Afecțiunile psihice grave și duhovnicia
Severe Mental Disorders and Spirituality

Summary/Abstract: We take note with concern that Mental Health conditions are increasing worldwide year by year, and naturally the number of psychiatry and psychotherapy centers as well. In 1840, the American Public Health Registry included a single type of psychiatric disorder whereas in the present there are more than 350 different conditions that are recognized as mental illnesses. It has been found that the amount of people with such mental health problems went up by approximately 54% from 1991 to 2000 and in the following decade, their number remained almost unchanged. These findings are intended to show us that we need to gather as much information as possible in order to help those suffering from such conditions. We will further focus on the most severe mental illnesses: epilepsy, bipolar affective disorder and schizophrenia. Although these are quite serious psychiatric disorders, their treatment and all the steps to recovery highly depend on the good cooperation between the patient, his family, his spiritual father and his mental specialist. Generally speaking, every Christian has to start with the process of inner healing first – aided by his spiritual father in particular – and then move on to the mental healing, and not the other way around. And that is because the vast majority of mental disorders originate from deeply rooted spiritual passions. In confessing our sins, we examine and purify our soul; at the same time profound repentance and reconciliation to God gives us inner peace, joy and healing of our infirmities. Keywords: serious psychiatric

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