T A L K IN G with Dr. Clyde i
Dr. Narramore, graduate of Columbia University, New York City, is a nationally known psychologist. He is the director of one of America's largest psychological clinics— The Christian Counseling center in Pasadena, California.
she went right from childhood into motherhood and she has never had an opportunity to grow up. This is undoubtedly causing her to try to compensate in many ways. She has an inadequate self-concept and she is unsure of her relationships with other people. You do not mention her spiritual life. If she is unsaved, this can ac count for much of her behavior. May I suggest that you pray for her daily so that she will come to know Christ as her Saviour? Also try to under stand that she is a disturbed girl and desperately needs help. By let ting her talk things out, you will un doubtedly afford her some relief. If possible, encourage her to go to a pastor or professional counselor for a number of sessions. As she gets insight into the causes of her be havior, she will begin to act differ ently. Since you are close to her, you may be the key to her becoming well adjusted. Q. I am a student at a Christian college and have been dating a won derful Christian girl whom 1 intend to marry. Recently she has suffered from a breakdonm and is now at home under psychiatric treatment. I had planned to go to the mission field but now I am very concerned about her con dition. What are the chances of her complete recovery? Is this condition liable to recur? A. I think you are very wise indeed to carefully consider your relation ship with this young lady who has a breakdown. SHOULD I MARRY A PERSON W ITH A PSYCHIATRIC PROBLEM?
Of course I could not know about the chance of her full recovery since I know so little about the details of the case. Furthermore, that would depend, to a great extent, upon the individual involved. People who re ceive psychiatric care in early stages of mental illness are much more like ly to recover more speedily than those who seek help long after their illness has been established. On the other hand, one might say that a person who is pre-disposed to mental illness at a very young age may be a more serious case than one who does not become ill until middle or later life. I would suggest that you pray much about this matter and that you give yourself plenty of time to make a decision. A wrong step at this time would affect you for a lifetime. If God has called you to a foreign field of service, you must consider every ramification of the call. TROUBLE MAKERS Q. Why is it that boys and girls from Christian homes, with out standing parents, give us so much trouble in our Sunday schools? A. They don’t. Youngsters who are raised in fine Christian homes, by outstanding parents, are the best ad justed children in the world. I realize, of course, that we are often misled by the fact that a child comes from a home which is sup posedly a Christian home and where there may be considerable financial means. This home may have the out side appearance of a Christian unit; however, if we were to know it inti mately, we would realize that it is far from a Christian home and the parents may have very little under standing of boys and girls.
M Y SISTER-IN-LAW Q. 1 am. writing about my brother’s wife. She is just about impossible and we need help desperately. She is nineteen years old and was married when she was 17. She has one child and is expecting her second in a few weeks. She is one who spreads gossip and travels over the neighborhood from house to house. She wants to keep up with the Joneses! She exaggerates and is always going to the doctor, com plaining. Half the time it is just in her head. She has a terrific temper. She hardly talks to any of her rela tives, and when she does, she wants to find out what is new and spread it all over the town. She is so nice to her parents-in- law, and behind their backs talks very ugly. She is bossy, and her child is perfect (so she thinks), and he seldom, gets punished. She can- say anything to anybody, insulting or not, and doesn’t think anything of it. She is jealous of the rest of the family. She hardly gives a truthful answer. She says she and her husband have no money, but they are getting new furniture all the time. She goes to her parents-in-law crying the blues, and sometimes they fall for it. Her mother-in-law has taken about all she can from her, and we want to know what actually can be done before it is too late. Our whole family has gone sick just because of this girl. A. What your sister-in-law needs most is understanding and profes sional help. You say that she was only 17 when she was married and now at 19 she has one child and is expecting another. In other words,
32
T H E K IN G 'S BUSINESS
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker