Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - July/69

Contributor - J. W. Vandenberg

Title - Mental Hygiene

Topic - Mental Health

What is that? Keeping mentally healthy. Prevention of mental disorders in all its aspects (forms) with all its consequences. But let me first give you my conviction: I believe that the Word of God has all the answers to all the problems of life, while anyone who stays real close to God in reading His Word daily and is involved in constant prayer, such a person will in-deed, have the smallest chance to run into problems. Yet most people have some problems. As long as they can cope with their problems (that is, are able to handle them) then they are alright. As soon as anyone cannot cope with his problem(s) anymore then such a person is in danger.

Some people have an inborn weakness in that they are not able to deal with difficult situations and problems, and then they "go to pieces". Without realizing it we can slowly sink into a state of continuous mind-problems. Hurried times may have a lot to do with that. Frustrations do lead to problems at times. Unless we learn to counteract them (do something against them). Disappointments have a way of staying with us and doing damage. Well, in short, it is amazing that so many people are as well and as healthy as they are. Much like our body, which fights all strange objects (diseases etc.) that come into it, so also does our mind try to fight similar dangers, that threaten its health. Body cleanness is very important! So is mental cleanness! ! Therefore, let us look at life a little more closely.

THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR LOVE!

From the neglect to breast-feed babies, through artificial "love" in day-care nurseries, babysits (in day time or too often at night) through years of parental absence and thus insufficient contact with our children because we have so many "important" things to do to the wilful dislike of a child (for whatever reason) we are all influenced or influencing in our own life or the lives of others. Parents sometimes wonder why children develop unwanted or undesirable habits, yet they do not want to give their children the time and love they need. If a child was never used to a happy family life of being just together to talk or listen or play a game, to experience the personal and close love of parents, such a child will have a great chance of maladjustment in its further life. Children who are denied a healthy and happy upbringing will most likely develop some special problems which often are with them for the rest of their life, while those who are loved and get encouragements, stand the best chance to develop healthy and pleasant personalities. I am quite aware that this is not always true, but it is in most cases and the purpose of this article is to be general, more specific details could be taken up by more competent persons.

Once the child has reached the teenage part of life he is still vulnerable, and needs a great deal of special care and love (just to be sure, a person will need love and care throughout his entire lift). At this time, the young person who already has developed into an individual, needs a great deal. of understanding and communication with those whom he trusts. A sign of relief by parents who feel that their children are now able to take care of themselves just because they are able to brush their own teeth, is utterly misplaced. Of course they should do as much on their own as they can, but they are more in need of love and close personal contact than ever before. Here it becomes difficult for parents to do the best thing for their children. A lack of, or weak discipline is usually very dangerous, and too strict an upbringing may have unwanted results. Somewhere in between we find the best pattern for our own family, and depending on each child's character, a little more (or less) close and loving supervision is necessary. So, parents, in spite of the fact that you want to give your children that which you did not have at their age, please be considerate of the rest of their life. Their ' happiness depends for a great deal on how you now treat them. Your love should be expressed through discipline (which does not mean a big stick!). Soon they will have grown up and will have to stand on their own two feet with the help of God. Soon they will look like adults. I said it this way on purpose, for many a young person did not have the chance to become an adult when he or she reached the age of 21. Today that is even more difficult, when all around us we see a spirit of permissiveness and disobedience.

In adulthood, a person still needs love and care. Understanding is of the utmost importance. An individual needs work and pleasure, a job and recreation and more of the first than of the last. Once in a while you have to give yourself a change of mind through some sort of hobby, sport, recreation. A person who is constantly under the same pressure is bound to run into difficulties sometime. People under high pressure such as doctors and ministers need frequently to have some time off. They also need to find ways to boost their moral and spirit by living closely to Almighty God. This is not only true for professional people, but also for all others.

What then do we look for in life that may warn us of danger as far as our mental health is concerned? Physically we know that if we neglect a cold, we can easily get pneumonia and from that even die. There are many similar physical dangers. Mental dangers are: when we see no way out, when we are tired too much and too long this will effect our mind, constant pressure is unhealthy, we should compare our present life with what we could do and stand before, being irritable tells a lot, being withdrawn and unwilling to co-operate, feeling sorry for yourself more than you used to, when you cry quicker, when you are short tempered (more than before) and when you shy away from others; all these things COULD mean trouble or a development of mental problems. Let me at this point make very clear that we should never look down upon a person who has problems, while it is also utterly wrong to maintain the degrading misconception that people who have mental problems are "crazy" or possessed with the devil or necessarily dangerous. Healthy people should always look with love and concern to those who have problems. Many people would have been able to find help from a psychiatrist or a mental hospital if the rest of society had not looked upon all this in such a condemning way.

What can we do when we find out that a person has problems which he cannot handle himself? Love that person first, even more so than ever before. Then try to talk him into seeing a doctor or minister. That is usually the hardest thing to do, for a person who is depressed or is having some mental difficulties will not be able to fully recognize his plight. The sooner you do this, the better, Talking to a doctor or minister is much cheaper than having to pay series of expensive professional bills. The old saying is still worthy of its fullest impact: Preventing is better than healing!

How can we prevent? As I have mentioned above: First of all Christ is the answer and then we need to regard a few of the points I have tried to bring out. Basically we are all too proud to seek help, only to discover later, often too late, that we had better hurt our pride than our body or our mind. Go pick up your Bible and read again about the Way and the Truth and the Life.

Christ Jesus our Lord has all health and happiness available for all.

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