Why does the church only talk about Depression? What about other mental problems?

[Gomezaddams 51]

I have gone through a lot of LDS videos on Youtube and every video only discusses depression.  Even the talks by the General Authorities only mention Depression.  I would love to know what the church thinks about mental problems and even more important what god thinks about them.   I would like to know because it is personal to me.  I am now 71 and am not looking forward to being screwed over by God when I die and am judged.

I spent the first year of my life (from birth) in a 1951 Orphanage. There are some terrible stories about the orphanages back then. I was adopted and my adopted mother used to laugh because as a 1-year-old, I never laughed or cried. She could take me places, sit me in a corner and I would sit there until she came and got me. She did give me a toy or two or a book and I was fine. She was proud because I did not run around, get into things and cause problems like all the "little heathens".    At 1 I could stare down adults and never break a smile. She thought this was cute. She never realized that I was totally "F'd" up in my head. I also hated to be touched or held. I was a total introvert and one of the shrinks I have gone to diagnosed me as a Schizoid. I have also been diagnosed with Reactive Attachment Disorder, Dysthymia Major depression, Anti-Social Personality Disorder, Alexithymia, and some other things I forget. I have a grandson that has Asperger and have been told it is hereditary so I may have that also. I have tried to fit in and   through watching TV, Movies, reading books, and watching people how to act in public, I can pass for normal or introverted normal. I am now 71 and have improved some. But I have a long way to go. Unfortunately, I am going to die before I ever get even remotely close to normal.

What is God going to do when I die?  Will he give me a break or am I going to get screwed over.  I would love to know.

[Kenngo1969]

What's "normal"?   

While others may be looking at you and passing unfair, unwarranted, ill-informed judgment, the Lord looks on your heart.  See 1 Samuel 16:7.  More than anyone else, because of His Atoning Sacrifice, however far you may have left to go, still, Christ knows where you have come from, and how far you've come.  See Alma 7:11-14.  God meets us where we are: He doesn't demand that we reach a certain point before He will help us.

Depression does get a lot of attention in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints because of how common it is.  I haven't looked at this in any depth or detail, but it would surprise me if other behavioral health challenges weren't addressed here.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/get-help/mental-health?lang=eng

I wish you well.

Warm Regards and Best Wishes,

-Kenngo1969

Edited August 25, 2022 by Kenngo1969

[Calm]

This is probably a good summary of the current approach, though it is almost 20 years old and the Church has become more proactive in educating and providing help since then in my experience (including a lot of material on mental health on some of their websites, but don’t bother using their search engine, it is pretty useless).  Ken’s link will be much more up to date.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2005/10/myths-about-mental-illness?lang=eng

Not as common as depression, but there are quite a few:  https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2009/01/bipolar-disorder-my-lessons-in-love-hope-and-peace?lang=eng

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/2016-06-0012-lisas-story?lang=eng

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2001/10/easing-the-burdens-of-mental-illness?lang=eng

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/2016-02-0018-kitengies-story?lang=eng&alang=eng

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/2016-02-0024-sheryls-story?lang=eng&alang=eng

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2020/02/my-willing-heart-my-bishop-and-my-schizophrenia?lang=eng

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/2016-06-0010-cassidys-story?lang=eng&alang=eng

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/inspiration/feeling-sad-doesnt-always-mean-you-did-something-wrong?lang=eng

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1989/02/mental-illness-in-search-of-understanding-and-hope?lang=eng

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2020/09/young-adults/what-mental-illness-taught-me-about-who-i-am?lang=eng

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2020/02/is-therapy-right-for-me?lang=eng

Edited August 25, 2022 by Calm

[Calm]

Interesting article I came across while looking for the above:

https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/study-shows-mental-disorders-impact-people-more-than-previously-thought
 

“The study “began in 1972 as a birth cohort of all the babies born in one city. Ethnically, they’re of white European background,” Moffitt explained. The individuals came into the study’s clinic for a full day of assessment and data collection on 13 occasions since they were babies. It was the first to use a standardized diagnostic assessment to measure mental disorder in children, surviving four editions of the American Psychiatric Association’s diagnostic manual.

  They assessed 16 mental disorders in three types of categories: externalizing (ADHD; conduct disorder; alcohol, cannabis, tobacco and other drug dependence), internalizing (depression, general anxiety, social phobia, simple phobia, panic, PTSD, eating disorders), and thought (schizophrenia, mania, OCD). Diagnosis for the disorders required impairment to the patients’ lives and corroboration by an informant.

They discovered that 85% of the cohort experienced a mental disorder during the course of the study between ages 11 and 45, with the highest rate of diagnosis happening when the participants were 15–18. Rates of mental disorders in the cohort went down as the participants aged, but part of the reason for this was that “people with mental disorders tend to die young from suicide, from overdoses, from accidents, and also from physical diseases as well,” Moffitt said.

The Dunedin cohort is not the only one to show a high prevalence of mental disorders. Moffitt and her team found similar rates of mental disorders in the Danish national treatment register, reports done by the World Health Organization, and other longitudinal studies done in North Carolina; Oregon; Zurich, Switzerland; and Christchurch, New Zealand. She noted that mental illness is often undertreated, so the numbers from some of these sources should be higher.

As Moffitt likes to tell her students, “If you stay mentally well your whole life, you’re not normal.”

One surprising thing Moffitt and her team learned was that “the same person moves in and out of different mental disorders across their life.” She noted that the diagnosed disorders also moved between externalizing, internalizing and thought disorders without a noticeable pattern.”

”

Moffitt said: “The important point here to take away from this is that some people will have a mental health history that starts young, lasts a long time, and includes many different disorders, whereas other people will have a mental health experience that starts later in life, that comprises only a brief episode, and maybe just one diagnosis. And most of us will have a pattern that falls somewhere in between.”

Those who are diagnosed with mental disorders earlier in life also see physical effects in their later years. “People with mental disorders will age faster and age younger, they’ll have less ability to manage their health and finances as they need to prepare for old age, they’ll have more chronic physical diseases as they age, they’re going to use more health care and incur more healthcare costs for physical diseases, and they’re more likely to develop dementia as well,” Moffitt said.

Mental disorders are just as important in affecting early mortality as physical diseases are, she said. “But mental disorders occur much younger and this gives us an advance opportunity for preventive treatment.”

Recognizing that most people will likely have a brush with mental health problems will help reduce the stigma against mental illness, she said. “And if there’s less stigma then that ought to promote more people to feel safe to get treatment and get it sooner.””

There is a link to the stream of the talk at the bottom of the article. 

Edited August 25, 2022 by Calm

[Jerry Atric]

6 hours ago, Gomezaddams 51 said:

I have gone through a lot of LDS videos on Youtube and every video only discusses depression.  Even the talks by the General Authorities only mention Depression.  I would love to know what the church thinks about mental problems and even more important what god thinks about them.   I would like to know because it is personal to me.  I am now 71 and am not looking forward to being screwed over by God when I die and am judged.

How's your relationship with God? Who or what influences how you see your relationship with God? Are you scared of what the afterlife might bring? If you are scared, may I suggest some sort of meditation. Even if you're not scared, meditation can clear away any fear or anxiousness you might feel when thinking about the next life. 

If you haven't found the answers you're looking for by watching church videos, leave all that behind, forget about it, church videos aren't meant for everyone.

 What do you consider a "mental problem ?" Depression is definitely a mental problem. But a lot of the treatments we use to alleviate the pain and discomfort from depression are also a huge problem. 

6 hours ago, Gomezaddams 51 said:

I spent the first year of my life (from birth) in a 1951 Orphanage. There are some terrible stories about the orphanages back then. I was adopted and my adopted mother used to laugh because as a 1-year-old, I never laughed or cried. She could take me places, sit me in a corner and I would sit there until she came and got me. She did give me a toy or two or a book and I was fine. She was proud because I did not run around, get into things and cause problems like all the "little heathens".    At 1 I could stare down adults and never break a smile. She thought this was cute. She never realized that I was totally "F'd" up in my head. I also hated to be touched or held. I was a total introvert and one of the shrinks I have gone to diagnosed me as a Schizoid. I have also been diagnosed with Reactive Attachment Disorder, Dysthymia Major depression, Anti-Social Personality Disorder, Alexithymia, and some other things I forget. I have a grandson that has Asperger and have been told it is hereditary so I may have that also. I have tried to fit in and   through watching TV, Movies, reading books, and watching people how to act in public, I can pass for normal or introverted normal. I am now 71 and have improved some. But I have a long way to go. Unfortunately, I am going to die before I ever get even remotely close to normal.

Have you ever tried getting out of your head? Basically removing your brain from thr equation when it comes to making decisions within a 24 hour period. If you have time, try what I'm about to suggest. Before you go to bed one night, write down everything you want to accomplish the next day. Everything that matters to you, down to when you want to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. When you shower. How much water you want to drink. Everything! Then, set your expectation of what you want to accomplish fairly low, maybe 30% of what you wrote on your list will be your goal to accomplish. Give that a few weeks,  then up it to 35%. Give that some time then up the percentage again. In the end, your goal isn't accomplishing 100% of your daily list. It's to find out what percentage you're comfortable with accomplishing on a daily basis. 

Here's an example list:                      1. today I want to smile 100 ×. 2. Make eye contact with 10 people no matter who it is. 3.Take time to think about something positive in my life 10x. 4. Do 20 jumping jacks.   5. Do one good deed for a stranger. 6. Tell someone you love them, even if it's a squirrel on the tree outside. 7. Drink 80 ounces of water. 8. Eat more vegetables. 9. Walk a 1/4 mile. 10. Laugh uncontrollably for 2 minutes.

                       

   Make a new list as long or as short as you want the night before depending on how you feel. The goal is to PHYSICALLY MARK OUT what you wrote on your list the everyday. In time,  you'll feel as sense of great accomplishment. Just make sure you're not shooting for 100% or even 80% when you first start. 

6 hours ago, Gomezaddams 51 said:

What is God going to do when I die?  Will he give me a break or am I going to get screwed over.  I would love to know.

      God is going to love you no matter what when you die. No question about it! You're not going to get screwed over. Why do you think you might get screwed over? Has someone told you that? 

 

 

 

Edited August 25, 2022 by Jerry Atric

[rpn]

Your personal best (and quick repentance of actual sin) (which gets better over time as we do it, IS ALWAYS ENOUGH for Them and for us to be perfect in Christ, no matter how big the gap between our personal best and objective perfection is.    If you have never read "Believing Christ" by Stephen Robinson  please do so.  (There's probably someone in your ward who would lend their copy to you to read, but I marked up mine so you might also want your own.

Your Heavenly Parents and your Savior love you and know you in every moment of your life.  

ETA:  the reason that there is more on depression than other things is likely at least a couple of things.  1-- It is more prevalent, 2 -- depression is experienced by almost all members and not necessarily in clinical ways.   (But both are also true of anxiety, I guess that wouldn't resolve fully your question.  Maybe it is that our church leaders have personal experience with depression and anxiety and can provide info without risking deflecting people from the professional help needed for RAD?  Maybe because the expressions of depression are pretty universal, but RAD and other mental health issues are far more individualized presentation?   Maybe because there are fewer members with the conditions?  Maybe less professional expertise available in the church member pool to provide material?   Maybe too much risk of someone thinking that whatever the church says is THE ALL and END ALL?   Lots of possible reasons.

Edited August 25, 2022 by rpn

[Stargazer]

8 hours ago, Gomezaddams 51 said:

I have gone through a lot of LDS videos on Youtube and every video only discusses depression.  Even the talks by the General Authorities only mention Depression.  I would love to know what the church thinks about mental problems and even more important what god thinks about them.   I would like to know because it is personal to me.  I am now 71 and am not looking forward to being screwed over by God when I die and am judged.

I spent the first year of my life (from birth) in a 1951 Orphanage. There are some terrible stories about the orphanages back then. I was adopted and my adopted mother used to laugh because as a 1-year-old, I never laughed or cried. She could take me places, sit me in a corner and I would sit there until she came and got me. She did give me a toy or two or a book and I was fine. She was proud because I did not run around, get into things and cause problems like all the "little heathens".    At 1 I could stare down adults and never break a smile. She thought this was cute. She never realized that I was totally "F'd" up in my head. I also hated to be touched or held. I was a total introvert and one of the shrinks I have gone to diagnosed me as a Schizoid. I have also been diagnosed with Reactive Attachment Disorder, Dysthymia Major depression, Anti-Social Personality Disorder, Alexithymia, and some other things I forget. I have a grandson that has Asperger and have been told it is hereditary so I may have that also. I have tried to fit in and   through watching TV, Movies, reading books, and watching people how to act in public, I can pass for normal or introverted normal. I am now 71 and have improved some. But I have a long way to go. Unfortunately, I am going to die before I ever get even remotely close to normal.

What is God going to do when I die?  Will he give me a break or am I going to get screwed over.  I would love to know.

Well, as @Kenngo1969 said, "Who's normal?"

I have attention deficit disorder. I've managed to survive fairly decently to age 70, even though I've never taken drugs for it -- I was diagnosed as an adult, and though I did try one drug, the side-effects were not worth the ability to zero-in on things, so I didn't continue with it. As a child I was tested as rather above average in intelligence, but because of the ADD I could never fully utilize my intelligence in any consistent way. I'm kind of a disappointment in that regard, including to myself.

What will the Lord require of me in the end, after giving me the gifts He did give me that I couldn't fully utilize? I fully expect that He will take all my handicaps into consideration. What is He looking for, after all? The answer is, He is looking for what I have freely chosen, the "desires of my heart," or what I would have chosen if I were able to choose. From His interactions with me to this point in my life, I know for a fact that He does love me, despite my imperfections. Someone once said in exasperation, "How can God love me so much? I don't deserve it!" To which the other person said, "In order to love you at all, God has to love you more than you deserve. His love is unconditional."

One of my sons has paranoid personality disorder, which is difficult to treat because to start with, the PPD person finds it hard to believe that he has the disorder, and then finds it hard not to believe that the person trying to treat him is also "after him." When my son was around 30 I had to kick him out of the house because he was threatening grievous harm to everyone in the family. He cannot keep a job because it doesn't take long before he starts treating his fellow-workers and supervisors as enemies. He's homeless but can't stay in a homeless encampment because he alienates everyone. So he lives in a tent somewhere all by himself. Everyone is against him, you see. I now believe that his threats were self-defense -- a way to make people afraid of him so that they would fear to harm him. But while he lived with us it was extremely nerve-wracking and frightening.  So what will God do with him in the end? He will be judged according to the desires of his heart and what he could freely choose. After all this time, despite his threatening, he has never actually harmed anyone. I believe he is a good person in his heart. And he may very well be rewarded in the end as if he had done great things with the gifts he does have, even though his condition prevented the full expression of it. 

The world is full of people who have mental problems. There is almost nobody who doesn't in some degree. God loves them all equally. And He loves you. How could He then judge you unjustly and without charity?

[pogi]

9 hours ago, Gomezaddams 51 said:

What is God going to do when I die?  Will he give me a break or am I going to get screwed over.  I would love to know.

He is neither going to give you a break or screw you over.  He is going to be perfectly fair.  It will be the perfect balance of justice and mercy, the one not robbing the other. 

We will be judged on what we did with what light we have been given.  I am beyond confident that mental health will be a factor taken into account. 

The parable of the talents teaches us that we are all dealt different lots and that we are not all expected to return to God with equal achievements and gain.  Some will return with 10 talents, others with much fewer.  They will all be rewarded equally so long as they made effort to return with increase.  It sounds like you have made much progress in your life but are concerned that you may not match up to what is "normal" before you die.  I think you should be comforted in knowing that you are not going to be compared with others who have no mental illness or other complicating issues.  There is no expectation that you return with equal gain.  There is no "normal" to compare against.  Judgment will be entirely based on the individual and will take into account the lot they were given in mortality.   We should not use this understanding to excuse sin but to keep oversized expectations in check and measured with self-compassion without comparing ourselves to others.    

 

Edited August 25, 2022 by pogi

[Tacenda]

Just learned moments ago, that Utah is the number one state with the highest in mental illness.

Saw it on a Utah local news station, or talk show. Is it because of them being members? I know it's not all that, but is there something that religions that are very devout or high demanding, that can cause problems? I know we've discussed altitude before too. 

https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-news/utah-tops-list-of-states-with-most-mental-illness#:~:text=Utah came in at number,one in thre

But I hope @Gomezaddams 51can feel some relief, I love @Kenngo1969 responses and others as well. Wish I had some good advice. 

Edited August 25, 2022 by Tacenda

[The Nehor]

6 minutes ago, Tacenda said:

Just learned moments ago, that Utah is the number one state with the highest in mental illness.

A Utah local news station, or talk show. Is it because of them being members? I know it's not all that, but is there something that religions that are very devout or high demanding, can it cause problems? 

It could also be that not being a member while being around members of the church causes extensive mental illness. 😜

[ksfisher]

37 minutes ago, Tacenda said:

Just learned moments ago, that Utah is the number one state with the highest in mental illness.

Saw it on a Utah local news station, or talk show. Is it because of them being members? I know it's not all that, but is there something that religions that are very devout or high demanding, that can cause problems? I know we've discussed altitude before too. 

https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-news/utah-tops-list-of-states-with-most-mental-illness#:~:text=Utah came in at number,one in thre

But I hope @Gomezaddams 51can feel some relief, I love @Kenngo1969 responses and others as well. Wish I had some good advice. 

Religion has a positive effect on mental health

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/talking-about-men/201712/religion-and-mental-health-what-is-the-link

"The amassed research indicates that higher levels of religious belief and practice (known in social science as "religiosity") is associated with better mental health. In particular, the research suggests that higher levels of religiosity are associated with lower rates of depression, anxiety, substance use disorder, and suicidal behavior. Religiosity is also associated with better physical health and subjective well-being."

 

"Likewise, research indicates that religiosity can enhance recovery from mental illness, aiding in the healing process. For example, one classic research study shows that recovery from severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia is better in countries with higher levels of religiosity."

 

Where in your time zone you live has a negative effect

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/04/19/how-living-wrong-side-time-zone-can-be-hazardous-your-health/

The elevation you live at has a negative effect

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321219

Edited August 25, 2022 by ksfisher

[Tacenda]

21 minutes ago, ksfisher said:

Religion has a positive effect on mental health

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/talking-about-men/201712/religion-and-mental-health-what-is-the-link

"The amassed research indicates that higher levels of religious belief and practice (known in social science as "religiosity") is associated with better mental health. In particular, the research suggests that higher levels of religiosity are associated with lower rates of depression, anxiety, substance use disorder, and suicidal behavior. Religiosity is also associated with better physical health and subjective well-being."

 

"Likewise, research indicates that religiosity can enhance recovery from mental illness, aiding in the healing process. For example, one classic research study shows that recovery from severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia is better in countries with higher levels of religiosity."

 

Where in your time zone you live has a negative effect

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/04/19/how-living-wrong-side-time-zone-can-be-hazardous-your-health/

The elevation you live at has a negative effect

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321219

Or it could be what I mentioned as well:

https://universe.byu.edu/2018/02/05/mental-illness-1/

https://bycommonconsent.com/2018/12/09/lds-identitys-effect-on-mental-health/

https://religionnews.com/2021/10/04/mormons-make-strides-in-discussing-mental-illness-is-it-enough/

Edited August 25, 2022 by Tacenda

[Stargazer]

1 hour ago, Tacenda said:

Or it could be what I mentioned as well:

https://universe.byu.edu/2018/02/05/mental-illness-1/

https://bycommonconsent.com/2018/12/09/lds-identitys-effect-on-mental-health/

https://religionnews.com/2021/10/04/mormons-make-strides-in-discussing-mental-illness-is-it-enough/

Interesting articles! Thanks for posting the links!

First article: "Utah, where 62.8 percent of the population is Mormon, ranks poorly for several categories of mental illness."  I didn't see any correlative figures for church membership vs activity level, or whether (as @The Nehor suggested) it is the non-members living next to so many Mormons who have the highest burden. I'm pretty sure he was being facetious, but I wonder if it is an actual factor. I lived briefly in Provo once upon a time, and I can say that the place is beautiful with all the mountains for a backdrop, but I wasn't particularly jazzed to be living next to so many Mormons. I rather prefer what has been called the "mission field". Where I don't have to worry that my bishop is coincidentally standing behind me at the store when I buy a six-pack of alcohol-free beer to put in my favorite chili recipe.

Second article: "...people who are religious are less likely to get divorced, abuse controlled substances, and fear death, but they are more likely to have unhealthy ideas about sex, struggle with anxiety and perfectionism, experience guilt, and fear the punishments of God." I must be a genuine outlier, because my ideas about sex are very healthy, I don't struggle with anxiety and perfectionism, I only feel guilty until I've repented, and Christ has made me immune to the punishments of God (as long as I have sincerely repented). Seriously, though, that is a rather nicely balanced article.

Third article: "And in recent years the church has, like the rest of society, begun to slowly remove the stigma it once attached to mental illness. Elder Jeffrey Holland and Sister Reyna Aburto have discussed depression in General Conference, and as a people we’re now exhuming the story of George Albert Smith’s yearslong treatment for serious mental and physical illness when he was an apostle a century ago." The author of this piece also talked about his father in these terms: "He was an absolute *******, yet I loved him; he was brilliant and hilarious and he was my father. He was also severely mentally ill, and the damage he caused has rippled forth to his children and grandchildren in ways that are still hard to forgive, more than a decade after his death." One of my sons, whom I have referenced in another post somewhere, I hope never has children because he would be a horrible father -- fortunately, he drives everyone away from him quite quickly. And I ache for him because of his loneliness.

[Calm]

I just posted a study somewhere that shows mental health issues happen to a majority of people over time. Perhaps Utah is good at recognizing when there are problems?  

It is not particularly easy to find therapists that are covered by one’s insurance from what I have heard though and experienced. Love our psychiatrist (she just does prescriptions though, not talk therapy) and she is just practically next door.

Way back when we were trying to get treatment for our 13 year old daughter for severe anxiety (she is 30 now), there was only one pediatric psychiatrist for all of Utah Valley.  Wonder if that has improved and how much.

Our state runs young and there are less mental health providers who specialize in youths, so that might be a factor.

I find it interesting we are lowest in the states in suicide attempts…and that fox13 is rather dismissive of that being a relevant stat. 

It would appear that the full picture is much more complicated than just Utahns have issues. 

Edited August 25, 2022 by Calm

[pogi]

21 minutes ago, Calm said:

I just posted a study somewhere that shows mental health issues happen to a majority of people over time. Perhaps Utah is good at recognizing when there are problems?

Because we don't self-medicate with alcohol, etc. it might also be that we seek treatment more often as we don't have other means to mask the symptoms. 

[Navidad]

3 hours ago, The Nehor said:

It could also be that not being a member while being around members of the church causes extensive mental illness. 😜

Amen brother!

[pogi]

41 minutes ago, Navidad said:

Amen brother!

Testify Navidad, testify!  

[Stargazer]

1 hour ago, pogi said:

Because we don't self-medicate with alcohol, etc. it might also be that we seek treatment more often as we don't have other means to mask the symptoms. 

The Russians must be horribly depressed then. Alcoholism is rampant there.

[Calm]

36 minutes ago, Stargazer said:

The Russians must be horribly depressed then. Alcoholism is rampant there.

Tons appeared to be to me when we were there, including the kids as not much laughing or playing around except when we were out in the country at the dachas (cottages that were homemade for the most part out of anything they could get a hold of, up to and including scrap particle board and cardboard, think of it like a mass of makeshift sheds with little gardens next to them on tiny plots of land jammed together surrounded by green fields and forest, water was out of hoses…can’t remember what they did for toilets…maybe community outhouses?).  For the first and last time, they looked happy running after the paraglider kite my husband pulled out and had it flying around with loops and dips and all in the field next to the mass of little cottages.  
 

Anyone who could emptied out of Moscow when school let out.  They took the kids out to the country for fresh air for their health.

Edited August 25, 2022 by Calm

[The Nehor]

28 minutes ago, Stargazer said:

The Russians must be horribly depressed then. Alcoholism is rampant there.

In the days before mental illness treatment had any real options to deal with it alcoholism was a common coping mechanism. They found it stimulants helped with ADHD because people tried to cope with cocaine and it helped a lot.

[Stargazer]

18 minutes ago, The Nehor said:

In the days before mental illness treatment had any real options to deal with it alcoholism was a common coping mechanism. They found it stimulants helped with ADHD because people tried to cope with cocaine and it helped a lot.

If I hadn't joined the church at age 15, I probably would have become an alcoholic. Smoking, though, never. I tried puffing on one as an experiment when I was 8, and immediately concluded that smokers were brain-damaged. 

I probably drink lots of caffeinated beverages because I'm self-medicating my ADHD. 

I was joking about the Russians, though. I have no way to know if they drink lots of alcohol because of mental illness. It is, however, an important part of their culture.

[Calm]

8 minutes ago, Stargazer said:

I was joking about the Russians, though. I have no way to know if they drink lots of alcohol because of mental illness. It is, however, an important part of their culture.

When we were there, the government was still in denial, no mental illness (except for those against the government) just like no crime (and yet all the windows at street level were heavily barred for some reason, decorative perhaps).  My guess is given Moscow and St. Petersburg’s location as well as numerous other cities and towns in northern locations, there is likely a lot of seasonal affective disorder, but also given the political and economic situation for so many, the mandatory military service for young men with poor resources, massive boredom, and reports of extensive abuse, the submissive position of women in their culture (female professors were treated like secretaries and routinely sexually harassed from what I was told, I can only imagine how much worse it was outside the ‘enlighten’ universities), the racism (they were openly harassing any minorities, the Nigerians that were in our branch were beat up twice while we there for a semester and there was outspoken disdain for anyone not a Russian or at least white), the corruption, the pollution….I don’t see how they could manage escaping significant mental illness. 

[The Nehor]

1 hour ago, Stargazer said:

I was joking about the Russians, though. I have no way to know if they drink lots of alcohol because of mental illness. It is, however, an important part of their culture.

Being Russian has almost always been depressing. One of the saddest moments of my life was realizing that life under Stalin was actually a general improvement over life under the Czar.

America can’t knock the Russians too hard for drinking. Pre-prohibition Americans were drinking a LOT of alcohol. Like buzzed all day every day amounts.

[Kenngo1969]

4 hours ago, Calm said:

I just posted a study somewhere that shows mental health issues happen to a majority of people over time. Perhaps Utah is good at recognizing when there are problems?  ...

And, there is less self-medicating here.

[Calm]

I wonder if the practical, industrious side of our culture might affect recognition and trying to do something about it as well. Just coasting as is isn’t in a lot of Saints’ natures that I have seen. They want to see forward progress in their lives and the lives of family…community as well.  Lots of fixers as well…which is both bad and good when it comes to mental health. 

Edited August 25, 2022 by Calm