| "Health" and "illness" are contrasting terms. They | | | | feels and thinks. If the person feels fear for a |
| can be used in physical or in mental context. We | | | | long time, the chances of becoming phobic and |
| know that physical exercise done on a regular | | | | paranoid increase. Withdrawal from social situations |
| basis keeps us healthy. Mental exercise also keeps | | | | occurs. The family members observe the person |
| us mentally healthy. Just like after doing physical | | | | to be unwell. Such a person is then asked to see |
| exercise we need rest, after mental exercise the | | | | a doctor. With the person's self-esteem low, |
| mind also needs rest. But we hear the term | | | | vulnerability increases. This does not mean |
| "physical rest" frequently. The term "mental rest" | | | | however, that the person becomes totally |
| is rarely used. No doubt then that as mental | | | | irresponsible towards their own well-being. Many |
| activities have increased with industrialisation, | | | | times the person wants to do 'something' to get |
| stress has increased. This stress results from our | | | | better, but the health system has limited |
| inability to allow our mind to become inactive or | | | | resources to offer much in terms of growth of |
| relaxed for even a short time.Some people | | | | the person, except medication. When a mentally ill |
| believe that our brain becomes inactive when we | | | | person goes to seek help - confidence, |
| sleep. If that were so then we should not have | | | | self-esteem and sense of freedom are already |
| any dreams. Dreams are evidence that our mind | | | | lost. Instead of helping the person become |
| remains active, even when we are asleep. This | | | | independent, there is a tendency to make the |
| simply means that our mind is active 24 hours a | | | | person dependent on medication.Medication plays |
| day without any rest at all. Just imagine how our | | | | its role in controlling the condition or state of |
| bodies would behave if we were to go through | | | | illness. It does nothing to improve the quality of |
| 24 hours of physical activity.Although research | | | | life permanently. To improve their quality of life, |
| may show that 30% of mental illness may occur | | | | the person needs to take responsibility for their |
| without a trigger of stress, it also shows that a | | | | own well-being. This is encouraged in some of the |
| majority - 70% - of mental illnesses occur with | | | | organisations, which are being run by the |
| stress. The research may have failed to look at | | | | sufferers themselves. GROW is an example of |
| the other 30%, mentally ill who may not be | | | | such an organisation. Are there any alternatives to |
| 'acknowledging' stress at a given moment. This | | | | medication in mental conditions? A doctor can only |
| gives us a pessimistic view of mental illnesses. We | | | | prescribe drugs to "control" the mental condition. |
| are made to believe that we can do nothing | | | | The current trend in some other parts of the |
| about them. We are also told that mental illnesses | | | | world is to encourage people suffering with |
| occur because of our genes, our upbringing, our | | | | mental illnesses to take responsibility for their own |
| personality, our temperament, our lifestyle and | | | | well-being, along with medication. Psychotherapy11 |
| we can do nothing about them. Stress or no | | | | and self-help is encouraged. The usage of |
| stress, we are told, if we have all these factors | | | | medication in such situations is minimised or |
| loaded in our personal history, we are prone to | | | | eliminated.In psychiatry, we know that the suicide |
| have a mental illness. Some psychiatrists adhere | | | | rate among physicians is higher than in the general |
| to this belief strongly. This belief is then put | | | | population and psychiatrists are at a greater risk |
| across authoritatively as the "gospel truth" of | | | | among physicians, than other specialists.12 |
| science. Naturally, this brings up a sense of low | | | | Research shows that psychotherapy is more |
| self-esteem and helplessness in the person who is | | | | economical than medication alone in treating |
| suffering with the illness. We are then made to | | | | mental illness.13 Conditions like schizophrenia are |
| believe that medications are man-made answers | | | | also being treated without medication in some |
| to mental illness, which is a curse of nature.Prayer, | | | | parts of the world.14 It is also a known fact that |
| which was until recently considered unscientific, | | | | the more positive the attitude we have, the more |
| has now been shown to have beneficial effects | | | | balanced are the chemicals in our body.15 This |
| on patients.1 Similarly, the current belief in | | | | would be more acceptable for those who see the |
| psychiatry is that mental illnesses can be treated | | | | positive role of religion on mental health. Some |
| by medical professionals only and the person who | | | | authors have suggested that the medicine of the |
| is mentally ill has no control over their lives. The | | | | future is going to be "prayer and Prozac."16 |
| medical system works in a way in which the | | | | Mental health is a preventative activity. Do we |
| doctors themselves have limited choices other | | | | need to suffer first before we take steps to deal |
| than prescribing drugs. The patient has no choices | | | | with it? If we could only assume responsibility for |
| worth mentioning. From the legal perspective, a | | | | our own mental health, we may not have to |
| person who is mentally ill is considered not capable | | | | suffer. The best medicine in this case is certainly |
| of taking any responsibility for their actions. This is | | | | prevention.We live in a free society. The freedom |
| one of the most unfortunate aspects of mental | | | | to suffer is also one kind of freedom. We also |
| illnesses. People who are mentally ill also have a | | | | have the freedom to look for answers to |
| sense of responsibility in many areas of their | | | | minimise our suffering.REFERENCES1. ASTIN, J.A., |
| lives.The role of emotions in mental illnesses has | | | | (2000) Prayer, Other Forms of 'Distant Healing' |
| been totally ignored by scientists. Yet researches | | | | seem to have Positive Effects. Medscape. Annals |
| do show that separation from mother,2 losses3 - | | | | of Internal Medicine 132: P.903-910. |
| including deaths,4 traumatic events, especially | | | | 2. HARRIS T., BROWN G. W., BIFULCO A., (1986) |
| when they occur over the previous three | | | | Loss of Parent in Childhood and Adult Psychiatric |
| months5 can trigger mental illnesses. What has | | | | Disorder: The Role of Lack of Adequate Parental |
| been looked at is the history of such events in a | | | | Care. Psychological Medicine 16: P.641-659. |
| person's life. What is ignored is the emotional | | | | 3. BROWN G. W., HARRIS T., (1978) Social |
| upheaval it causes in a person's body and mind. | | | | Origins of Depression. Tavistock, London. |
| Emotional expression ameliorates the effects of | | | | 4. BIRTCHNELL J., (1970) Depression in Relation |
| trauma.6 Repetitive upheavals in the body are | | | | to Early and Recent Parent Death. British Journal |
| simply not forgotten. Release of emotions by | | | | of Psychiatry 116: P.299-306. |
| emotional expression explains the role of | | | | 5. BROWN G. W., BIRLEY J. L. T., (1968) Crises |
| counselling and confession. We tend to believe, | | | | and Life Changes and the onset of Schizophrenia. |
| erroneously, that everything will settle with time. | | | | Journal of Health and Social Behaviour 9: P.203-214. |
| Things do settle with time - but not everything. It | | | | 6. KELLER, S.E., SHIFLETT, S.C., SCHLIEFER, S.J. |
| is these issues and their emotional effects, that | | | | & BARTLETT, J.A. (1994) Stress, Immunity and |
| cause mental illnesses and psychosomatic illnesses. | | | | Health. Handbook of Human Stress & Immunity. |
| It is obvious that whenever we undergo any | | | | San Diego: Academic. P.217-244. |
| emotional experience, our nervous and hormonal | | | | 7. CHADHA, P. K., (2000) Drugless Psychiatry - |
| systems are shaken-up. The nervous system and | | | | Physiological Basis of Clinical Experiences. Paper |
| the hormones together control the activities of | | | | presented in 6th Conference - Innovations in |
| various parts of the body. If the neurohormonal | | | | Psychiatry, London, April 2000. |
| expression is allowed to go through completion, a | | | | 8. COMSTOCK, G.W., PARTIDGE, K.B., (1972) |
| physiological calmness occurs in the body. This has | | | | Church Attendance and Health. Journal of Chronic |
| a scientific basis.7For people who attend church | | | | Diseases 225: P.665-72. |
| regularly, a common experience is the sense of | | | | 9. SLOAN, R.P., BAGIELLA E., POWELL T., (1999) |
| calmness on entering a church. Coupled with | | | | Religion, Spirituality and Medicine. Lancet 353: |
| music, incense and sermons spoken in a low, soft | | | | P.664-67. |
| tone, a sense of calmness dwells on the person. | | | | 10. KOENIG, H.G., (1997) Is Religion Good for |
| There is scientific evidence to suggest that going | | | | your Health? Haworth Pastoral Press, N.Y. |
| to church helps a person remain healthy.8 More | | | | 11. POMERANTZ, J.M. (1999). Focused |
| interesting is the fact that there is little research | | | | Psychotherapy as an Alternative to Long Term |
| to state that music or aromatherapy help to bring | | | | Medication. Drug Benefit Trends 11 (7) : P.2, 5. |
| about mental health. Yet experience shows that | | | | 12. KAPLAN, H.I., SADOCK., B.J., (1998) Synopsis |
| they have a calming effect. Only recently have | | | | of Psychiatry - 8th Edition - B.I. Waverly Pvt. Ltd., |
| papers started to be published in scientific journals | | | | New Delhi. P.865. |
| bridging the gap between spirituality and science.9 | | | | 13. TALLEY P. F., STRUPP, H. H., BUTLER S. S., |
| It has now been researched that people who are | | | | (1994) Psychotherapy Research and Practice, |
| religious in orientation have a lower rate of | | | | Harper Collins: London. |
| strokes than those who are not religious.10The | | | | 14. McKENZIE, C.D., & WRIGHT, L.S., (1996) |
| whole area of mental illness is about losing a | | | | Delayed Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders from |
| sense of freedom. When we find ourselves bound | | | | Infancy - The Two Trauma Mechanism. Harwood |
| to emotional issues of our life, that we cannot rid | | | | Academic. |
| ourselves of, we lose our freedom of thinking. | | | | 15. MOON, A. M., (2000) Positive Psychology |
| This creates stress in our mind and our body | | | | Halved Depression in Kids. Clinical Psychiatry News. |
| bears the brunt of it. This loss of freedom brings | | | | 28 (5): P.29. |
| up a sense of fear or a sense of helplessness. | | | | 16. MATTHEWS, D.A., LARSON, D.B., (1997) Faith |
| Both such feelings bring up a sense of insecurity. | | | | and Medicine: Reconciling the Twin Traditions of |
| A person loses confidence in their own worth. | | | | Healing. Mind/Body Medicine : 2: P.3-6.Dr. Pradeep K. |
| Self-esteem becomes low. With lack of | | | | Chadha is a psychiatrist,who practises as a |
| confidence and low self-esteem, comes poor | | | | psychotherapist specialising in drugless treatment |
| decision-making. A person suffers with all these | | | | of psychological conditions. He is the author of |
| conditions when suffering with a mental illness. | | | | 'THE STRESS BARRIER - NATURE'S WAY TO |
| This changes the behaviour of the person. The | | | | OVERCOMING STRESS' published by Blackhall |
| behaviour is affected by the way the person | | | | Publishing, Dublin. He is based in Dublin, Ireland. |