Religion or an organised system of a belief that often relates to one’s faith and trust in a higher power, is a distinctive feature of the way many people live and make decisions. Many of a person’s life decisions might be influenced by their religious beliefs, but when such decisions go against religious ideals, it can be difficult to reconcile them, which can cause doubt and unhappiness. When a person’s religious beliefs cause them to behave in ways that are inconsistent with who they are, when they cause them to feel depressed due to internal conflict or persecution, or when they cause them to experience mental distress, it may be advised to seek the help of a therapist or other mental health professional.
Religion and spirituality
Although they can be seen as having certain similarities, spirituality and religion are not the same thing. While religion is one way to express one’s spirituality, most people consider spirituality to be a deeper sense of kinship with the natural world, the cosmos, and possibly a greater force that isn’t always clearly discernible. In addition to meditation, yoga, dance, and other practises, spirituality may also include looser religious beliefs or practises. The practise of religion is frequently more institutionalised, and those who practise it typically identify as members of a certain faith or holding a particular set of beliefs.
Understanding religious issues
The way a person lives and experiences life can be greatly influenced by their religious beliefs. Many aspects of a religious person’s life may at least slightly be influenced by their beliefs. A person may come to faith as a consequence of personal exploration or in accordance with childhood convictions. Due to their religious beliefs, certain people may face persecution or discrimination. Others could feel compelled to preserve certain ideals even when they conflict with their personal values because they were forced to by family, close friends, or romantic partners. People may select a life partner through their church or decide to get married and start a family depending on their religious views and values.
Many people find peace and consolation in their religious beliefs. People could discover that having faith in a higher power gives their lives purpose and gives them a set of moral principles to live by. Some people may find it simpler to deal with difficulties in life and to show compassion to others if they have a religious beliefs. Nonetheless, some religions may stray from their stated philosophy, follow rules that may be detrimental to one’s mental or physical health, or forbid people from expressing particular aspects of their nature. When this happens, a person could start to wonder or question certain tenets of their faith, which can cause them emotional and mental anguish.
Religion and mental health
Doubt, anxiety, or depression symptoms may develop when a person feels conflicted or challenged by religious topics. Changes in one’s beliefs and practises, behaviours and sentiments towards others, and relationship to oneself may result from spiritual or religious obstacles. When a person’s faith is based on the idea that a punishing god exists, they may feel uneasy, hesitant, anxious, or afraid of divine retaliation for having doubts. Some people may self-harm, abuse alcohol or drugs, or have suicidal thoughts as a coping mechanism.
Persecuting and discriminating against someone because of their religion can be detrimental to their wellbeing. Some people may not only feel anxiety, depression, or stress; some may also be the targets of violent crimes, which can result in posttraumatic stress disorder as well as other negative effects on the victim.
The type of god one worships may have an impact on one’s mental and emotional health, according to a new study that looked at the relationship between religious beliefs and mental health issues. According to research, people who believed in a vindictive or angry deity—as opposed to a benevolent or uninvolved deity—were more likely to struggle with mental health issues like paranoia, obsessions, and compulsions.
The somewhat contentious disease called religious trauma syndrome illustrates further impacts of religious beliefs on mental health. RTS is a term that was officially coined in 2011 by Dr. Marlene Winell, a human development consultant. It defines a group of symptoms that are frequently observed in people who have had a negative experience with religion. RTS may arise as a side effect of leaving particular religious groupings or as a result of the experience of belonging to a dominant religion. Fear, anxiety, flashbacks, nightmares, panic attacks, melancholy, and trouble interacting with others are possible symptoms.
Even when they no longer subscribe to a specific religion’s theology, people frequently feel extreme terror at the prospect of divine punishment, and this fear and sorrow may stick with them for years after they leave the religious community. Additional signs include be acts of self-harm, learned helplessness, and feelings of worthlessness.To speak with the best mental health professionals online, go to TalktoAngel. A “Online counsellor” or “Online counselling” search engine is available.