirit of violence! As you mentioned, scientists are often on different sides and multi-theoried approaches to how we should think about this. It may be helpful to close with a story of warning and hope from the life of the namesake of Boyce College, James Petigru Boyce. And, therefore, says no to the cross. This is a biblical posture in how we would approach it in. One is schizo, which means split. Quit relying on your own self-effort. Is schizophrenia a biological or a spiritual issue? Hope as God. It is in our best interest to listen, obey, and follow the Holy Spirit's instruction in our lives. So many people are confused by it, so many people dont understand it. But most people would describe that we have these types of experiencesthose diagnosed with schizophrenia because of some sort of physical ailment that now leads to these symptoms. This is a good example of how the cultural context of religiosity is vital to understanding it. The sustained moods or these heightened instinctive emotional states that form part of the essence of spirituality such as peace, joy and universal love can be explained by the concept of neuroplasticity. On the day of my baptism the Holy Spirit came on me in a bigger . He coined it from two Greek terms. After all if you believe that the voices that you are hearing in your head and which are giving you commands are coming from God or some other higher power then there is a powerful reason to listen to them and obey them. For many people religion is one way that we understand the world and give meaning to our lives and certainly people with schizophrenia are no different. Rudaleviciene P, Stompe T, Narbekovas A, Raskauskiene N, Bunevicius R, 2008, Are religious delusions related to religiosity in schizophrenia?, published in Medicina. It gave the impression, from at least the Greek terminology that was used there, that a person was suffering from a split mind. Now here, this guy is not a Christian as we would understand Christianity, but he talks about the fact that psychiatrists look for twisted molecules and defective genes as the causes of schizophrenia, he says, because schizophrenia is the name of a disease. So keep your desires to yourself.. Whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospels will save it. So save it. I look to You, Lord Jesus Christ, and despite my weakness, I believe in You. You really do because thats the most loving thing that can be done, and its the most hopeful thing that can be done. The holy spirit is God's power in action, his active force. Psychological Theories. Thats going to be critical for a good biblical counselor to do and to check out. Psychiatrists and Psychologists see it as a mental disorder. It is the Spirit's work of uniting us with Christ - spiritually identifying us with Christ's death, burial, and resurrection ( Romans 6:3-5 ). However the major part of the evidence of religious delusions will come from the diagnostic interview with the patient and any further contact that the doctor has with them. In fact those physical problems could be divided down into eight different categories with 28 different physical symptoms that can mimic schizophrenic-type characteristics. I love being with Dr. John Street. They may find that their spiritual beliefs and practices help them to make sense of the world in a way that they could not when they were suffering from psychotic delusions and that membership of a supportive faith community provides vital fellowship when faced by the everyday problems of living with a serious mental health condition. Is it good or bad for people living with schizophrenia? But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the . The other issue is as a biblical counselor youvegot to begin with the gospel. And there is a self that denies. Study of the gospels is important to spiritual development. Various studies have found that the prevalence of religious delusions in schizophrenia is very high. Schizophrenia is a debilitating condition that requires treatment for the individual to function in society. Declare the Grace of God be released over those who are bound to sin and hardened in their heart. Copyright 2023 Living With Schizophrenia. That goes without saying. He kind of devoted himself to that and he uses the phraseology (its a Hebraism in Ecclesiastes), which he called living under the sun. That means without any reference to God. For example, problems with the central nervous system of the body. 3. There are also some interesting twists on this though. He possesses intellect (John 14:26), will (1 Corinthians 12:11) and emotions (Ephesians 4:30). Nate Brooks dives into anthropology and psychology in light of cognitive behavioral therapy. However, with treatment, most symptoms of schizophrenia will greatly improve . It is not a perfect condition but it is a holy condition. 6. Visiting churches too frequently, praying continuously and fasting (sufferers may often loose excessive amounts of weight) when there has been no previous interest in religious activities are often a sign that something is seriously wrong.3 It is vital that doctors listen to relatives and take into account any recent changes in the persons behaviour or lifestyle. In other words, its usually behavior thats very inappropriate for the situation that person is in. Prion disease can do the same thing. There is a self that must be denied. I want to encourage you that obviously in 15-20 minutes we cant discuss all the things that need to be discussed in such a deeply complex and often debated subject. They are true auditory hallucinations: hearing things that the hearer cannot distinguish from reality. The Word of Gods got to frame their reality for them. 7. In 1843 at the age of 26, the noted English artist Richard Dadd killed his father believing that his father was the devil and that he (Dadd) had been called upon by God to do battle with the forces of evil. on: March 22, 2012, 12:24. I love Dr. John Street, and I appreciate him being here with us today to talk about what is often considered a very difficult subjectthe subject of schizophrenia. It will be over soon enough. In our related information sheets such as Spirituality in Schizophrenia: A Christian Perspective, other writers give their own accounts of how their spiritual and religious beliefs have helped them. In the Gospel of John, Jesus says "The Helper, The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to remembrance all that I have said to you (14:26 . If we go back to the definition of the nature of human beings as emotional and intellectual beings, schizophrenia breaks down both these aspects of human existence and consciousness. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. He will be faithful to do it. It is also expressed in psychotic delusions of possession, but there is limited research in this area. Dont begrudge a few decades of sacred schizophrenia. It has been observed using brain imaging techniques that the activity in certain areas of the brain in spiritual or religious states is much more active than normal. 1. When schizophrenia is active, symptoms can include delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, trouble with thinking and lack of motivation. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospels will save it. This means that to be a follower of Jesus is to have a sacred schizophrenia having a self that must be denied, and a self that is doing the denying. Religiosity is definitely not new. The second thing is that sometimes biblical counselors seem intimidated or afraid to engage in something like this that is maybe a little bizarre, that is a little bit unknown. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? He was more of a prankster and a playboy than a Christian. 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