trooneh
October 26th, 2011, 03:24 PM
I'm working on a thought paper for my abnormal psychology class about this very question, and was wondering your thoughts on the topic. I believe that religion plays a definite roll. I'll just copy and paste my whole paper into here when I'm finished though, rather than write it out in two places.
I do believe that religion can play a role in mental health and mental health disorders. A religious upbringing, like in Karen's case, which instills a strong sense of ritual in a person might lead to an increased likelihood of disorders such as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. When Karen felt she had lost control over her life, she began to assert control in other ways, such as her counting rituals and her belief that this helped to protect her children. This abated when she found a traditional church where she could feel comfortable bringing her children. Her sense of anxiety, and the belief that her soul, and the souls of her children might be lost forever led to her symptoms.
In my personal experience, religion also plays a positive role in mental health. There are countless cases where people who have been suffering from major depressive disorder have found religion and used their newfound faith to give them increased strength. This might not appeal to everybody, but in the cases of some people it works. Religion also can be a cause of the disorder. For example, a homosexual person who has a strict religious upbringing might feel a sense of deep seated shame. This can lead to disorders such as depression and generalized anxiety disorder. Religion is a huge part of society today, and for this reason is going to have a definite influence on how people feel and act. However, religion is only a part of the picture. There are other factors at play, such as the culture one grows up in, as well as one's socioeconomic status.
Religion does play a definite role in mental health and mental health disorders. In Karen's case, religion, or the fact Karen no longer was actively attending church, was one of three issues that her therapist identified, along with her lack of assertion and her issues with parenting. In very few cases will religion be the sole cause of or cure for a mental illness, but in a large proportion of cases, it is a definite factor. Although I identify myself as an agnostic, I still feel culturally Jewish, and therefore feel I have a role in keeping the religion I was raised in alive. It causes some anxiety in my case, especially because for my grandfather, whom I was close to, it was a huge part of his identity. Religion therefore is a definite factor in mental health, as is anything that is a part of the culture that surrounds us.
I know it reads like a school paper, because it is one, but it summarizes my opinion well I think.
Also, please do NOT turn this into a debate about religion in general. Just a debate about whether religion plays a role in mental health.
I do believe that religion can play a role in mental health and mental health disorders. A religious upbringing, like in Karen's case, which instills a strong sense of ritual in a person might lead to an increased likelihood of disorders such as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. When Karen felt she had lost control over her life, she began to assert control in other ways, such as her counting rituals and her belief that this helped to protect her children. This abated when she found a traditional church where she could feel comfortable bringing her children. Her sense of anxiety, and the belief that her soul, and the souls of her children might be lost forever led to her symptoms.
In my personal experience, religion also plays a positive role in mental health. There are countless cases where people who have been suffering from major depressive disorder have found religion and used their newfound faith to give them increased strength. This might not appeal to everybody, but in the cases of some people it works. Religion also can be a cause of the disorder. For example, a homosexual person who has a strict religious upbringing might feel a sense of deep seated shame. This can lead to disorders such as depression and generalized anxiety disorder. Religion is a huge part of society today, and for this reason is going to have a definite influence on how people feel and act. However, religion is only a part of the picture. There are other factors at play, such as the culture one grows up in, as well as one's socioeconomic status.
Religion does play a definite role in mental health and mental health disorders. In Karen's case, religion, or the fact Karen no longer was actively attending church, was one of three issues that her therapist identified, along with her lack of assertion and her issues with parenting. In very few cases will religion be the sole cause of or cure for a mental illness, but in a large proportion of cases, it is a definite factor. Although I identify myself as an agnostic, I still feel culturally Jewish, and therefore feel I have a role in keeping the religion I was raised in alive. It causes some anxiety in my case, especially because for my grandfather, whom I was close to, it was a huge part of his identity. Religion therefore is a definite factor in mental health, as is anything that is a part of the culture that surrounds us.
I know it reads like a school paper, because it is one, but it summarizes my opinion well I think.
Also, please do NOT turn this into a debate about religion in general. Just a debate about whether religion plays a role in mental health.