Mental illness is an emotional dis-ease of the intangible mind, where the functionality of motivation and drive becomes stuck in a haze of dense fog. Responsibilities become overwhelming and the ability to physically function becomes limited or completely frozen. Individual circumstances, either from past or present are often behind a sufferer’s sudden emotional demise, such as grief from losing a loved one or anxiety over financial worries. Survivors of physical abuse, sexual abuse or trauma are often left with a mind that is so hurt and filled with anger, self hatred and shame that it can trap most victims in a mind set of negativities which seems to be the basic ingredients of all sufferers of depression. And of course there’s Fear, which plays an enormous part in stifling and confusing a human being. Perpetrator’s of abuse, of the some who acknowledge the damage their actions have caused, can also be tortured with self hatred and despair that can drive them into a psychosis state. Each of these character types have a similarity in their vulnerable conscience. Scientists and Psychiatrists have previously worked on the basis that there is a chemical imbalance in the brain that causes depression and mental illness and their only solution was to prescribe highly sedative medications. But there are now new scientific investigations into this theory, purely because it is quite reasonable to expect a person to decline emotionally after a personal trauma or tragedy, in fact it would be unusual to act otherwise. And the realisation that regular Professional Cognitive Psychotherapy is succeeding in bringing a sufferer back to an understanding of self and partaking in normal life activities, is causing some psychiatrists to investigate the powers of positive interventions. (Read, Psychologist Russ Harris’s book ‘ACT’ Acceptance, Commitment Therapy, which helps sufferers overcome trauma ) Unfortunately, there is an overwhelming lack of Psychiatric Therapy available in Ireland today in 2022. Sufferer’s of mental illness have no option but to take medication that will hide and silence the emotions that so need to be addressed.
Or else we could try God’s way. The mind, in its intangible identity holds the secret to our creation. As we grow, we are instinctively guided by truths and righteousness, which is what God’s word also says in the Bible. But God’s Word has been taken out of schools across the USA since the early 1970’s and it is also happening in Schools around Ireland in the last few years. The Irish Government are in the process of separating Church from State and removing God’s teaching from the classroom. God’s words include morals and values and respect and with that lack of clear guidance in a school where our children spend seven hours a day, it is a clear indicator as to why children do not acknowledge God or see him as someone that they can turn to in times of worry. And today’s children are filled with worry and confusion and they are turning to other means of comfort, such as vapes, drugs, alcohol and some turn to porn. But if we had little knowledge of God’s guidance, we do have our God given instinct. We know that if we ‘do no harm to others,’ we have no reason to feel embarrassment or shame, because hurting others actually causes us as much harm, in that we learn not to like ourselves. Self Hatred is the demise of our Souls. It’s not rocket science as we all know that if we say cruel words to a family member or friend, it doesn’t make us feel too good! If we harm others through theft, injury or verbal assault and deny responsibility for these actions, it leads us onto another road, the road of lies, where lying to oneself and taking no responsibility leads to unsuccessful outcomes in one’s personal life path, which leads to the consequential failures in relationships and then resentment or judgement and unexplainable sadness. All of this emotional pain hurts our mental health.
When I was growing up in the 70’s, in Dublin’s North city suburb, our parent’s beginnings were often from the tenement homes in the inner city. With a strong foundation in God, our parents strived to raise their children with enthusiasm and hope that their children would not suffer the same poverty that they had. But in 1977, a major Recession hit Ireland, (amazingly, shortly after Ireland joined the EEC with the promise of industry, but instead the EEC stood back while hundreds of Irish companies were shut down!) one hundred thousand strong Irish men were put out of work and onto the ‘Dole Queue’ and emotionally degraded. Quite a successful tactic to morally destroy a nation…. I remember my own father being totally demoralised by this and the subsequent rude treatment he received from the employees of the Civil Service. This recession sent the majority of the Irish man on to Alcohol dependency which in turned fired their anger that opened the gateway to ‘Demons’. It was common to hear the Irish Grandmother of the day, describing the Demons that were present in their son or husband, when the drink took hold. It was also common knowledge to the Catholic mother that the Devil was as real as God was and that the Devil was behind greed which drove rich and powerful people to their own means with a total disregard for their poorer fellow man. Mortified men after having wrecked their house in drink fuelled anger were often marched to the priest the next morning for confession and pleas for help in fighting their demons. Some men couldn’t cope with the negative thoughts or ‘voices’ that pounded their minds and angered and saddened them and they were placed on high levels of Prozac. There was no psychotherapy in Ireland in 1977. If there was, it wasn’t for the poor man. My Dad was a selfless, kind, loving man until the demons infiltrated his mind through the weakness of alcohol and told him that he was useless and that he was a failure. He believed it and he became what he believed. In the years that followed, the Catholic Church had been instructed Not to talk about the Devil and his entities and led no connection with the Pedophiles that came into the Catholic Church and Satan himself. People blamed God for the sexual and physical abuse that happened to many children, instead of recognising the Devil’s hand. Interestingly enough, The Catholic Church stayed quiet at this accusation. But the Church still acknowledges the existence of the Devil and appoints selected priests in Exorcism. Fr. Vincent Lampert is an American Catholic priest and the designated exorcist of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis. He has had lots of experiences with demons and tells an interesting story in his book called ‘Exorcism, The battle of Satan and his Demons.’
The negative entities or demons that infiltrates a family in the early childhood years causes confusion and fear in children. Children often bury the fear and carry it into their adult life which in turn effects them in their life choices or when life’s stresses or responsibilities hit them at vulnerable times. This is when memories of failure evolve from the consciousness and feelings of self hatred and fear erupts into one’s reasoning mind and spreads negatively. It is not unreasonable to expect to be overwhelmed by the constant challenges that parents face in raising children in today’s society. Especially when Government departments are not working to help its citizens, be it financial, education, Judicial or Health. It is understandable that parents are fearful and untrusting of life when the systems around them that have promised to protect them and their children keep failing. We are raising children in the most dangerous times since even before the days of 1916. Anxiety levels among adults and teens are at the highest ever in Ireland. And sedatives and anti depressives are in high demand from GP surgeries and Hospitals and are regularly prescribed to children and young adults from age nine years of age. Ritalin is a common sedative given to children for ADHD and this drug increases depressive behaviours, eating disorders and suicides! It is very worrying that this young generation’s only mental health solution from The Health Service Executive is medication and Not regular Psychotherapy. For the simple fact is that their young minds can become dependent and despondent on these sedatives and may never be clear or focused again. They will never have to force themselves to dig deep into their conscience to discover who they are and why they are struggling with emotional disorders and they will not be able to enact their God given instinct, as long as they stay on suppressing medication, (one wonders is this the plan?) because it’s easier to have the ‘quick fix’ and blot out the pain. Parents are rightly concerned about the chemicals in these medications and the effects that they have on the young brain and mind. The importance of facing trauma, worries or emotional struggles, should not be underestimated. Standing up to their worries makes kids and adults alike stronger! And the necessity for children to be allowed to throw tantrums when they’re angry is very important. We have all of these emotions for a reason, and sadness, anger and pain should always be expressed with a clear Un-medicated mind. And this in turn will grow strong young adults who are able to stand against the injustices of Evil in their futures.
Jean xxx
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