T A L K I N 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.
looking the spiritual aspects of hu man beings. We are still in the rom per room when it comes to under standing the spirtual causes and the spiritual therapy needed in rehabili tation. W AN TED : OLDER BOY FRIENDS Q. I am a girl fifteen years of age, and 1 have a problem that I think is unusual, but you may not think so. Most of the girls my age have boy friends their own age and often older. I always have boy friends my age and older, but they aren’t Chris tians, which 1 am. Usually my boy friends who are Christians are about four years younger than I am. I was wondering if this is because I am always acting like an older sister to them or what. Like last week I went to a church camp and I was always loving the little boys because they acted as if it was their first time away from home. One tvould tell his friends and they would tell more until I had about a dozen little boys around. Every time one of the older boys wanted to see me alone, they couldn’t, until the little ones went to bed. A lot of the boys my own age or older got pretty dis gusted and gave up. A. What a terrible problem! Boys, boys. But they were all too young. You were fifteen, and they were only ten or eleven. You seemed, of course, as old as their mother (or even their grandmother). The next time you go to camp, you’ll have to decide whether you want a bunch of little shavers around you or whether you want boys your own age. (I think you were very wise in choosing the little ones. If you keep concentrating, on them, you won’t have so much trouble!)
ily members and others — who have been in mental institutions, to real ize that they need comfort and care. They need affection and support. I noticed that you said you became mentally ill after you had made your decision for Christ, after you had de voted your life to the Lord. One rea son why this is possible is because many times mental illness is basical ly a psychological problem which is residual from early childhood. Al though coming to know Christ is very helpful to a person, very often it is not the only help.one needs be cause the childhood scars are still there. It is something like the person who broke his arm but the arm was never set correctly. Later he received real spiritual help. Because he re ceived spiritual help doesn’t mean that the arm suddenly goes back in to place. You also, of course, give credence to the fact that you received spiritual help while you were in the hospital. Lack of spiritual help is one of the greatest weaknesses of our mental health approach today. I have visited many mental hospitals and have con ducted therapy with clients who have had treatment here and there. I am sure that the greatest lack in the treatment of emotional and mental disorders is failure to recognize the spiritual aspects of man. We need to start cleaning up in some of our mental institutions and psychiatric offices, seeing that we get men of God on our staffs. We need real men and women of God who can help people with their spiritual problems. When we say that a person does not have a body, we’re not scientific. When we say that a person does not have a soul, we’re not scientific either. One reason why we’re not .doing very well in our secular mental health effort is because we are over
I WAS M EN TALLY ILL Q. 1 have been in a mental hospital, and this happened after I devoted my life to the Lord. God is faithful, however, and the illness drove me closer to Him. I can sympathize with others who have had mental break downs. Coming home from the men tal hospital was hard. Although I had not had electric shock treatments, I often thought I would recommit my self. It was the easy way. Through the months, as I clung to my Saviour, He became sweeter; and by His grace, those very ones who had taunted me have asked my advice on personal problems. His grace is real ly sufficient. A. One of the subtle things which you have been saying all through this letter is that people suffering from mental illness can get well. Mental illness is not something which stays with one forever. It can be and is being cured every day. You say that it was difficult com ing home. This is an experience which many people have who are suffering from mental and emotional illness and have had to be hospital ized. In the hospital they gain a measure of understanding of them selves and others. They begin to build new friendships. They are ac cepted. They realize that when they go back into the cold, cruel world again that they may not be able to stand up under it. People back home may be ignorant about mental illness. You also said that after you are out for a while, you wonder if you shouldn’t go back in, re-commit your self, because that was the easiest way. In other words, people in the hospital were more understanding than they were on the outside. This behooves all of us to under stand people — our friends and fam
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THE KING'S BUSINESS
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