Mental disorders vs. Evil spirits

[embryopocket]

I just saw this article on the news: http://www.ksl.com/?sid=28183252&nid=14 ... featured-1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It has me thinking about something that has been in my thoughts for years now. Is there a line drawn between having a mental disorder and being possessed/bothered by evil spirits? Or perhaps they are closely related, possibly one being the consequence of the other?

I personally believe that there is a line drawn between the two, but that one can be confused for the other. We learn from Ether 12:27 that the Lord gives us weaknesses to make us humble. Most of our weaknesses are spiritual/emotional, but some come to this world with physical weaknesses as well (Down's Syndrome, Scoliosis, Cerebral Palsy, etc...of which I believe have nothing to do with evil spirits).

Are there any specific mental disorders that are really the effects of evil spirits? What do y'all say?

[TheLion]

I just saw this article on the news: http://www.ksl.com/?sid=28183252&nid=14 ... featured-1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It has me thinking about something that has been in my thoughts for years now. Is there a line drawn between having a mental disorder and being possessed/bothered by evil spirits? Or perhaps they are closely related, possibly one being the consequence of the other?

I personally believe that there is a line drawn between the two, but that one can be confused for the other. We learn from Ether 12:27 that the Lord gives us weaknesses to make us humble. Most of our weaknesses are spiritual/emotional, but some come to this world with physical weaknesses as well (Down's Syndrome, Scoliosis, Cerebral Palsy, etc...of which I believe have nothing to do with evil spirits).

Are there any specific mental disorders that are really the effects of evil spirits? What do y'all say?

Yes an no.

Depression could be one, but it could also be entirely biochemical.
Anger could be one, same story.
Liberalism, same story.

No easy answer.

[kathedralegs]

Struggled with depression and anger all of my teenage/adult life. The Lord led me to knowledge that helped me eventually get off medication. Struggled for a couple years trying to get used to the ups and downs of normal life rather than the artificially smoothed version. After about 4 years, I still had an artifact of anger that would well up at the least provocation. I was lead to knowledge regarding evil spirits and the darkness that is very active on the other side of the veil. Through Doug Mendenhall's book and Mel Fish, we have cleared out many dark entities that I have had for decades. I never knew before how active evil is in our lives from the other side. I found that the harder I worked to thin the veil to receive light and truth, the more darkness is revealed also. I know this from personal experience. It is and will be a constant battle to keep evil at bay from the other side. I know when I say something unkind about someone, anyone, my tendency towards anger and depression manifest itself. I have to repent quickly because I find that I have an intolerance for feeling my anger or depression. Maybe it is because I know that I have brought much if not all of it on myself.

Now that is not to say that these things can't be brought on by chemical imbalance, food, stress, many, many factors, I have learned that after I try to do all I can to resolve the previously mentioned, there still are these forces working against us. Awareness is the first step. Repentance and desire to hear and follow the Lord's will helps tremendously. He has revealed all I have needed to know to recognize and work to resolve these problems. Each person and their journey will be different. This is my experience and I do not presume to say this is how it will be for anyone else.

[lemuel]

Do evil spirits respond to antidepressants?

[lemuel]

Struggled with depression and anger all of my teenage/adult life. The Lord led me to knowledge that helped me eventually get off medication. Struggled for a couple years trying to get used to the ups and downs of normal life rather than the artificially smoothed version. After about 4 years, I still had an artifact of anger that would well up at the least provocation. I was lead to knowledge regarding evil spirits and the darkness that is very active on the other side of the veil. Through Doug Mendenhall's book and Mel Fish, we have cleared out many dark entities that I have had for decades. I never knew before how active evil is in our lives from the other side. I found that the harder I worked to thin the veil to receive light and truth, the more darkness is revealed also. I know this from personal experience. It is and will be a constant battle to keep evil at bay from the other side. I know when I say something unkind about someone, anyone, my tendency towards anger and depression manifest itself. I have to repent quickly because I find that I have an intolerance for feeling my anger or depression. Maybe it is because I know that I have brought much if not all of it on myself.

Now that is not to say that these things can't be brought on by chemical imbalance, food, stress, many, many factors, I have learned that after I try to do all I can to resolve the previously mentioned, there still are these forces working against us. Awareness is the first step. Repentance and desire to hear and follow the Lord's will helps tremendously. He has revealed all I have needed to know to recognize and work to resolve these problems. Each person and their journey will be different. This is my experience and I do not presume to say this is how it will be for anyone else.

For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he

As mormons, we talk all the time about controlling our thoughts, but almost exclusively in a context of sex/chastity. It's at least as important to control our thoughts to avoid depression.

I struggle a lot with depression. Been working with a cognitive behavioral therapist, with some success.

I have no idea how evil spirits fit into this.

[kathedralegs]

Doing everything to keep my thoughts where they needed to be etc., was beneficial but there was a residual issue that no matter what I was doing would never quite go away. Through priesthood blessing and personal direction from the spirit I was directed to learning about evil spirits. It is an area that many people don't think about. It is sensationalized by Hollywood in to crazy "possession" scenarios etc. I did a search on LDS.org on scriptures containing words such as evil spirits, demons, devils, and unclean spirits. You will be amazed how often these are mentioned in scripture. The majority of the scriptures listed are in the New Testament. Christ dealt with this issue very often which would manifest in mental and physical illness.

[Reggie]

I never knew before how active evil is in our lives from the other side. I found that the harder I worked to thin the veil to receive light and truth, the more darkness is revealed also.

Some spiritual gifts can lead to mental illness/evil spirits. I believe there is some type of door like a carburetor valve in the spirit/psyche. If this door opens, you might have some spiritual gift. But, you must be able to handle the good and evil that might come through that door. The greater the gift, the more likely the adversary will be to access your mind. For example: If your gift is to be able to perceive spirits, not so much with your eyes but your spiritual eyes, then you can perceive the bad and good. Sometimes this can be terrifying. I have known of people who had to get priesthood blessings to close the way of the gift to preserve the person's sanity. Truly there is opposition in all things. One person I know who inherited schizophernia (every generation of her family has someone in it with this curse) is one of the kindest, most Christlike people I know. Look for either a developed or undeveloped great spiritual gift in someone who is mentally ill.

[cayenne]

I never knew before how active evil is in our lives from the other side. I found that the harder I worked to thin the veil to receive light and truth, the more darkness is revealed also.

Some spiritual gifts can lead to mental illness/evil spirits. I believe there is some type of door like a carburetor valve in the spirit/psyche. If this door opens, you might have some spiritual gift. But, you must be able to handle the good and evil that might come through that door. The greater the gift, the more likely the adversary will be to access your mind. For example: If your gift is to be able to perceive spirits, not so much with your eyes but your spiritual eyes, then you can perceive the bad and good. Sometimes this can be terrifying. I have known of people who had to get priesthood blessings to close the way of the gift to preserve the person's sanity. Truly there is opposition in all things. One person I know who inherited schizophernia (every generation of her family has someone in it with this curse) is one of the kindest, most Christlike people I know. Look for either a developed or undeveloped great spiritual gift in someone who is mentally ill.

+1

oh ya, your avatar maybe has a mental condition lol

[sara]

22 And behold, others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no devil, for there is none—and thus he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance.

I have come to believe that so, so much that we think is "physical" is actually spiritual, either darkness or light spiritual. The Savior was often casting out devils, yet we rarely do that nowadays. I think that is one of the deceptions of Satan, that these things are not from him, that they are "physical" or something caused by this temporal existence, but everything to The Lord is spiritual.

I have come to believe that everything is dark or light, everything is one side or the other, opposition in all things. What is a chemical imbalance? Is it a manifestation of the dark side? Is it an evil spirit, entity, or weapon (fiery dart or . . .) from an evil source causing a disturbance in the normally well ordered chemical? Can casting out evil always be helpful when healing, if only to keep evil from trying to be involved in some way?

I have learned this is a war here still, in much more pervasive ways than I ever before imagined. I have also learned that it is a true principle that as wide as heaven opens, hell opens as wide. I have learned that I have to use every possible tool available to me all the time in every situation. Since I have learned that my physical and mental problems are influenced/caused by evil, that evil doesn't as much try to disguise that fact anymore, since I already recognize it. But I know that for a very, very long time in my life Evil would say: "I am no devil, you just need to think differently. I am no devil, you have a chemical imbalance. I am no devil, you caught this disease from . . . . "

Just some thoughts from my own experiences.