I just attended a lecture this morning on the topic “How does a person with a mental illness get treatment and care within the system”. It was fascinating, and I must say I learned a great deal about how we handle these things here in Quebec.
As a parish priest I have a lot of people wanting to talk with me about issues in their life. In my experience these issues fall into 4 major categories. (1) Sometimes they feel bad because they did something wrong: they need the sacrament of Reconciliation. (2) Sometimes they have psychological issues stemming from certain wounds in their past: they need therapy. (3) Sometimes they have dabbled with the occult (or related elements) and are now under spiritual attack: they need deliverance (I have not yet met someone needing a full blown exorcism). (4) And sometimes they suffer from a recognized mental illness: they need medication, and proper medical care. (And of course, sometimes there is a combination of factors…)
As a spiritual director I find I have to be sure I am able to distinguish these different situations, and know where to turn for assistance when I am facing something out of my league or specialty. I am really grateful for the session this morning, offered by West Island Citizen Advocacy.
I picked up a really good reference book produced by Friends of Mental Health which outlines types of mental illnesses, treatment regimes, community support programs, etc., in a very easy-to-read format (it is available on their web site as a PDF download).
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