The Church's official position is that we should use some caution with medications for mental illness. However, it has drastically backed off from some statements made by General Authorities even 20 years or less ago. Elder Packer had a speech (Be Ye Not Troubled), where he warned about the overuse of psychiatrists and medications. I haven't heard him warn about it in many years, though. Part of this may have to do with the drastic change in medical developments over the past couple decades. Older drugs used to paralyze emotions, while today's drugs are more effective in just moderating them.
I have worked with several people with differing emotional issues. They definitely do not feel the Spirit while their brains are not functioning correctly. Those with depression end up crying and not knowing why they are feeling out of control-- the opposite of the peaceful feelings one should have with the Spirit. Once regulated on modern meds, they can be in control, and do in fact feel the Spirit. I look at them generally like any other medicine for other ailments. If I have a serious metabolized cancer, I may need to have morphine to control the pain. Under the morphine, I may not feel the Spirit, but it isn't an issue of sinning. If I'm suffering from emotional illness, then I also need assistance, if available, to get it under control. Hopefully the assistance will not restrict access to the Spirit, and as I mentioned, today's meds seem to do a very good job of allowing emotion to flow, just not allow it to be out of control. As for anxiety, it is a real problem for many. I have experienced anxiety attacks in the past, and they are terrible. You feel totally out of control, and as if the life was draining from you. I must say that St John's Wort is a wonderful little pill, because it helped me through the tougher times. I have never taken it full time, but whenever I felt that the anxiety was overwhelming me, I'd pop some for a few days to keep it under control. I hear that Paxil works well, also. And I will tell you that I NEVER felt the Spirit when I was having an anxiety attack. I have felt the Spirit while under the influence of St John's Wort. Fortunately, I've learned how to handle the majority of my anxieties. I use relaxation techniques whenever I feel things getting out of control. It works faster than pills, but it sure is addictive! ;-) K'aya K'ama, Gerald/gary Smith gszion1 @juno.com http://www .geocities.com/rameumptom/index.html "No one is as hopelessly enslaved as the person who thinks he's free." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Stacy: The question then remains: Can we legitimately use substances which would lower our anxiety level, especially if those substances are said to be nonaddictive? Stacy. ________________________________________________________________ Sign Up for Juno Platinum Internet Access Today Only $9.95 per month! Visit www.juno.com ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// /// ZION LIST CHARTER: Please read it at /// /// http://www.zionsbest.com/charter.html /// ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?aaP9AU.bWix1n.YXJjaGl2 Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
