Someone close to me.......

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

Brian you are a study group of one.  While you may have concern and empathy for this friend your experiences aren’t necessarily theirs.

Um no I am not. Rape victims can have different experiences too, but it is still rape. Rape victims can cope differently, but again, it is still rape.

I do know what they are going through. You do not have to have the same nanosecond carbon copy life to go through similar experiences. If you are arguing that people cope differently, that is not my argument.

I have gone through depression losing my father when I was 13. I have had the false sensation of seeing him after his death, and I know how real it felt at the time. I also have had the "outer body" false sensation, and that too felt very real at the time. And I did believe at that time. My belief made it worse, not better. 

I am saying that when you are dealing with mental health issues like ours, you don't use mythology that sells ideas of being broken at birth, or natural flaws being "sin" and use mythology that threatens you with hell. That is not therapy, that is harmful.

I don't think the cause was being addressed, rather the ways of coping with it.  For example, for some rape victims counselling is an efficient method of coping with the traumatic experience.  For others, it does nothing and can even drive them deeper into depression.  But I don't think anyone would make the claim, 'Counselling always makes the trauma of rape worse.'  Similarly, the idea that religion always makes mental illness worse is, at best, a specious claim.

You're claiming that depression is always worsened by a religious conversion, that OCD is always worsened by a religious conversion, that SAD is always worsened by a religious conversion, etc.  That's a pretty sweeping claim, so you'll understand if I ask you for evidence.

I am saying that when you are dealing with mental health issues like ours, you don't use mythology that sells ideas of being broken at birth, or natural flaws being "sin" and use mythology that threatens you with hell. That is not therapy, that is harmful.

Yet that same religion teaches you that you are loved, that you can be forgiven, that you should be charitable.  Aren't these at least potential pluses for someone (like your friend) who's having a rough go of it?

Boru