Joanna

How does the Baha'i teachings view people with mental health issues?

Is one allowed to use medicine?

Are people with mental health problems or other health issues like disabilities seen as full Baha'is and able to participate in meetings and such? I mean, they are not shunned or pushed aside or seen as "filled with demons" and stuff like that?

LordOfGoblins

I think I have read somewhere we must view them with compassion because it is like any other illness. My personal view is mental illness is something that affects peoples inherant personality from shining through. They cant help it but must be helped with health proffessionals etc and maybe they can eventually overcome it.
I know it is a huge topic and i have just touched the tip of an iceberg but of course it is tough for the person who has the mental illness and that should always be remembered.

Livindesert

I have OCD and hormone issues(the latter hopefully will be fixed soon) and am on the local LSA (Local Spiritual Assembly) for my area. So it has not affected anything for me.

Joanna

Thank you both for your answers, I am glad to hear from you about this! Glad to hear livindesert that it has not affected how the people in your community view you. I have my own set of mental health issues and so this question was based in my personal issues. Good to know Baha'i keeps an open mind on this topic

MacGyver

My sister is a disabled person ... she is one of the brighter people adhering to religion among those whom I've come across, and no I'm not saying this because she is my sister!

Take all those medicines which can help. Pray... and live a full life. God loves all His creations ... regardless of color, language or country! ... Regardless if you are disabled or mad! ... But what He warns against are things which may cause madness, or cause disability. He puts forward opportunities... and guards His servants accordingly!

Sometimes our knowledge doesn't allow us to see beyond whatever is visible within the range of our eyes (just jump in a well and then u'll notice after sometime that the world seems to end within the well!), that is where God ends up guiding us.

You must go though this site: Lights of Guidance (second part)

arthra

Baha'is are encouraged to use both prayer and competrent physicians...for their healing.

In a neighboring Baha'i community the head of the mental heath services was also a Baha'i and another pillar of that community had a licensed home for the disabled..so I would say emphatically yes that Baha'is care for the disabled.

As far as demons go..

"As to the question of evil spirits, demons and monsters, any references made to them in the Holy Books have symbolic meaning. What is currently known among the public is but sheer superstition."

(From a Tablet of 'Abdu'l-Bahá: Spiritualism and psychic Phenomena, p. 3)

(Compilations, Lights of Guidance, p. 512)

Joanna

Thank you MacGyver, good to hear from you and see your message.


I appreciate what you said and thanks for the link, I will check it out

Joanna

Thanks, that is good to know. I think the same way myself, so it is good that these things seem so close to my own thinking and they are also in the Baha'i texts I appreciate your help in this

LordOfGoblins

And further on what Abdul'Baha said on demons. I think this notion is self-pertetuating abit like african voodoo black magic. I saw a documetary on a church somewhere in eastern Europe (wish I could remember) that practices exorcism. The fact is because they allowed this practice and encouraged it, more and more people were coming out claiming they have demons inside of them. Thats not because they actually did it is just because they felt left out of the church activities. Its almost like an addictive practice expelling demons. And it showed the priest was so tired at the end of the day. He had been exorcising people all day often the same person over and over for 20 years who kept coming back and had to be held down each time cos he was thrashing (thinking he was possessed).
My point is we dont get things like the new testament demons in people being cast out (physical demons that we can actually see). So if it was more apparent back then in Jesus time why has it suddenly dissapeared? Its because there was never such a thing as a physical demon in the first place. Clearly Jesus casting the demons from people is symbolic of him casting away there vices and faults to turn them into saints. The same thing applies for this current day. Our faults are symbolically understood as demons. A more enlightened understanding shows us that this is just a way of explaining the nature of vices.
Sorry for the late posting just was looking through and im bored so thought i'd add something here.
Cheers

Joanna

Thanks for your comments! I must agree with you on the view of demons I appreciate your answer

Pollwr

I think that most people confront mental health issues at some point in their lives. Mental health issues are very varied but are a real test that can happen to a person rather than something we should judge a person for. Bahá'ís with mental health issues and any other health issues function in their communities the best they can and communities usually support them the best they can. Sometimes communities and individuals don't understand or know how to deal with a new problem and patience can be required on all sides.

We are given a code of laws in the Bahá'í Faith that can go some way to protecting us from some issues, if we follow them. (For example not drinking alcohol is a protection from the risk of alcoholism). But we live in this world and are not protected from everything and most of us come to the Faith having not lived under the protection of such a code.

Personally, I think that some of the things that happen in this world are so horrible that it is perfectly reasonable to be affected by it! I know that my personal demons are metaphorical and part of that internal personal struggle that we all wage to some degree or other!