Psychiatrists Prescribe Religion

People today act as though no medical professional or scientist seriously considers religion, but I know from experience that if you go to a mental health provider and tell them that your religion is something that helps you deal with and overcome your disorder and illness, they will tell you to keep doing it. 

Because the fact of the matter is that the universe and human life is an enigma and we understand virtually nothing about how things work or what lies beyond our own understandings. That's why if you go into the Self-Help section in Barnes and Noble, you'll find enough books to sink a battleship. We have our theories but we don't know really anything profound, except that life responds in a variety of ways.

Well over 10 years ago when I still lived in North Carolina, I visited a nearby mental health facility to talk with a therapist and psychiatrist, because my depression and anxiety disorder reached critically high levels. I suppose a place like rural North Carolina might be more spiritually open even in professional fields, but these were still licensed doctors and counselors with Master's degrees and PhDs.

When they asked me if I do anything on my own to deal with my mental health issues, I brought up my religion and how connection with the Gods does wonders, if not sometimes cures, my afflictions. "Well it sounds like your religion is very therapeutic for you," they said. I nodded and so did they. They consented to the idea that religion could be a form of medicine for me. Which, by the way, it has most certainly proven itself to be just that throughout the years.

The bigger question is, why and how? If mental illness is a real medical condition, then it cannot be cured by simply believing that it is. Something must intervene to turn the course. Our souls and minds are capable of reaching very high ascension, because they form the center of our being. Without them, no other part of us could exist. This means that the soul and mind have an immediate connection with Deity when they are opened to the Higher Powers. In fact, most studies have shown that religious people are less depressed than non-religious.

Anti-religious sects and hate groups would have you believe there are no benefits to religion and spirituality. They are just factually and statistically incorrect. It's one comfort I always have in this life and this world. No matter how hard or astray things get, I know the Gods are always there, and I can retreat to them for peace, healing and protection any time.

In the Goodness of the Gods,

I'll see you at the next Herm down the road,

Chris Aldridge.

How Do I Tell If It's A God, Mental Illness or Something Else?

Throughout human history, and even today, the Gods speak to us in a variety of ways. But such a claim isn't always perceived in our time as being something normal, when in fact it very much can be. Many years ago when I began seeing a psychiatrist for my depression, I mentioned to her that the Gods give me comfort and that comfort helps me battle the depression. She wasn't hostile or disrespectful, although at one point during the conversation, she asked, "But you don't hear Gods talking to you and telling you to do things, right?" I replied no, because that was the truth. The Gods have never spoken to me in a human-like voice, as my wife or a friend would. The Gods have spoken to me through my emotions, instincts, dreams, and at times, omens. I think this is probably the way they communicate dominantly with most people. Can the Gods speak to us with a human-like voice? Of course, because they can do whatever they want, but perhaps these days they refrain from it because they don't want someone being locked up for insanity when they're not. In the old days, people understood that the Gods are real. Today, many people have been taught that there's no way a sane person could hear a Deity. It's just not the case, however rare it may be.

But what if someone does indeed hear voices talking to them, claiming to be Gods? And what if that person is of sound mind, or at least appears to be? What do we make of it? How do we know it's a God talking to us or if we may be having mental health issues? For that matter, what if it's neither? Is there something sinister, like a haunting or a spirit with negative intentions? To me, the answer is simple. If it's a God talking to you, they're not going to instruct anything bad or harmful, because the Gods are always good. The Gods aren't going to tell you to kill yourself, cut yourself, hurt another innocent person, or anything which is negative or filthy. Miasma (pollution) is not of the Gods.

I think back to the ancient proverb, "If the Gods do evil, they are not Gods." Meaning that if something or someone is telling you to do evil, or is doing evil, they are not Gods, even if they claim to be. So to my mind, that's how you know. It's understanding the difference between good and evil, negative and positive, and the nature of the Gods themselves. Therefore, if you do hear a voice(s) driving you to do the bad things I have talked about, you should probably seek mental healthcare and spiritual counseling from your clergy. A good dose of both will do wonders for you.

In the Goodness of the Gods,

Chris Aldridge.