Spiritual Life

Dealing with the challenges of mental health

My interest on mental health issues has been re-kindled when a friend recommended me to serve as a Community Liaison of the California Neuropsychopharmacology Research Institute (CNRI). It has been a long time since I dealt with behavioral problems but my interest in this field has never waned. As the former chief of the Philippines’ Dangerous Drugs Board’s preventive education and community information division in the 70’s, my approach towards the problems related to the use of drugs was directed towards helping people in resolving their personal problems, believing that drug abuse is a problem of people not a problem of drugs.

In my work with psychiatrists, I have observed that those coming for consultation for behavioral problems identify themselves as “drug abusers” although most of them have identifiable mental health problems such as bipolar disorders, depression, and schizophrenia. Actually, these problems can be managed easily by seeking psychiatric help and regular intake of effective psychotropic drugs as prescribed by the physician. However, most often, family members are embarrassed or ashamed to admit that they or a loved one is suffering from mental illness. The social stigma attached to mental illness is still very strong that it hampers access to modern medical and psychiatric treatment. The individual suffers and the family also suffers in silence denying themselves of the benefit of psychiatric counseling and treatment.

The San Diego County Mental Health Services will spearhead

My Personal Testimony

the celebration of Mental Health

Month this coming May and the theme of the celebration will focus on erasing the stigma of shame and fear attached to mental illness. There is nothing to fear and nothing to be ashamed of. If a friend or a family member is suffering from depression or exhibits unusual behavior, take him or her to her primary care physician who will make the necessary referrals to available community resources.

One of the “new” approaches to the prevention and management of mental illness is the spiritual approach. Comprehensive research evidence shows that religious and spiritual beliefs and practices (e.g. belonging to a faith tradition and community, ritual practices and other forms of worship, meditation and prayer, sacred music, reading wisdom literature and scripture, selfless, compassionate action, maintaining stable family relationships) help prevent many physical and mental illnesses, reducing both symptom severity and relapse rate. Furthermore, psychiatric patients have consistently identified spiritual needs as an important issue, and spiritual care as contributing to symptom relief and general well-being. Spiritual awareness can add a powerful and much-needed dimension whenever our human limits are reached. The spiritual approach fosters a positive attitude in the most heart-rending situations. By focusing on both inner and external sources of strength, spiritual awareness encourages calm in the place of anxiety and hope in place of despair.

The Book of Psalms serves as a good resource in dealing with our fears and anxieties, our loneliness and discouragement along with our joy, awe and celebration. It contains songs of praise and prayers of lament. As we read it we share the psalmists’ loneliness, sickness, grief and dread. When we pray the Psalms, we find new dimensions in our relationship with God.

My prayer: Most loving God, make us mindful of the needs of others. Grant us the wisdom to deal with mental health issues and the compassion to help those who have problems that may impact on their thoughts and behavior. Give us the power to discern the needs of others and enable us to respond to them. Enable us to be an instrument of your love as we care and help others. Amen.