Pros And Cons Of Religious Coping

Our minds are the wonderful, complex, and incredibly imperative parts of our lives. They are the little universes in which we perceive the world and dedicate our thoughts. Without our minds, we would not be able to critically think, understand our environment, or set long-term and promising goals. Since they are so important, it is essential that we take care of them, replenish them, and use them in the most sophisticated and sincere manner. Although we are all born with these delicate frameworks of thought, it is no secret that some people are more fortunate than others when it comes to their brain’s inner structure. For some people, their brains have a rewired chemical makeup that makes them more prone to severe mental illness. They fall …show more content…
Religious coping is a type of treatment that involves individuals utilizing their faith, finding hope within their religion, and understanding life’s meaning through the lenses of their beliefs. Often, it involves practices such as prayer, meditation, and attending religious services. It is a controversial type of coping mechanism, as religions vary across populations, and many health professionals and patients do not believe in any sort of higher power or faith doctrine. It is a topic that is greatly researched, and studies have found positive and negative elements to this type of …show more content…
This will often occur when patients focus too heavily on excessive guilt and shame, stressful religious demands, and the use of religion to deny life problems (Taylor 386). In a report by William Sheehan and Jerome Kroll (1989), it was found that 23% of mentally ill patients surveyed believed sin caused their mental illness, and 10% believed they were hospitalized because they had sinned. With this, some patients feel an anger toward God because of their illness, and they will blame God for putting them through this struggle. Also, according to Dr. Stull, many patients will end up using religion as an excuse, which will cause them to not take responsibility for their actions. They will focus too heavily on their sin and potential punishments and end up becoming religious in an unhealthy way. In a similar sense, Hubartt asserts that patients will sometimes feel that every issue they experience is a spiritual problem they are at fault for, and neglect to give themselves any credit. Patients will become withdrawn, and they will only be able to fully utilize religious coping when they find the balance between spiritual life and their own mental