Psychiatrists - Orthodox Canada

REPLY:

One certainly cannot blame your doctor for being upset with the advice your priest gave you. The advice he has given you is very bad and could even destroy you, just as the book you mention could lead to the destruction of many lives. I am aware of one priest down East who is presently being destroyed by such ignorant and superstitious advice. He is apparently bi-polar, but his "elder" has forbidden him to seek professional help and has even told the priest's children that there dad is "possessed by demons," and that they should pray for his deliverance.

Demons do use every weakness we have to try to lead us away from our faith and they certainly struggle against us. However, psychiatric illness are bonafide physical illnesses. They may be caused by a virus, heredity or chemical imbalances - in much the same way that Parkinson's disease is caused by a chemical problem. It does not matter that the illness occurs in the brain; whether the problem is with dopamine (Parkinson's disease) or lithium (bi-polar or manic-depressive syndrome), it is a physical illness. Delusional "elders" and "married monastics" who in any way prevent or hinder a mentally ill person from seeking qualified psychiatric care and medication are guilty of malpractice at best, sometimes much worse. They most certainly are not "illumined by the Holy Spirit" to give such advice. On the other hand, a priest who is willing to work together with a psychiatrist or other mental health care worker can do a tremendous amount of good. Prayer and the Healing Service are offered for all forms of illness, but no one discourages a person with diabetes or asthma from going to a doctor as well as seeking prayer and annointing. Why on earth would anyone suppose that mental illness is different? We need to approach it with the same prayer that we approach all illness, and we need to be aware that Satan will use our weaknesses against us. However, a wise and intelligent priest will know where the boundaries of his own competence are and not only encourage by even participate if possible, in the psychiatric treatment of a mentally ill parishioner.

In your case, since you asked me what to do, I will tell you plainly to find a different parish and stay as far away from the offending priest as possible. Find a priest whose mind has progressed beyond the dark ages; one who will work together with your psychiatrist to help you. Whatever you do, keep on schedule with your medication and keep your appointments with your doctors.

I want to make one important observation to any clergy who read this journal (and to the "married monastic" who furnished you with that dangerous book): if you advise a mental patient that his illness is not a real, clinical illness, but a demonic possession, and convince him or her not to seek or continue treatment with a psychiatrist, and convince such a person, intentionally or unintentionally, to cease taking a psychotropic medication, you might be civilly or even criminally liable. If, for example, you convinced a schizophrenic or bi-polar person to refrain from treatment and from medication, you might be directly guilty of causing that person to commit suicide. In such a case, you really should be charged with negligent homicide. This has already occurred in some instances where medical treatment has been withheld for "religious reasons." In any case, the family of a person destroyed by you with such ignorant, superstitious advice could, and most certainly should, sue you.

The reason many psychiatrists shun Christian ministers and priests is not difficult to understand. So many fundamentalist and evangelicals do such terrible harm to their patients. Pentecostal ministers in particular can be a real catastrophe, but so can cultish "elders" in the Orthodox Church - particularly the new breed such as the "married monastic," who are influenced by New Age Gnosticism. Our clergy have found, on the other hand, that psychiatrists are willing to work with them if there is a cooperative spirit shown on the part of the clergy.