Is religion an anti-depressant?

[mrpetrock]

I've observed that one of my friends have recently converted to a religious life-style after facing a traumatic event, soon after that, i've noticed that several of my acquaintances had too converted... so is religion an anti-depressant?



(I apologize for my horrid grammar)

[Arto]

Interesting subject, religion could be seen as an anti-depressant but what was the traumatic event? Are your friends now happy? What religion were they converted to?

[Bongfu]

No Christians depress me with their blind faith. So it is a depressant

[mrpetrock]

Family problem, long story. He converted to some...Fundamentalist Church group. I can't really say that hes happy...more obsessed with reading the bible really.

[Mathais]

Well from a christan point a viwe we know what happens to those who do die so we are not sad for we know we will see them again so it isnt so bad. It more of a comforting feeling know that they no longer have to suffer any more but that it was time for them to come home.

[Claudius Gothicus]

Religions give many people hope and having hope is a way of feeling better and conforted so yes in some kind of way it's aan anti-depressant.

[removeduser_426582376423734]

Nature's anti-depressant.

[Dracula]

To have to die and decompose is really depressing. To get closer to it even with each tooth decaying is also depressive. To feel how close you are to it with each illness and pains is depressing.

So yes,if something can offer a solution from all this downfall will be really cheerfull and comforting.

[Bovril]

Anti-depressant is a term used to describe various drugs from several different classes that have been shown to relieve symptoms of clinical depression in a sufficient proportion of people who take them (i.e. noticeably higher than a placebo).

So are you asking if the introduction of religion into the life of a person who is currently suffering depressive symptoms has a physiologically or psychologically significant positive impact in a sufficiently high number of cases? If so, the answer is I don't know. To do a controlled study of such a phenomenon would have prohibitive ethical implications.

[Vladimir Lenin]

I've observed that one of my friends have recently converted to a religious life-style after facing a traumatic event, soon after that, i've noticed that several of my acquaintances had too converted... so is religion an anti-depressant?



(I apologize for my horrid grammar)

Religion to me is the ultimate anti-depressant. Just because it's anti-depressant however doesn't make it any less true.

My understanding of the Bible (take it for what it's worth) is that we are all saved. That there is an omnipotent, omniscient being that loves and forgives all.

[Bernem]

Religion itself is not the antidepressant, but the strong belief and prayers work like the well known placebo effect. The belief in religion is like the belief in the effectiveness of a drug, it enhances the effect, because of endogenic factors like endorphins, therefore a strong belief in religion can be antidepressant

[Playfishpaste]

Bernem's right on, +rep.

And this isn't just religion. Anything you do that relieves your stress can cause some whacked out effects for you, it's one of the things that make us jump to supernatural conclusions.

[Nutsack]

Most people have a way of making themselves cheer up. Religion is some peoples anti-depressant while atheists usually look for other things (such as being alive) as the positive in their life that cheers them up.

[Bovril]

Most people have a way of making themselves cheer up. Religion is some peoples anti-depressant while atheists usually look for other things (such as being alive) as the positive in their life that cheers them up.

Is the anti-depresant metaphor a useful one then?

[MaximiIian]

so is religion an anti-depressant?

It can be. Depends on the circumstances, and how they follow the religion chosen.

If they do so blindly, then that might be placebo anti-depressant for a little bit, but it is ultimately unhealthy for the mind and spirit. One must look at their beliefs analytically, and temper it with reason to have a healthy spirituality, and make their beliefs an effective tool to counter depression.

[Bovril]

Thinking about this a bit more closely, I think it points very nicely to a juncture between physiological and spiritual states. The theory is essentially untestable (the nature of juncture between such states) but it is interesting none the less.

[jankren]

Religious countries tend to have the lowest suicide rate. Thats enough proof I believe.

[Bovril]

Religious countries tend to have the lowest suicide rate. Thats enough proof I believe.

Those are some stats I would be interested to see (I do believe you, but stats for such social phenomena are allways interesting to look at). Of course corelation does not imply causation. And if it did, it still wouldn't tell us the direction of causation or whether causation in fact operated in both directions. I seem to be making that point a lot recently (not just on these fora).

I wonder if Durkheim's work on suicide could help us here.

[jankren]

Suicide Rate Map

[cfmonkey45]

Suicide Rate Map

Lol, it looks more like the map after Red Alert 3.


Btw, religion as an anti-depressant, I think that its more complicated than that, but sure, it does work as an anti-depressant as it brings perspective and meaning into my life. For example, the Bible has a lot of stories and parables that deal with the meaning of life and records histories of people that have suffered greater than me, but have still made it out alright. Look at the Book of Job, or Ecclesiastes (read it all the way, lol, if you stop half way it will have the opposite effect )