I believe that what are currently diagnosed as mental illnesses should be seen as expressions of character or personality rather than brain disorders. The way in which we behave could only be described as a brain disorder if the reality is that chemicals in our brains control our personalities. But I’m quite sure this isn’t the case. Please allow me just a couple of minutes of your time so I can explain how I have arrived at this conclusion.
If the way we behave is merely the result of chemicals operating in our brains, one would have to ask the question of what is causing this chemical activity. One argument might be that our brains are like machines, but if this is the case we would have to ask, who built the machines and what is controlling their activity?
The philosophy of materialism has led many to believe that our brains are autonomous. From this perspective, we are no different to robots who have been programmed in a certain way. Those who believe in such a vision argue that our behaviour is due to our genetic makeup and evolution, but nothing more. This reality construct leads scientists to see everything that happens as a cause and effect process which began in a single moment, when the universe came into being due to a ‘big bang’ event. This view attempts to exclude God entirely.
I believe the truth of the matter is that all human beings are created and animated by a living God. So there is a spiritual component to our personalities which, despite being a reality, is not even considered by most doctors and scientists who promote a materialistic view of reality.
It’s easy to see how the materialist ideology came about if one considers that the proponents of these theories have not had a revelation of the reality of God, and also have the incentive that they can make a lot of money from promoting the ‘brain as machine’ myth. Pharmaceutical companies have become very rich by exploiting the ignorance of patients who will simply believe the ‘chemical imbalance’ myth, trusting in their doctor’s supposed wisdom and not questioning whether the philosophical arguments made by doctors and neuroscientists are sound.
I’m quite convinced that the scientific paradigm which has led to the chemical imbalance theory of mental illness is very misguided. In reality, all of the activity that we experience in our bodies and minds is brought about by God, who is animating all activity in existence. God is omnipresent and in control of everything that happens. Causes and effects only happen on a particular occasion if God actively brings them about.
Sometimes people experience extremes of behaviour which can be dangerous, and there may be a role for medication in dealing with these. However, the medication I’m referring to should not be prescribed with the aim of correcting chemical imbalances, but instead it should aim at helping to restore a healthy equilibrium in the personalities of those whose behaviour might be considered dangerous. For instance, if someone is experiencing a very elated mood, they might be prescribed a medication like Diazepam which could have the effect of relaxing them. If someone is deeply depressed, a small amount of MDMA could be prescribed in order to lift their mood.
Currently, psychiatric medication has horrendous side effects, and the medication doesn’t work effectively in most cases. Mental health patients often become like zombies and suffer terribly. Once again, this is because the medications are designed to alter ‘chemical imbalances’, when really chemicals are not the cause of our behaviour — God is.
Those reading this article might not understand why I believe that God is the cause of all human activity. This perspective is explored in many articles on this blog, and a complete overview of this perspective can be found in my 2019 book release entitled God’s Grand Game: Divine Sovereignty and the Cosmic Playground.
I believe that healthcare should primarily be about compassion and love. I believe that when the free-for-everyone National Health Service was established in the United Kingdom in 1948, this was the vision of its founders in the Labour Party. They wanted to help reduce suffering rather than profit from it.
There is, of course, an important role for doctors, nurses, and other health workers in helping to reduce suffering. But the world of healthcare has become so corrupt that this noble aim has been almost entirely neglected, and because elements of our healthcare system are run for profit rather than genuine compassion, patients are abused and suffer terribly.
Of course, when it comes to the way reality has unfolded, and continues to unfold, nothing has happened or can happen aside from the will of God. Where there have been abuses in the system, these have not taken place outside of the will of God, who is sovereign over all events. The fact is, God includes suffering in His plans for creation. I have described some reasons as to why this might be the case in God’s Grand Game.
My prayer is that God will bring enlightenment to those who work in healthcare around the world, and that the suffering of people who have been boxed-in and abused by the mental health system will end. If you agree with me, please say a prayer and ask God to bring about reforms for the better.
Please share this post if you are tired of people suffering due to false ideas and corruption within the healthcare system. You can check out the book mentioned in this post, as well as my other books, by clicking here.
Perfect Chaos 