Does religious observance prevent/reduce a depression?

[Mr Rayon]

http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/religion-treatment-depression-mood-0313122/

http://brainblogger.com/2012/04/14/religion-and-depression-cause-or-effect/

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/28/us-religion-depression-idUSTRE81R1R320120228

http://catholicexchange.com/does-religion-cause-depression/

http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2012/02/12/what-came-first-religion-or-depression/

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-57323167-10391704/religious-services-prevent-depression-what-new-study-says/

http://onfaith.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/faithandhealing/2009/05/depression_and_religion.html

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/237541.phpst

 

Just been surfing the net.

 

Depression and religion, what are everyone else's experience of it here?

[ydoaPs]

I don't know about depression specifically, but religiosity is strongly inversely correlated with just about every measure of societal health, and atheists are way underrepresented in prisons.

[Sergeant Bilko]

Yup, religion depresses me!

[ydoaPs]

Let's say religion does decrease rates of depression. So what? It doesn't make any religion more likely to be true.

[Mr Rayon]

Let's say religion does decrease rates of depression. So what? It doesn't make any religion more likely to be true.

 

Well, for a lot of people it, that would be a good reason to go to church/mosque/temple/synagogue as many people have or will experience depression.

It also gives people a good excuse to be good to one another and live a God-centred life.

I think we are now living in a world where most Christians at least, imo don't regard the Bible as logical. Merely by going to church they are trying to delude themselves.

Depression gives a good reason for people to try to delude themselves as well as other people.

Religion has somehow become more of a fad nowadays. I think we will reach a point whereby more and more people will experience the world's major religions - I mean if you were truly an atheist, you wouldn't be afraid to get exposed to many different religions and perhaps moving in-and-out of belief and disbelief.

[ydoaPs]

Well, for a lot of people it, that would be a good reason to go to church/mosque/temple/synagogue as many people have or will experience depression.

 

You know what else makes someone less likely to be depressed? Downs Syndrome. Should we work on a way to give it to everyone?

[randomc]

You know what else makes someone less likely to be depressed? Downs Syndrome. Should we work on a way to give it to everyone?

 

Apparently a spiritual element in our thinking is common to all of us.

[Mr Rayon]

Apparently a spiritual element in our thinking is common to all of us.

 

Too right! Many of those who criticize religion are anti-religious bigots.

Even science is a religion.

Many religions support the teaching of science however the behaviour of adherents may not always be consistent.

There is clearly double standards going on here.

[ydoaPs]

Even science is a religion.

 

Not even slightly.

 

There is clearly double standards going on here.

 

Oh? Examples?

[randomc]

Too right! Many of those who criticize religion are anti-religious bigots.

Even science is a religion.

Many religions support the teaching of science however the behaviour of adherents may not always be consistent.

There is clearly double standards going on here.

 

 

 

 

 

Oich. Science is not a religion. For example, i am trying to start multiple rows on the unifying theme of human nature. The fact that nobody round here is prepared to take it up is not representative of science generally. This forum is slanted to answer american politics more than scientific inquiry. But this is just a bunch of people, not science.

 

Oh, and i am an anti-religious bigot, in that i can't be arsed to answer religious truth claims.

Edited October 22, 2012 by randomc

[md65536]

My personal experience is that it is like a pill that I believe is a placebo and so won't work.

 

However I've known people who've been helped by religion.

It can offer meaning, which is important to most for a sense of well-being.

It can offer security in the face of uncertainty, and a feeling of being connected to something. Hope, etc. Answers to questions. A relief of some of the burden of personal responsibility (a moral guide so we don't have to decide everything for ourselves).

 

I've also seen people use it as a false solution to problems, while the problems go ignored, sometimes leading to maybe a "crisis of faith". I've seen it become an overwhelming burden, a source of constant negativity, and a cause of fear and doubt.

 

In summary, whether religion is your life, or a comfort, or a help or a crutch or a useless bag of turd, seems to be specific to the individual and likely a matter of preference.

[EquisDeXD]

Religion, especially at a church gives a very positive social feedback (usually), you spend time with other people, you act nice to people, people act nice to you, and without some god to say "you go to hell if you do...", it seems harder for non religious people to have a reason to do something like that, not that you always need to be nice, but I think it's an explanation.

Edited October 22, 2012 by EquisDeXD

[ydoaPs]

My personal experience is that it is like a pill that I believe is a placebo and so won't work.

 

The placebo effect is actually so strong that it quite often works even if the patient is told the pill is a placebo.

[Sergeant Bilko]

So do you mean if you are anti religious you are a bigot? Is it possible to disagree and not be a bigot? Can a person object to having religion forced upon themselves or their children by the schools/media/culture/Government?

 

 

In the UK Religious teaching is compulsory in schools, the Queen is head of the Church, and almost every prime minister is a regular church goer especially when the TV cameras are on them (Good on you Ted Heath who didnt) How much more helkp does religion need?

 

 

I put it to you Mr. Rayon it is you who are bigoted, by definition as you seem to attack thise who disagree with your baseless statements.

[Mr Rayon]

Well, if religion is not the answer, what does everyone here think is the best solution/treatment for mild depression?

 

Has anyone here ever suffered from any sort of self-deficiency/mental illness such as depression?

[Sergeant Bilko]

Mr Rayon, you have asked a question which does not have a specific answer. There are many, many reasons for depression, and just as many remedies or therapies which may help. Indeed diagnosis of depression also follows many possibilities. You may wish to investigate DSM IV http://en.wikipedia....ental_Disorders as a means to explore how mental illnesses are diagnosed.

 

 

As far as self deficiency is concerned I myself have many, some identifiable, some not but they are all relative. Mentall illness affects many more people that official statistics suggest due to the stigma associated with admitting such an illness.

 

http://www.mind.org....arch_and_policy

 

 

 

What I do note from the following link is that religion is not prescribed as a solution, although some kind of structured and caring intervention may help, and I can see no reason why a religious organisaton should not help to provide that.

 

 

 

http://www.mind.org....lternative_care

Edited October 23, 2012 by Sergeant Bilko