Lionel Refson
Member
A therapist has three patients. One is Jewish and suffers from terrible feelings of guilt and fear because he does not keep any of the 613 commandments and to make matters worse, he lives in an anti-semitic road and yet he feels above the locals because he is jewish.. The next is a catholic woman who suffers from the same sort of feelings because she is a lesbian and the local Muslims spit at her and she can't deal with the hate she feels for them. She knows it is wrong but still.... and the third is a Muslim who married a secular woman . His family has disowned him, his parents won't speak to him and to complicate the issue he lives in a muslim-hating neighbourhood. He also has a lot of hate against who he calls pigs. All three patients have tried to get help from their local religious rabbi/priest/Imam, but so strong was their religious upbringing the help just did not cut it
One day these three patients, all sat in the therapists waiting room have a heated row about, of all things religion. It started innocuously enough, but by the end of it they were each demanding to know the same thing ie "If your religion is so peaceful why does it say in the koran/torah/bible etc .
The therapist rushes out, manages to calm each one down and sees each one in turn, for their session.
Months go by and each one of the patients religiously keep to their weekly session with the therapist and yet none get better. The therapist has tried to prescribe pills but for various reasons the patients have refused them. One is allergic to them, one refuses them on moral grounds and the third had a relative who overdosed on them and is worried he might do it as well, The Doctor realizes that no amount of therapy can deal with his patients issues and he is at a loss especially considering that none of the three have, in his opinion the right sort of family support.
The doctor is convinced that his patients have what he refers to as the "seed of certainty" that God will punish them in some way and that seed has been firmly implanted in their brain for years with reinforcements galore from family and religion. The doctor, feeling helpless terminates the therapies and contacts you as a last resort, before alerting the asylum/mental health incarceration facility. You are well known as an expert in all religions
From personal experience my belief system as outlined on this forum at Am I Wrong To Think That There Is A God, But Not Operating In This World helped me overcome psychosis and feelings of fear brought on by my religious upbringing and exacerbated by the terrible acts of isis extremists but that probably would only work for me
How would you be able to help these patients?. If you cannot help them why cannot you help them and what recommendations would you make to the patients family, religious leader and ultimately to your local mental health board, considering that there are thousand of people in your country and overseas with exactly the same sort of problems, ruining their lives and the lives of those around them.
One day these three patients, all sat in the therapists waiting room have a heated row about, of all things religion. It started innocuously enough, but by the end of it they were each demanding to know the same thing ie "If your religion is so peaceful why does it say in the koran/torah/bible etc .
The therapist rushes out, manages to calm each one down and sees each one in turn, for their session.
Months go by and each one of the patients religiously keep to their weekly session with the therapist and yet none get better. The therapist has tried to prescribe pills but for various reasons the patients have refused them. One is allergic to them, one refuses them on moral grounds and the third had a relative who overdosed on them and is worried he might do it as well, The Doctor realizes that no amount of therapy can deal with his patients issues and he is at a loss especially considering that none of the three have, in his opinion the right sort of family support.
The doctor is convinced that his patients have what he refers to as the "seed of certainty" that God will punish them in some way and that seed has been firmly implanted in their brain for years with reinforcements galore from family and religion. The doctor, feeling helpless terminates the therapies and contacts you as a last resort, before alerting the asylum/mental health incarceration facility. You are well known as an expert in all religions
From personal experience my belief system as outlined on this forum at Am I Wrong To Think That There Is A God, But Not Operating In This World helped me overcome psychosis and feelings of fear brought on by my religious upbringing and exacerbated by the terrible acts of isis extremists but that probably would only work for me
How would you be able to help these patients?. If you cannot help them why cannot you help them and what recommendations would you make to the patients family, religious leader and ultimately to your local mental health board, considering that there are thousand of people in your country and overseas with exactly the same sort of problems, ruining their lives and the lives of those around them.
