wc4Jc Posted January 5, 2008 Group: Members Followers: 1 Topic Count: 2 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 36 Content Per Day: 0.01 Reputation: 1 Days Won: 0 Joined: 01/05/2008 Status: Offline Birthday: 07/23/1958 Share Posted January 5, 2008 Very simple.......lack of knowledge, incapability of being forced to see life in reality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vickilynn Posted January 5, 2008 Group: Royal Member Followers: 2 Topic Count: 138 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 3,997 Content Per Day: 0.63 Reputation: 19 Days Won: 0 Joined: 02/13/2007 Status: Offline Author Share Posted January 5, 2008 Very simple.......lack of knowledge, incapability of being forced to see life in reality. Shalom wc4Jc, Huh? Oh, welcome to Worthy!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emily~Anne Posted January 5, 2008 Group: Royal Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 146 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 2,308 Content Per Day: 0.36 Reputation: 6 Days Won: 0 Joined: 10/11/2006 Status: Offline Share Posted January 5, 2008 I just want to say, we simply cannot come up with any one blanket statement for all mental illness. Also, while I believe the wonders of modern medical science is awesome, and medicine can be a great thing, I do not believe the effect of a medicine necessarily conclusivley proves in itself that there was indeed mental illness. (Note, this is not a blanket statement to all illnesses) I am thinking chemical imbalance is just a fancy term for any emotional imbalance. Emotions create chemicals in our brains. I believe mind/mood altering meds are going to affect people wether or not they have mental illness. I also believe 100% of people have a chemical imbalance in their brain and the only true healing there will be is when we get to heaven. Also, I think many mental illnesses, while every bit valid, many are not necessarily medical per se, but caused by environmental factors. Stress affects our moods, and sometimes how we cope is not the best way, or sometimes it is simply and honestly too much, no matter how strong their faith is. Just as it is ok to use meds for infection, cancer etc., I truly believe it is ok to use meds for depression and etc. We as Christians should rely first and foremost on God and prayer, but I do not think God frowns on all use of anti deppresants and etc. if used properly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vickilynn Posted January 5, 2008 Group: Royal Member Followers: 2 Topic Count: 138 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 3,997 Content Per Day: 0.63 Reputation: 19 Days Won: 0 Joined: 02/13/2007 Status: Offline Author Share Posted January 5, 2008 I am thinking chemical imbalance is just a fancy term for any emotional imbalance. Shalom Emily Anne, I disagree. The same way that diabetes is a physical chemical imbalance in our bodies, real mental illness can be caused by a lack of certain chemicals and/ or an imbalance of others. Seratonin for one. Emotions create chemicals in our brains. True. And those chemicals affect our bodies. For example, when someone is severely frightened or very stressed, their brain may signal the release of adrenaline which causes the heartbeat and blood pressure to increase. It can cause hypertension and even heart attack. It is called the "Fight or Flight Response" and it's very real. Hormones can become imbalanced very easily, as you mentioned, by stress, illness, age,other medications etc. Hormonal imbalances can cause a myriad of physical problems, including some mental illness such as depression or anxiety disorder. Chemical imbalance is very real, and causes very real physical symptoms in both body and behavior. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emily~Anne Posted January 5, 2008 Group: Royal Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 146 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 2,308 Content Per Day: 0.36 Reputation: 6 Days Won: 0 Joined: 10/11/2006 Status: Offline Share Posted January 5, 2008 Diabetes can be diagnosed through a blood test. What chemical test is there to check for 'chemical imbalances' as far as depression and etc? There isnt any. (though I believe 100% depression is a very real thing) Therefore we are comparing apples to oranges. Emotions are not readable through labwork. You can however do brain scans, and see how emotions affect different parts of the brain. But, that does not show chemical causes. Essentially an emotional imbalance is what it is. Which I believe we all suffer from to at least some degree. Some suffer from much worse emotional imbalances than others. Many of us have encountered some very hard times in our lives. And these hard times are often what causes the emotional imbalance, not necessarily chemicals. I believe often emotions affect chemicals in our brain, not chemicals affect our emotions. And yes, stress can make us very sick. I always lose weight and get migraines when I am stressed. This is all caused by my emotions. I dont know much about schizophrenia and bipolar and etc., but from the little tiny bit I do know about those illnesses, I do not think we should lump all depression and etc. into the same category as schizophrenia and etc. Postpartum depression is one illness that is very real and caused by hormones and such. But I dont think we should assume this of all mental illness. I think the majority of the time emotions cause the chemical imbalance and not the other way around. We seem to be assuming that 100% of the time in mental illness it is chemicals causing the emotions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wc4Jc Posted January 5, 2008 Group: Members Followers: 1 Topic Count: 2 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 36 Content Per Day: 0.01 Reputation: 1 Days Won: 0 Joined: 01/05/2008 Status: Offline Birthday: 07/23/1958 Share Posted January 5, 2008 > Mental Illness, why is it treated as a sin?<....Sorry, got a little ahead of myself. My bad. Thanks for the welcome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wc4Jc Posted January 5, 2008 Group: Members Followers: 1 Topic Count: 2 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 36 Content Per Day: 0.01 Reputation: 1 Days Won: 0 Joined: 01/05/2008 Status: Offline Birthday: 07/23/1958 Share Posted January 5, 2008 Chemical imbalance is very real, and causes very real physical symptoms in both body and behavior. Amen This is what I meant by my first statement... Very simple.......lack of knowledge, incapability of being forced to see life in reality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Axxman Posted January 5, 2008 Group: Royal Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 24 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 3,292 Content Per Day: 0.52 Reputation: 11 Days Won: 0 Joined: 01/21/2007 Status: Offline Share Posted January 5, 2008 I don't think anybody said that depression, PTSD, narcissism, etc...were fake or non-existent. They exist. However, we certainly disagree on the cause (physical or spiritual) and the treatment (physical or spiritual.) I don't think that discussing "chemical imbalances" as a cause is helpful. The APA won't even go that far, and most medical professionals are adamant that the chemical imbalance claims are a fraud at best. I agree with EmilyAnne that it is part of the human condition (spiritual) to struggle against our carnal flesh and that almost everyone falls into it at one time or another. I disagree. The same way that diabetes is a physical chemical imbalance in our bodies, real mental illness can be caused by a lack of certain chemicals and/ or an imbalance of others. Seratonin for one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vickilynn Posted January 5, 2008 Group: Royal Member Followers: 2 Topic Count: 138 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 3,997 Content Per Day: 0.63 Reputation: 19 Days Won: 0 Joined: 02/13/2007 Status: Offline Author Share Posted January 5, 2008 Diabetes can be diagnosed through a blood test. What chemical test is there to check for 'chemical imbalances' as far as depression and etc? There isnt any. Shalom Emily Anne, The criteria for diagnosis is not a blood test. You and Axx have made that argument, but it's really not valid. There are plenty of physiological illnesses that cannot be diagnosed through blood tests, but rather ruling out other diseases and treating the symptoms. Therefore we are comparing apples to oranges. Not true. Illness is illness. The topic of this thread is why is mental ILLNESS treated as sin? Because it's not a sin, it's an illness. To treat sick people as if all they need do is "repent" of their illness and they'll be all better is a horrible thing to do. Can a blind person repent of their blindness? No. Did you know that some blindness can be caused by emotional trauma? Saying someone has an emotional disorder is NOT saying that their illness is sin or they can just repent and get over it. Can Jesus HEAL their blindness? YES! Not the same thing as telling someone to repent of a real illness. That's the topic of this thread. None of us are drs, so we'll have to leave the diagnosing to another thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vickilynn Posted January 5, 2008 Group: Royal Member Followers: 2 Topic Count: 138 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 3,997 Content Per Day: 0.63 Reputation: 19 Days Won: 0 Joined: 02/13/2007 Status: Offline Author Share Posted January 5, 2008 I don't think anybody said that depression, PTSD, narcissism, etc...were fake or non-existent. They exist. However, we certainly disagree on the cause (physical or spiritual) and the treatment (physical or spiritual.) Shalom Axx, And I state again, we cannot say that ALL people with mental illness have this disease as a result of THEIR sin. We cannot know the causes of everyone's diseases because we cannot see their hears. Only G-d can. I don't think that discussing "chemical imbalances" as a cause is helpful. I do. It is a very real medical condition caused by our body and not some external source and not our sin. It is essential to this discussion because it is the position that not all mental illness can just be "repented" of. I agree with EmilyAnne that it is part of the human condition (spiritual) to struggle against our carnal flesh and that almost everyone falls into it at one time or another. Good for you! However, since none of us are drs, the point is, none of of can KNOW for a certainty what is transpiring in someone's body or heart. So, THAT is not helpful to this discussion. Funny how you two only picked on diabetes and not the rest of my post: For example, when someone is severely frightened or very stressed, their brain may signal the release of adrenaline which causes the heartbeat and blood pressure to increase. It can cause hypertension and even heart attack. It is called the "Fight or Flight Response" and it's very real. BUT THERE IS NO "BLOOD TEST" FOR IT. Hormones can become imbalanced very easily, as you mentioned, by stress, illness, age,other medications etc. Hormonal imbalances can cause a myriad of physical problems, including some mental illness such as depression or anxiety disorder. Chemical imbalance is very real, and causes very real physical symptoms in both body and behavior. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts