BEHAVIOR IS BIZARRE
Especially Schizophrenia and Mania
Introduction
I. Goals: theological, apologetic, personal
II. Points to emphasize: our alikeness, our epistemology, the body
III. Some people
Thoughts on Modern Psychiatry
I. All psychiatric terms reveal and obscure
II. All psychiatric terms have fuzzy boundaries
III. Most psychiatric descriptions blend two categories into one: they blend idolatries of the heart and weaknesses of the body.
I. Schizophrenia: thoughts run amok. A Beautiful Mind by Sylvia Nasar.
A. Delusions
B. Hallucinations
C. An apparent separation between thinking, feeling and doing
D. Loose mental associations
E. Possible perceptual changes
F. Poor sense of self and others (personal boundaries)
G. Problems synthesizing and responding
II. Mania: emotions run amok. An Unquiet Mind by Kay Jamison.
A. Increased self-esteem
B. Decreased need for sleep
C. More talkative with flight of ideas
D. Distractible
E. A tendency to pursue activities that will have painful consequences
Think Biblically about Insanity
I. This is suffering.
II. What is causing the trouble? Two choices: the body, the heart.
III. What is real insanity?
A. The “unreasonableness” of sin. Mt 7:26, John 15:25
B. Insanity as a metaphor for sin. Ecc 7:25, 9:3, Pro 17:10
C. The fool
IV. Examples of madness in Scripture
A. Feigned madness I Sa 21:10ff, Pr 22:13, 26:13
B. Madness as a consequence of personal sin. Dt 28 - shiggaon, iwwaron, timmahon
C. Madness as a consequence of living under the curse or Adamic sin
D. Madness and Satan
V. Just listen
Help
I. The crisis
A. Counselor prerequisites
• Emotional hyper-reactivity is deadly
• No monologues
• Be honest, open
• Distinguish between sinful and eccentric
• Listen fo the dominant metaphors and images
B. Three questions that will help in making a decision for medication or hospitalization
1. Does the person have a sense of the problem?
2. Is the person submissive to Scripture and the counsel of others?
3. Are there people available who can help?
C. Simplify expectations
D. Talk with the family
E. Know the history
II. Helping with schizophrenia
A. Can you counsel them during the acute phase? Probably not. But you can offer may brief, conscience-directed appeals.
B. When there is more clarity counsel them as you would anyone else. But be alert to the peculiarities of their inner world. Give them the deeper story – the real reality
III. Helping with mania
A. At the height of the mania, love, protect, appeal, shackle, but don’t overreact
B. When they cool off, review what happened. How was the heart revealed? What must they learn? Where must they repent? They must become very wise people.
IV. Helping the family
Consider Physical Treatments for the Physical Symptoms
I. Medication
II. Underlying medical disease
