By DONAL FOLEY
Donal Anthony Foley reviews Catholicism and Mental Health, by Dr. Pravin Thevathasan (Catholic Truth Society, May 2014, 72 pages, www.ctsbooks.org/, c. $4.25 plus shipping).
This very informative booklet, by a practicing psychiatrist, comprises chapters covering, amongst other things, the general relationship between Catholicism and psychiatry; when and how they conflict; when and how they agree, and how Catholics should view the theories of Freud and Jung. It also examines some common psychiatric disorders, and particularly depression, which is the commonest mental health issue.
The aim of the author is to show that there shouldn’t be any real conflict between Catholicism and psychiatry — but this booklet is not meant to be a self-help guide.
Dr. Thevathasan begins by briefly looking at the history of psychiatry in terms of the ancient Greeks, the Bible, and the early Church. For the ancient Greeks, mental illness was a disorder due to the particular way the four “humors” were combined; Hippocrates even classified some mental disorders. Jesus distinguished between personal sin and sickness, and in the early Church, treatment for mental disorders focused on individual care, in which the person was loved and respected.
Regrettably, with the collapse of the Roman Empire and the consequent decline in civilization, the care of the mentally ill suffered, but by the end of the 12th century, as Christendom became firmly established, there was a revival in the treatment of such persons, and a further attempt to classify mental problems.
Unfortunately, in the 14th and 15th centuries, people with mental disorders could be accused of witchcraft, and many people suffered terribly because of this. But there were physicians such as Johann Weyer who argued that many so-called witches were actually mentally ill persons in need of treatment. Later on, St. Vincent de Paul made a similar observation, and sought to ensure that mentally ill people were compassionately treated.
Dr. Thevathasan also deals with the problem of what to do when psychiatric theory or practice conflicts with Catholic teaching, arguing that we must always remember that psychiatry deals with people who have mental illness and so we can never generalize from their behavior so as to make overarching statements about humanity as a whole. In particular, he deals with the theories of Freud and Jung, and how these can be seen to have been based on their personal belief systems rather than on scientific evidence.
It seems that Freud’s ideas about childhood sexuality may be related to his own experiences, and he was certainly influenced by both the evolutionary theories of Darwin, and the philosophical ideas of Feuerbach, who argued that belief in God was a form of wish fulfillment. It is also possible that some of Freud’s ideas may have been influenced by his usage of cocaine.
He is best known, however, for psychoanalysis, which as Dr. Thevathasan points out, has some similarities to the occult doctrines of the Kabbalah with regard to bisexuality, malevolent childhood impulses, and dream interpretations.
Although Freud apparently dabbled in the occult, it seems that he had what amounted to a hatred of both Orthodox Judaism and Catholicism. He believed that there was a link between neurotic behavior and religious rituals, and focused on childhood sexuality and his belief that people had a desire to see the death of their own fathers. Freud also rejected the orthodox view of Moses as the Jewish lawgiver, seeing him rather as an Egyptian, although there is no real evidence to support such ideas.
In sum, he saw religion as irrational and infantile, and argued that it should be replaced by science. And there has been a tendency amongst some of his followers to reduce aspects of the biblical tradition to “sexual and aggressive impulses.” Indeed, for psychoanalysts, there are no absolute moral principles, since they hold that all moral actions are determined by unconscious motives.
Dr. Thevathasan states that “psychoanalysis had a disastrous effect on the 20th century,” citing incidents in which people were, at times, encouraged by psychoanalysts to commit adultery, and also in that it promoted cruelty and aggression as cathartic outlets.
He argues that the theories of Carl Jung have “penetrated more deeply inside certain Catholic circles than those of any other therapist,” particularly as regards retreats. Jung lost his faith in orthodox Christianity at an early age, but always remained interested in religious ideas. He initially worked with Freud, but they separated after Jung disagreed with Freud’s basic notion that neurosis had a sexual basis.
Like Freud, Jung dabbled in the occult, and even believed he had particular “spirit guides.” He also believed in what he called the “collective unconscious,” the collective beliefs and myths of the race to which the particular person belonged. He did not, though, believe that the pursuit of goodness could lead to psychological integration, and thus he rejected the essence of Christianity.
Level-Headed Saints
Dr. Thevathasan also deals briefly with the question of apparitions, and notes how some psychiatrists have argued that the visions seen by St. Bernadette at Lourdes, for example, are not genuine but hallucinatory fantasies. But as he points out, psychiatry cannot say anything certain about apparitions, which are in the realm of the supernatural, and also that the approved seers have generally shown themselves to be very level-headed and certainly not mentally ill.
Similarly, the author notes how psychiatry tends to dismiss the Catholic Church’s claims that particular individuals have exhibited heroic virtue and should thus be seen as saints. Again, though, such criticism is not justified since psychiatry is incompetent to pronounce judgment on personal sanctity.
Dr. Thevathasan argues that psychiatry alone cannot necessarily heal a troubled person and that there is also a need for spiritual help, either in terms of loving care or sacramental Confession. He notes that many research findings regarding marriage and family life are actually in harmony with the teachings of the Church.
The final chapter deals with some psychiatric disorders, and argues that most cases of mental illness are likely to have a number of causes, be they genetic or environmental. Depression is the most common psychiatric disorder, but nowadays any spiritual perspective on treating this is generally ignored or downplayed, even thought studies have shown that religious beliefs have a beneficial effect on mental health.
Dr. Thevathasan cautions that depression is not necessarily due to personal sin, and that successful treatment should combine medical treatment and spiritual help.
The author then gives a series of case studies which help to clarify particular aspects of how psychiatric insights can best be integrated with Catholic spirituality, looking at cases of depression, post-abortion depression, and situations where individuals were involved in questionable moral activities, such as martial infidelity. This is the where the importance of Confession can be seen in removing the guilt that is causing the depression.
Dr. Thevathasan also looks at conditions such as obsessive-compulsive disorder and scruples, as well as more serious conditions such as schizophrenia, substance addiction, and suicide attempts. He concludes that psychiatry tends to focus on the body rather than the soul, and that there is a “real need now for Catholic spirituality to accompany the medical approach to the care of the mentally ill.”
In sum, this booklet is an excellent guide for anyone seeking an overview as to the relationship between Catholicism and psychiatry.
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(Donal Anthony Foley is the author of a number of books on Marian Apparitions, and maintains a related web site at www.theotokos.org.uk.)
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