The line between religion and mental illness

[Karwomannghia]

Posting because I need perspective.
I grew up Christian but because of differences I could not tolerate between the church’s supposed teachings of love and what I felt to be dogma, particularly around homosexuality, sex before marriage, misogyny, drinking, music, etc etc I came to realise it wasn’t for me and now I see religion as quite a dangerous mass brainwashing with people adhering to ancient laws because of fear and mistrust and male leaders in particular using it to control women. So maybe I don’t have a fair perspective on it. I find it hard to find the line between acceptable religious beliefs and fervour.
My brother grew up in the church as a choir boy and was schizophrenic starting as a teen. He became obsessed with Rastafarianism, smoking weed and the second coming of Haile Selasse (as well as being as soldier). Some in the church said he was possessed by the devil and basically couldn’t cope and he was never visited by any of them. Frankly they were unpleasant pious arseholes.

Anyway that’s some background. Now my mum is possibly verging on questionable thoughts. She’s 70s has lots of health problems and anxiety. She’s very reactive and needy but also exuberant and gullible. She’s started reading some new man’s teaching and she’s convinced he’s a prophet. She’s telling everyone she meets. She said the other day Jesus really is the son of god and I said that’s a pretty standard belief. But this man is saying in addition to the usual messages like those of Neale Donaldson Walsh that we’re being slowly invaded by aliens who want to use our earths resources. We need to act fast.
This is all sounding a bit familiar to the end is nigh fanatics but to me they’re all in the same pot as it were.

What do you make of it? Should I be worried?

I would worry. Generally I follow a 'by your fruits you shall know them' approach.
If someone is calmer and happier and is helping other people in a concrete way, they are probably onto something good.

If they are bullying other people, becoming anxious or excitable, not looking after themselves adequately, then there is cause for concern.

If someone's new faith leads them to make other people change their dress or behave differently, I'd worry.

Ok thanks. Just been with her and she mentioned it a bit. Talking about how people need to be aware of the urgency of saving the planet. I said god works through everyone even without them knowing and there are lots of people trying very hard to save the planet- to try and reassure her. Also suggested she tried a liberal church near her - to keep her mainstream and meet others.
She feels she’s had an awakening which I’ve seen in Christians too so it is hard to know. She’s also talked about aliens for years - lots of people believe in them!
I said I’m glad you’re happy but she said it’s more that she feels galvanised and with purpose.
But I do have a bit of a sense of impending doom.

I’d be concerned that there may either be a family history of susceptibility to mental illness, or your DM is displaying worrying signs of being drawn into a fringe cult.
Mainstream Christianity certainly doesn’t include belief in aliens invading the earth!
Could you ask the normal vicar or minister of her local parish church to have a chat with her?

Yes I suggested she goes to church. I don’t have great memories of the church supporting my brother though. She’s prime fodder for cults absolutely she thought a celebrity was trying to contact her through Facebook but luckily I intercepted (scam)

I would be worried too. It is a very fine line in my experience. When you said she had mentioned the need for urgency for saving the planet did she mean from the aliens? If so I would access outside help for her. She sounds 'all in' and like there is no room for doubt. That is never a healthy space in my experience.

Yes from climate change and aliens. She had talked about aliens for years though but now she’s more like I knew it! Now I really know it!
I’ll keep seeing how she goes I live nearby and have frequent contact. She’s very much on the ball in terms of current affairs, knowing what date it is etc and knows who’s who, what medicine to take when to feed dog etc

Mainstream vicar here. Yes I'd be worried. My congregation surprise me sometimes with stuff they hold to be true but being part of a group of people who meet regularly and are committed to look out for and serve the local community tends to keep some of the odder ideas in check. I'm not a MH professional but most of us mainstream Vicars know enough to gently refer on if we encounter someone who is exhibiting behaviour outside the normal range of odd. We are used to people telling us that God has given them messages which can be anything from loving kindness and affirmation to outright power play.

Thank you for your reply. Yes I think she could do with praying with others to have that link with god and other believers and hopefully move away from this man’s podcasts she’s listening to obsessively.

This ( from John Hopkins university) may help:

www.hopkinsguides.com/hopkins/view/Johns_Hopkins_Psychiatry_Guide/787024/all/Delusions

When I saw my mum yesterday we had a lovely conversation. I felt she was a lot calmer and able to listen and accept my views about following my own religion as it were and not looking to a middle man. I glossed over some of her questionable ideas like she’s going to meet someone and they’ll fulfil their task. She said it could be you maybe it’s you so I was thinking if she thinks it is me I could help contain her. I left feeling quite confident.
Today I popped in though and she said she’d been working all day, have I ever seen her so focused? Have I listened to the messages yet? Lots of needing validation (which is always her way) plus trying to convince me and the frustration when I don’t agree which has always been her. But then launched into a paranoid monologue about bad aliens getting to her friend (who believes in good aliens - and this is blinding him to the truth). I had to basically cut her off to leave because she wasn’t stopping talking at me.
Anyway the incessant talking reminded me of a couple of friends who have mental illness where they talk a lot and their voices change tone slightly. Anyway looking up the symptoms I think she has bipolar and I think it’s been brewing a while.

Could you persuade her to have a GP consultation, OP? She may well have a mental health condition - paranoid schizophrenia is another possibility, but it would need a proper assessment.

I’m going to see how she goes for a while. As I mentioned in my first post my brother was paranoid schizophrenic and whilst some things remind me of him, this is different- she’s very hyper but more lucid at the same time.