Life Without the Numb (2)

How Did We Get Here?

History of the Secular Therapeutic:

It all started with Clifford Whittingham Beers

Pioneer of American Mental Health

Struggle with depression put him in asylum.

Attempted to take his own life.

After he got out of the asylum fought for the rights of the institutionalized.

Wrote a book called A Mind That Found Itself

Quote from Beers:

“What is needed in order to reach the root of the problem of insanity is the establishing of so-called psychiatric or psychopathic hospitals in connection with our medical schools- Hospitals wherein nervous and mental diseases may be treated in the most scientific manner, not only for the benefit or the patients, but also for the benefit of physicians and students.”

Beers wanted to bring Psychiatric hospitals to America (already developing in Europe)

Psychiatric means “HEALER OF THE SOUL”

Is psychiatry a medical science?

Is psychiatry the same as a neurologist?

Does psychology study your physiology?

William James is the Father of American Psychology

He looked at Beers work and loved it.

Beers used medical terminology to describe the mind!

He begins to treat the mind with medical terminology.

He begins to use the term mental hygiene.

But what is the mind?

Can the mind be hygienic?

Can the mind be studied with medicine?

Mental hygiene turned into mental health.

Beers begin to teach that the mind needs medical treatment.

Psychiatrist are now trained to give medical care.

They are a cross between a philosopher and a pastor.

Psychiatric means “HEALER OF THE SOUL”

You can be a psychiatrist that does not even believe in the soul.

Not even believe that a person has an immaterial part to who they are.

Is the psychiatrist a drug dealer or soul healer?

The role of the psychiatrist is neither drug dealer or soul healer!

Is a psychiatrist actually practicing medicine?

Is there any lab work on the patient being done?

Historically the jurisdiction for caring for the soul went to the pastor.

You went to the person trained in God’s Word!

It is the pastor job to shepherd the soul, not the psychiatrist:

Hebrews 13:17

“Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls and will give an account for their work. Let them do this with joy and not with complaints, for this would be no advantage for you.”

Psychological Associations that Beers founded said, “Mental Illnesses are brain diseases.”

This is a conflation of the brain and mind.

In reality the brain (material) is not the same as the mind (immaterial)!