Prescription medication and Sorcery

[kevinmiller]

Depression is often a chemical imbalance, not a physical prOBlem with the mind.

You're right.

[Rachel]

The root word is psych? I'm afraid you are in over your head. Not trying to be rude here. I'm not, by far, the expert on the etymology of words but I did study some Latin in school. Check out this link:

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=psychology
"Meaning the 'study of the mind.'"

They are not studying just the brain and the neurons and such that go into making it work but they are studying what comes about as a result of something physical. Again, you're confusing the spiritual with the physical. God did give us a mind that can operate without spiritual influence. I'm not saying that it can 100% of the time, but it can. Experiences as well as brain disorders can and will effect how our mind processes and responds to different situations and stimuli. It's not all spiritual. Some is, yes, but for the rest, we have psychologists. Not saying there aren't some quacks out there, but they aren't all humanists.

Let's get the whole etymology definition from your source:
1653, "study of the soul," prOBably coined mid-16c. in Germany by Melanchthon as Mod.L. psychologia, from Gk. psykhe- "breath, spirit, soul" (see psyche) + logia "study of." Meaning "study of the mind" first recorded 1748, from G. Wolff's Psychologia empirica (1732); main modern behavioral sense is from 1895.

I stand corrected; the word I was seeking was "psyche" I thought you said that "psyche" meant only "mind" and I did know there was a root with more to it than that (ie. "breath, spirit, soul") which is what I was thinking of.

Do you all understand what a chemical imbalance is? Here's a brief article that might help you understand chemicals in the brain http://www.nida.nih.gov/scienceofaddiction/brain.html

And here's a discussion of the chemical imbalance theory:
http://psychrights.org/Articles/LeoLacasseMediaandChemicalImbalance.pdf

Please note the first few lines, "The cause of mental disorders such as depression
remains unknown. However, the idea that neurotransmitter
imbalances cause depression is vigorously promoted by
pharmaceutical companies and the psychiatric profession at
large..."

[kevinmiller]

1653, "study of the soul," prOBably coined mid-16c.

Look at the date, that will tell you a lot.

Meaning "study of the mind" first recorded 1748

Not exactly yesterday but a bit more in line with the modern day understanding of it.

I don't want to go into a "what causes depression" debate. I think sometimes it is mental and sometimes it is spiritual but that's all I'm going to say on it. What I am defending is the practice psychology and I don't think you can say there is anything wrong with the study of the mind as a science.

[Rachel]

kevin, I have studied the subject of mind-altering medication extensively beginning my senior year in college when I wrote a research paper on Ritalin. What's going on with the over-prescription of these drugs to children is "unconscionable," to quote Gene Hailslip of the DEA, which is why I'm writing a book about it btw.

I agree that there's nothing wrong with a study of the mind, but modern psychology is a study of the mind from the perspective of scientists who believe we are animals. Do you understand that? God created Adam with His hands, and breathed into him the breath of life. We are not animals, and there's far more to the human mind than we can see. "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools..." This verse accurately describes what is going on in the field of psychology, I think.

[kevinmiller]

I don't know, sometimes I think some people really did come from monkeys. lol j/k

I understand that many psychologists are very humanist but there is such a thing as Christian psychology.

[Rachel]

just as long as you understand that the whole idea behind psychotropic medication is that psychological prOBlems are purely physical, even though resarchers have no clue what that physical basis for "mental illnesses" might be. The whole chemical imbalance theory is the best they've been able to come up with yet.

I don't know about prescription medications for adult mental prOBlems, but we have a generation of children being raised in broken homes, exposed to a deluge of immorality and wickedness, and taught they are animals. In response to the resulting unhappiness and unrest among many children,psychology's answer is medication that does nothing but sedate and warp the child's mind, literally.

My General Psychology teacher (Christian university) spent most of the year contrasting the myths of secular psychology with the truth of the Bible. If that's what you consider Christian psychology, I'm all for it.

[kevinmiller]

I wouldn't consider that to be a psychology class by any stretch of the imagination. lol
There are Christian schools that offer Christian psychology degrees. It's simply the study of the mind from a Christian perspective and there's nothing wrong with that.

[JerryNumbers]

Rachel, You've done a good jOB of explaining all of that.

Seems much depression among modern day Americans comes from lust, the lust to have so many material possession. Them when they don't have many material possessions, they get depressed.

I feel there is that empty spot within every human being, and if it is not filled with the Holy Spirit of God, that person cannot ever feel contentment.

1Ti 6:8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
1Ti 6:9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
1Ti 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
1Ti 6:11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
1Ti 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
1Ti 6:13

[ptwild]

just as long as you understand that the whole idea behind psychotropic medication is that psychological prOBlems are purely physical, even though resarchers have no clue what that physical basis for "mental illnesses" might be. The whole chemical imbalance theory is the best they've been able to come up with yet.

I don't know about prescription medications for adult mental prOBlems, but we have a generation of children being raised in broken homes, exposed to a deluge of immorality and wickedness, and taught they are animals. In response to the resulting unhappiness and unrest among many children,psychology's answer is medication that does nothing but sedate and warp the child's mind, literally.

My General Psychology teacher (Christian university) spent most of the year contrasting the myths of secular psychology with the truth of the Bible. If that's what you consider Christian psychology, I'm all for it.

I'd be a little ticked off if I paid for a psychology class and the teacher spent most of the time trying to convince me that the Bible proves psychology wrong.

[kevinmiller]

I'd be a little ticked off if I paid for a psychology class and the teacher spent most of the time trying to convince me that the Bible proves psychology wrong.

I would be very much so.

[Rachel]

If you mean a study of the mind from a Christian perspective, then I suppose you mean from the Bible. Or do you really think that a person who studies and accepts the teachings of Freud but calls himself a Christian is okay? Check out this list of leaders who have shaped modern psychology. (notice Charles Darwin There are no preachers, by the way. They are all secular humanists. And all of psychology today is based on humanistic teachings. The only way to be a true Christian "psychologist" is to reject everything in secular psychology and start again with the Bible as the foundation.

[kevinmiller]

Seems much depression among modern day Americans comes from lust, the lust to have so many material possession. Then when they don't have many material possessions, they get depressed.

There are many other causes of depression. One major cause of depression comes from having a baby. It's called postpartum depression and it's a very real thing. It comes about as a result of the hormonal imbalance in a woman after giving birth. Multivitamins and supplements can do a lot to get the body back in balance during that time but it's a very real thing.

A lot of teenagers face the same hormonal imbalances that cause depression and frustration.

Not only that, but people face hard times such as losing a home, losing a family member, divorce and broken relationships that can cause depression. Yes, you can talk about how we should give all of our cares to God but we are imperfect humans and it does happen.

[ptwild]

If you mean a study of the mind from a Christian perspective, then I suppose you mean from the Bible. Or do you really think that a person who studies and accepts the teachings of Freud but calls himself a Christian is okay? Check out this list of leaders who have shaped modern psychology. (notice Charles Darwin There are no preachers, by the way. They are all secular humanists. And all of psychology today is based on humanistic teachings. The only way to be a true Christian "psychologist" is to reject everything in secular psychology and start again with the Bible as the foundation.

I totally disagree. This is bad, and dangerous, reasoning. Do you think that we should question the design of the automOBile because Ford was a humanist? Just because the proponent doesn't have a "Christian" worldview does not mean his proposition is wrong. And I don't think "preachers" have any more business shaping psychology than psychologists do preaching. Say what you will about Freud, we owe so much of what we know about the mind to him.

[kevinmiller]

If you mean a study of the mind from a Christian perspective, then I suppose you mean from the Bible. Or do you really think that a person who studies and accepts the teachings of Freud but calls himself a Christian is okay? Check out this list of leaders who have shaped modern psychology. (notice Charles Darwin There are no preachers, by the way. They are all secular humanists. And all of psychology today is based on humanistic teachings. The only way to be a true Christian "psychologist" is to reject everything in secular psychology and start again with the Bible as the foundation.

Pray tell me how you can study the mind from the Bible? Aside from the spiritual, of course.

[Rachel]

Thank you, Jerry. This discussion saddens me. I am going to clean my house now, which will be much more profitable than wasting my time on here, although I'm sure I'll be back tonight because I'm dying to see how many IFB Christians honestly believe it's dangerous to reject the teachings of the likes of Freud and Darwin. May God help us.

Rachel, You've done a good jOB of explaining all of that.

Seems much depression among modern day Americans comes from lust, the lust to have so many material possession. Them when they don't have many material possessions, they get depressed.

I feel there is that empty spot within every human being, and if it is not filled with the Holy Spirit of God, that person cannot ever feel contentment.

1Ti 6:8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
1Ti 6:9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
1Ti 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
1Ti 6:11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
1Ti 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
1Ti 6:13