RE: Christianity & Mental Illness
March 9, 2012 at 4:52 pm
(This post was last modified: March 9, 2012 at 4:58 pm by coffeeveritas.)
(March 9, 2012 at 4:40 pm)Logic Wrote: Hello,
I am new to this forum. I would just like to share my peculiar story concerning atheism and religious psychosis.
I am an atheist. As an individual who understands that logic is the absolute foundation and basis of reality, I just cannot see how an omnipotent supernatural deity could possibly exist, unless, of course, such a being could violate Aristotle's law of non-contradiction, in which case God could exist and not exist at the same time (obviously a ludicrous concept.)
Unfortunately, I suffer from two severe mental illnesses: psychotic melancholic depression and severe OCD. Although I am an atheist (scientific realist,) I have a religious psychosis, in which the Christian God of the Bible and Jesus are evil and want me to kill my parents. Obviously, I know that this is beyond absurd, but it disturbs nevertheless. I am able to ignore this ridiculous paranoia.
I believe that the basis for this mental illness is due to the fact that I was heavily indoctrinated into Christianity as a child. The primary school that I attended was obsessed with Christianity, and my grandmother was also quite a strong Christian. As a child, I simply assumed that Christianity was true.
Even now as a relatively hardcore atheist, Christianity still has a hold and power over me that I cannot seem to shift. It is clearly a complex issue that needs to be addressed in psychotherapy.
Can anybody relate to me? Maybe not with the mental illnesses, but more with the power Christianity has over you even though you're an atheist?
Cheers.
The Christian story has an enormous affect on many people. The archetypal imagery and basic appeal of the narrative leave a distinct impression, especially on children. Research has shown that certain aspects (hell, judgments, etc.) of the story can be told in ways that can significantly damage children and cause shame related illness, paranoid fear, and a host of other chronic mental health issues. As someone who was raised in a particularly bad church I still struggle with depression and anxiety tied to my experiences in the church. Leaving that church was a great step, but talking about my story with others, and taking steps to deal with my anxiety has been enormously helpful. Additionally I would recommend therapy from someone specializing in shame-related disorders and paranoid thinking, especially if they have worked in a religious context.
On a personal note I am sorry to hear that you have had that experience. It has been something that has been enormously negative in my own life, so I can only imagine the struggle you must face. I have been in recovery from mental illnesses I acquired in the church and my degree is in psychology, so please feel free to message me for anything. Thank you for sharing.
