Issue 5 (April 2006)
The Eccentric
Times is supported by Bucks Mind (a Mental Health charity), although
the
views expressed within are not necessarily their own.
The Strange Relationship between
Religion & Mental Health
by
Tony Rickman
Whether you’re an believer, an agnostic, or atheist, you
cannot deny that religion has played (and continues to play) a
important part in shaping the world around you. It’s shapes,
amongst other things, our calendar, politics and language.
It
is understandable then that religion can be a highly emotive
and divisive subject. For some it gives them a sense of purpose, and
answers (via religious texts) to many of the questions life throws at
them. Yet for others religion can be a source of misery. Bloody wars
have been fought, atrocious acts of terrorism have been committed and
basic human rights have been violated by people who were convinced that
they were doing the will of a higher being.
So it’s little wonder the results of bringing religion into
the
lives of a mentally ill person can result in at least one of many
unpredictable outcomes - both good and bad!
Whether you know it or not, people like us are prime targets for those
religious groups that are looking for converts. Don’t get me
wrong though, these people operate with good intentions.
Social
isolation, unhappiness and low self-worth are all things that many
people with mental health issues experience at some point or other in
their lives.
These are all problems that the would-be converters
believes that religion can help cope with, if not solve outright.
Regardless of whether god exists or not, it can be argued that religion
often does help can combat these problems. It can treat social
isolation by allowing you to be part of a community and give a
surrogate family and friends for those who need them. It treats
unhappiness and low-self worth by convincing people that there is an
all-powerful being up there who loves them.
Also religion can inspire people to do good things, and lead better
lives. A lot of people, through finding faith, have felt the urge to
leave behind bad habits such as binge drinking, crime and gambling, all
of which are things than can have very negative results.
Yet the flipside of this is that religion can also cause serious
problems if you’re somebody who suffers from paranoia or
delusions. If you spend enough time in the mental health community, it
is not uncommon to meet someone who believes either that God talks to
them or that they themselves are the second coming.
An additional danger is that, while religion may in some ways
improve your general mood, people go into it expecting God to cure
their mental illness completely. The problem with this is that it can
make the person even more frustrated than before and sometimes question
if God really cares about them.
One thing I do personally object to about many religions and
denominations is that they restrict access to God. In many instances
you are given a very specific criteria as to what qualifies you as
“saved”.
Also religion can sometimes promote, in my opinion, out of date
ways of thinking that are oppressive to someone on the basis of their
gender, sexual orientation, and lifestyle preferences. Sometimes it can
even extend to discriminating on the grounds of race, but thankfully
this is becoming increasingly rare.
While I am trying my best to be objective in this my article, now
may be a good time for me to explain where my more negative opinions in
this article come from. Many of my mental health problems (but not all,
it is only fair for me to admit) come from my involvement with
fanatical Christianity. Without wishing to go into too much detail, it
led me to a stage where I was constantly felt the need to apologise to
God for things I had done wrong and things I MIGHT have done wrong
(just in case they were sins as well).
Therefore I now believe religion can be a dangerous thing when it
strays into fanaticism, even more so when there is a mentally ill
person involved. Fanaticism is the enemy of democracy, the
enemy
of freedom of speech, it can damage relationships with friends and
family and is hostile to viewpoints that differ from its own.
Also religious fanatics can also, at times, incorrectly attribute
spiritual connotations to what the mentally ill person is experiencing.
In other words, they see “demons” when there is
just mental
illness. If the person is easily influenced, then the danger is they
might start believing this themselves and get frustrated in their
attempts to exorcise the so-called demon.
But hey don’t fret, not all religion is bad. While not in any
way
being a religious organisation, Wings Support Centre (the centre
responsible for this magazine) operates from a building it hires from a
local church. In December of every year the members of the
church
kindly put on a Christmas meal for the members of Wings, some of whom
have no other Christmas meal to look forward to.
Before the meal they say a quick prayer to give thanks to God for the
meal and afterwards they have an optional carol singing session, which
some of the members of Wings really enjoy taking part in. And
that’s it! There is absolutely no kind of price we are
expected
to pay. What I mean by no price is there no sermon and no badgering us
to attend their services. I ask you, if there really is all powerful
being out there, then what better way is there of showing his love than
this?
Religion
& Mental Health –
The Other Side of The Coin
My article this issue focused on some of the more negatives aspects of
the relationship between religion and mental health. In the interests
of addressing the balance, I have taken the trouble to contact a friend
of mine, Eve, who feels that her personal faith has a positive impact
on her. - Tony
Eve’s Testimony
A good thing about my relationship with God is that I’ll
always
have someone to share my problems with. He knows and understands what
I’m going through and I believe his has a purpose and plan
for my
life.
God is someone I can be completely honest with. This is
because
he takes me as I am – warts and all! This helps me in coping
with
my mental illness, as I know that I’m not alone.
God’s
love inspires me to be a better person and not someone who’s
aggressive and unsociable.
I realise that my faith is no “instant fix” to my
mental
health problems, but it helps in making my life more liveable.
Religion
& Mental Health - Have Your Say!
This is undoubtedly a subject that can inspire a number of different
reactions from people. We tried very hard to get other people to share
how their faith helps them in their day to day struggle with mental
illness but unfortunately were unsuccessful. So if you have something
to say on this subject then please let us know. Whether
you’re
Christian, Muslim, Buddhist or something else entirely we’d
love
to hear from you. You can find our contact details on the next
page.
A
Short Personal History of Mental Health Services
by
Paul Nelson
The 1980s was a decade coinciding with my being in my twenties. In the
years when most normal people are working, learning a trade and
building up work experience and socialising, I was referred every year
to St John’s hospital (near Aylesbury), now pulled down and
covered with private housing estates.
I would be sectioned against my will and be given medication, which
knocked me out. Sure it took out my scary highs and paranoia, but it
also neutered all signs of life and turned me into a zombie for some
months.
The grounds of St. John’s were its saving grace. Large
fields,
hedges and trees were a therapeutic setting indeed. In the summer,
those of us on largactyl would be given strong sun protection cream and
enjoyed the full benefit of the experience: squirrels, birds and all,
Whilst staff sat in their office, one of them would usually sit on the
ward with us, soaking up the atmosphere, keeping an eye on things and
being available.
Night was the worst time, sharing a dormitory with ten other men
snoring, shouting, whining and gibbering. I blanked out the experience
as best I could and withdrew still further into myself. When I was dead
enough to satisfy the staff, I would be discharged.
Care in the Community back then would be a regular visit from the
social worker, where we would discuss things and an occasional helpful
comment might set my experiences in a more realistic context. Also,
there would be practical help when required.
In 1991, I was admitted to Tindal hospital (in Aylesbury), which had
newly opened to replace St. John’s. Here was a small garden
and
yet another ward where I had to share sleeping quarters with ten other
men. Here the staff would lock themselves in their office for hours on
end, and would only be seen when medication was dished out. Here I
stopped taking medication and struggled for a decade with my problems
under my own steam.
Ever since then I’ve managed to avoid being re-admitted to
psychiatric hospitals. Care in The Community after this was an
occasional visit to the consultant and a particularly useless social
worker visiting me. Then I undertook some thoroughly useful
sessions with a Clinical Psychologist. Nowadays I make regular trips to
Tindal to see a capable CPN. I’m also pleased to say that I
have
recently found medication with side effects that I can live with.
As far as I’m aware, patients are still drugged and left to
sort
themselves out, with occasional visits from their consultant. From what
I hear, Care in the Community for many is an absence of care, as people
are being dropped from some CPNs caseloads because boxes have been
ticked and they are deemed to have moved on, whatever that means. I
don’t hear so much about social workers and rehabs anymore,
do
they still exist? I know my social worker was instrumental in those
days in my getting and keeping a council flat.
Care in the community is a struggled but hospital admission is
heartbreaking. The support I get from my friends and at my local day
centre seems to be the real care in the community. The ability,
rehearsed over many years, to make the best of any situation, or at
least to try, seems to be the best medication.
Me
& My Epilepsy
by
Adam Makeham
Epilepsy is something that affects a significant number of mental
health sufferers. If you belong to a mental health day centre, social
club or therapeutic work project then the odds are that at the very
least one person there, whether you know it or not, will have epilepsy.
My first experience of epilepsy was when I went for a medical
examination at the doctors. I was 8 years old at the time. The doctor
had momentarily left the room when, to both me and my
mothers’
surprise, I kept falling over. My mother told me to get up, not
realising what the problem was. When the doctor came back into the room
he told her that it could be an epileptic fit. I later went to the
hospital, where they confirmed the doctor’s suspicions.
I did not have another fit until I was 16. It was in the afternoon, not
long after I had come home from school. Earlier that day I was given,
like the others in my school year, the BCG injection. I later learned
that this was the trigger for the epileptic fits I have had since then.
My fits can degree in terms of their severity. At their very mildest I
get the shakes or just sit their staring at nothing and nobody is able
to communicate with me. Sometimes I’ve had them when
I’ve
been lying in bed and, as a result of having the fit, have ended up on
the floor.
At their worst, my fit cans be very destructive and I potentially can
do quite a bit of damage to my surroundings. Unfortunately this can
also mean I lash out at people, which is something that is totally out
of character for me. I am very thankful that nobody has been injured as
a result of my fits. After I’ve had a fit, I feel very drowsy
and
feel a strange sensation in my mouth.
Thankfully my epilepsy is well controlled by my medication. On average
I only have two fits a month now, but thankfully they are quite mild.
I have also been made to realise, that my fits can be caused by
negative emotions. If I’m feeling stressed I am a lot more
prone
to having one. One of the big issues in my life at the moment which can
cause me to have fits is the pressure on me to find somewhere new to
live, is something I have touched upon in a previous article.
My epileptic fits can also cause me to have short term memory loss, so
often I don’t know that I’m having a fit until
I’ve
come out of it.
Epilepsy also stops me from doing things that other people take for
granted. For example I have to be careful in nightclubs and discos as
flashing lights can cause me to have a seizure. Also I have to make
sure that what I’m watching in the cinema or on the
television
doesn’t have flashing images on.
Despite all this however it doesn’t stop me from living my
life.
It’s a problem sure, but I’m not going to let it
get the
better of me.
Attention
People In Buckinghamshire!
To celebrate World Mental Health Day there will be art exhibition
taking place on Saturday 14th October. Artistic contributions (any
medium - painting, sculpture, poetry, prose, photos, etc) are sought by
people who suffer with a mental illness. The event takes place at
Chesham Town Hall and opens at 10.00 am and closes at 4.00
pm. If
you have any work you would like to exhibit then please contact Ken
Sunshine. Phone no: 01494 671958. E-mail: [email protected]
Postal address: 30 Baring Road, Beaconsfield, HP9 2NE).
(Please
note that the above event and the supplied contact details are
in no way connected with the Eccentric Times team. If you want to
contact the Eccentric Times then please go to Page 6)
Tranquillised
Tim
It’s interesting how the government is looking at introducing
strict new measures to clamp down on benefit cheats and, at one stage,
there were even rumours that they would offer cash incentives to
doctors to declare people fit for work. Well good for them. Who cares
if, for every one benefit cheat successfully caught, these new
proposals force ten genuinely ill people back to work. So what if these
ill people are completely out of their depth? What better way to prove
to check that somebody really isn’t fit to work than by
reducing
them to suicidal despair?!
Anyway we don’t have time to find work, filling out endless
amounts of long and complicated forms is almost a full-time job in
itself!
Are mental
health and charity shops a marriage made in heaven? Charity
shops provide items at prices we can afford, and can also be the ideal
setting for some of us to do voluntary jobs, which is an ideal way to
meet people. I’d like to work in one myself, it’s
just a
pity that my sleep disorder makes such commitment to such things
impossible. If only they could meet me half-way and open at a time
I’m regularly awake e.g. between 2 and 6 AM.
Good news for all you SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) sufferers,
it’s starting to get lighter in the late afternoon!
It takes real dedication to sustain an overeating disorder when you
receive such a pitiful amount in benefits. All I can say is thank
goodness that some supermarkets have budget food lines!
Celebrity
Mania!
Despite the adulation and worship celebrities can receive from the
media and general public, it should be remembered they, like us, are
only human. Fame does not make you immune from mental illness. indeed
it can often be argued that creativity and mental illness go hand in
hand.
Here
are some well known names of people who have had their own brushes with
mental illness:
Axl Rose – The lead singer of the popular and
influential rock group Guns ‘N’ Roses. Diagnosed as
bipolar.
Carrie Fisher – Played Princess Leia in the
original Star Wars
trilogy, arguably the most popular movies of all time. Suffers from
manic depression.
Frank Bruno – Well loved boxer and former World
Champion. Has been admitted to a mental hospital in the past.
Winston Churchill – Former Prime Minister, a
big political figure
considered to be highly influential in winning the Second World War.
Voted in many polls as the greatest ever Britain. Described periods of
depression as his “black dog days”.
Adam Ant – 80s pop icon. Suffers with manic
depression and has
been admitted to a psychiatric hospital under the Mental Health Act.
Mel C – A former member of the highly successful
pop group The
Spice Girls. Has battled depression and an eating disorder.
Buzz Aldrin – The second man on the moon. Has
spoken candidly about his battles with depression.
Vincent Van Gogh – One of the most famous
artists of all-time. It
is strongly suspected he had a bipolar disorder. Famously cut his own
ear off and ended up taking his own life.
Abraham Lincoln – One of the most famous
American presidents of all time. Suffered a nervous breakdown.
And we’ve only just scratched the surface! There were many
more
we could have mentioned but unfortunately we’ve run out of
space.
So take heart, you’re in good company!
About
The Eccentric Times
The Eccentric Times is a quarterly magazine written by the members of
Wings Support Centre, a social support centre in Aylesbury for people
with mental health problems.
The following people helped make this magazine possible:
Paul
Nelson
Co-Editor
Tony
Rickman
Co-Editor
Danya
Day
Chief Tea Lady
Adam
Makeham
Senior Elvis Consultant
We would also like to thank Buckinghamshire Mind (Bucks Mind),
(especially
Carolyn Smyth), for their invaluable help with printing and
distribution.
Our Website
Feel free to visit our website, where you will find previous issues and
individual profiles and (in some cases) pictures of the Eccentric Times
team. The address is:
Comments
& Complaints
If you wish to contact us you can do at the following address:
The Eccentric Times
Bucks Mind (Wings)
4 Temple Street
Aylesbury
HP20 2RQ
E-mail: [email protected]
We may even include your letter in our next issue, but please note that
letters may be edited for the sake of space and clarity. Please can you
also mention where you saw the magazine.
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List
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