Faith Healing for Mental Health: How Effective?

Mental and behavioral disorders affect nearly 25% of the people at one or the other time in their life. The fast paced lifestyle of the modern society has added to stress and tensions, leading to steep increase in mental disorders. Though, medical science is progressing leaps and bounds, health professionals and medical centers are not being able to meet the growing need of mental health care demanded by the society.

Unlike physical ailment for which a person seeks immediate help from a medical professional, people do not easily approach their doctors for mental or behavioral disorders fearing the social stigma attached to it. Keeping in mind all the problems faced by person going through any type of mental disorder, faith healing has been considered to be a good alternative medical therapy for helping such people.

Faith Healing in Ancient World

Faith healing has been popular in places with ancient civilizations like, China, India, Africa and native America, where mental illness were effectively cured through spiritual and traditional practices for ages. People did not recognize mental illnesses back then, but considered it to be influence or possession of demons or evil spirits. Though there is no scientific evidence substantiating the claim of this method of treatment in mental disorders, there have been thousands of cases which hold proof to its power in mental disorder.

The Fraud Healers

Some doctors recommend faith healing as an adjuvant therapy along with medication. Unfortunately, the medical community looks down upon this procedure since many people die of curable diseases, since they go to faith healers instead of seeking medical. It is not recommended for physical ailments, especially aggressive diseases like cancers. There are many fraud healers who take advantage of gullible sick people, promising cure for all types of diseases and leading people towards death, while they make money in the process.

How It Helps

Stress, anxiety, depression and more of such illness are caused due to negative emotions which reside inside the human mind. Meditation, prayers, sacred music, retreating to holy places and reading spiritual books can lead the person away from negative emotions towards more positive mindset. Many people swear on the power of reciting ‘OM’, especially in groups, which has given them a sense of belonging to the world, and great spiritual peace which helps them relax, relieve stress, depression and even pain in some cases.

Spiritual leaders, who are dedicated to the service of humanity, generate tremendous confidence in the people, thus, they are able to support them emotionally, and furthermore they can carry out the duties of counselors and psychiatrists in removing the fears, dilemmas and confusions residing in the subconscious mind.

The real goal and power of spirituality is lost to the modern man, where earning money is the sole goal of every service provider. Through proper implementation of faith healing, a person can develop positive attitude towards life, even when things are looking hopeless. A good healer will be able to connect the inner and external strength of a person through spiritual awareness, encouraging him to have hope, relax and work towards better tomorrow.

Though faith alone will not heal severe psychotic cases which needs medication, it can provide great relief from stress, anxiety, depression and fears of unknown. It can be great adjuvant therapy in treatment of every form of diseases.