Sikhism and Mental Health

I read this somewhere. I think its worth a debate.

Quote:
I, a Psychologist, work in the mental health field and often with migrant Sikhs who are suffering from much distress and harmful behaviours. In this distress I often hear and notice a spiritual disconnection and try and help in some way. This has got me wondering about (1) what 'Sikhism' says about what is mental distress / illness / problems and (2) what advice it offers in coping with it? (3) Perhaps discussants might wish to share how they use their sense of Sikhee to cope too? Any thoughts on this matter would be very appreciated. Thank you.

 
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wow... well, the only thing i can think of is that when i have problems and am really stressed, a good dose of Simran helps ease my fears, clear my mind, and gets me back to the calm girl i normally am.

Here is an article on stress managment and Gurbani
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/sikh-sikhi-sikhism/182-sikhism-and-mental-health.html


The Gurbani On Stress Management

That is a good article Truth_seeker ji (once I found it on the web site) and simran is very calming and gets a person sorted out. There is for me no one time of the day when I do simran -- any time of the day every day -- a wonderful blessing.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=182

I will fix the 404 Error for you.

Aman ji

You said you thought this would make for a good debate: I, a Psychologist, work in the mental health field and often with migrant Sikhs who are suffering from much distress and harmful behaviours. In this distress I often hear and notice a spiritual disconnection and try and help in some way. This has got me wondering about (1) what 'Sikhism' says about what is mental distress / illness / problems and (2) what advice it offers in coping with it? (3) Perhaps discussants might wish to share how they use their sense of Sikhee to cope too? Any thoughts on this matter would be very appreciated. Thank you. (Taken from Post 1)

When I first joined the forum a member posted only once, and it was a suicide message. I sent him a pm and gave him my yahoo address so that he could hear from someone who would perhaps give him some support. He was a student in India who was extremely depressed, ashamed pf his condition, ridiculed by his friends who did not protect his privacy, and ready to cave in. While I waited for his reply, hoping to be able to cheer him up, I asked 3 Sikh friends (not SPN members) about Sikh attitudes toward mental illness and its treatment. I didn't want to suggest therapy to him without first knowing if there would be any cultural biases that would have him turn down that idea and turn me off. These 3 friends gave me 3 entirely different answers. One, a 19 year old in New Zealand, said that mental illness and therapy were viewed as social embarrassing and also evidence of bad karmas. That the best thing was to keep it a secret for fear of being shut out by family and friends. The second, a middle-age woman in Canada, said Sikhs were modern, and there was no problem admitting to mental illness and getting professional help. The third, a retired Singh in Australia, said that mental illness did carry social stigmas. But that as long as the treatments were medical in nature (pills) and not talk therapy, a Sikh would be more likely to accept treatment in that form.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=182

This is only a sample of 3 people. So no conclusions can be drawn. But there were some interesting contrasts for me in what they said.

All three answers carry for me a lot of unspoken information about the social surroundings of any one Sikh suffering from mental illness. In Canada I do know that there have been progressive government efforts to inform the Sikh community of mental illness, and of how to get the help they need. I thought New Zealand was a progressive place. Maybe that is my ignorance showing. The response of the retired Singh was most interesting to me. In essence he was saying: As long as mental illness is viewed as biological and has a scientific explanation and cure, there will be no stigma. If it is viewed in a different way then it is harder to convince someone to get help. What was he really saying? Neither of us thought there might be some more levels to his answer at that time.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=182

Spiritual intervention along with professional psychological and drug interventions may turn out to be the best way to connect with Sikhs because of the spirituality of Sikhism -- it is a way of life and not a once a week experience. Let's keep the dialog on this going.

That is my answer to your request for now. I might have more to say later. As you know I am a psychologist (not a therapist though), and have had a lot of stress in my own life because of the mental illnesses of people close to me. So I am really interested in how this conversation unfolds.

Narayanjyot ji ,

Yes mental illness cause a lot of pain not only to the person afflicted but to the persons around especially if the person is very close. Lack of awareness also brings with a feeling of guilt about the cause. So many times the therapy also has to include other family members.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=182

There may be no single cause. The cause may be hereditary, reactive, a bio chemical imbalance or secondary to another disease or a combination and one cause could also be trigger to the other.

Ver often the disease also cannot be strictly compartmentalized into pure depression, Schizophrenia, Manic, different types of obsessions, phobias etc. Often they are combination in different degrees.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=182

In mild form it can be treated through counseling and spirituality.

But severe forms have to be initially treated with medicine or ECT. Once the person stabilizes, he should be put on professional counseling and most important on Spiritual Therapy. Naam Simran is one of the most effective and soothing post medical therapy.

For beneficial effects of Naam Simran one must read Guru Nanak Chamatkar especially the discussions Guru Nanak Ji had with Bharthar Jogi, Sidhs, Bhagat Jans in Chps 72, 77, 80 of vol 2. But it is preferable if one can give it full reading first and then these particular chapters and more.

Yes this is a very fascinating subject.

Whatever clinical Psychiatrist may claim, I do not think anyone has in depth knowledge of mental illness and its definite cures.

Dr. Alfred P. Libbey invented a formula containing Vitamin B-12, Vitamin B-6 and Folic Acid which when taken under the tongue (sublingually) will ameliorate many problems with people suffering from anxiety, dementia, depression, and a few other maladies including blood vessel plaques caused by the harmful effectcs of the amino acid homocystein. Homocystein in the blood actually is the cause of these plaques forming because it grates on the walls of the blood vessels and the cholesterol covers the abrasions. People over age fifty often experience a lack of vitamin B-12 in their gut because of a lack of the intrinsic factor which ordinarily produces B-12 in the small intestine. Often this can be resolved with monthly Vitamin B-12 shots. An easier and possibly more effective way is with B-12, B-6 and Folic Acid taken sublingually. The vitamins must be taken sublingually because of the fact that the stomach and gut will either break down the vitmains before they have a chance of being absorbed or will not bind with the proteins, etc. I have take these and find that my physical endurance while working is lengthened so that I do not feel as tired as I do without them. Its a good prgram and I would recommend it to any and all sikhs over 50 yerars old. I dissolve one pill under my tongue every day. The vitamines are available through TRi Vita, a health and vitamin company in Phoenix, Arizona.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=182
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=182

Dr. Libbey says that he estimates that 85% of persons now in mental hospitals could be released if they would start this regimen of Vitamin B-12, B-6 and Folic Acid therapy.

Shearwater ji,

Vitamin B12 & B6 is given in the form of Methylcobalamin and of coarse with Folic acid. It is particularly beneficial for pure vegetarians above the age of 50 as there is a deficiency of these for vegs in this age group. Deficiency of these cause nerve disorders and ill effects are due to this deficiency which are generally minor in nature.

But we are talking of more severe forms of Mental afflictions and in much younger persons which are not due to such deficiencies. These are require to treated with specialised prescription drugs under the supervision of clinical Psychiatrist.

harbhansji
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=182
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=182

There were many things I wanted to say last night but left things as they were. You have said everything else that I wanted to add in Post 6. I agree with you 100 percent on every point. The next thing that needs to be considered in depth is what responsible spiritual support would be like. Between the land of the false babas and the zone of the simplistic though well-meaning religious cliches a lot better can be said to heal the soul. You probably can speak volumnes to me, to us, on that point as well.