My wife and I are trying to come to a biblical understanding of the field of psychology. A little background - then a plea for insight and direction.
A member of my wife's extended family, I'll call her Ruth, has some sort of multiple-personality disorder. Can't recall its name. She was evidently abused as a child, emotionally by her parents, and physically and sexually by her older brother. She is now in her mid-40s, the mother of 3 grown boys ranging in age from 17 to 25. Two of her sons have had very serious medical issues as young children - one had Andine's Curse and survived, and her oldest was born 2 1/2 months pre-mature. Consequently, she was the focus of a lot of media attention. Many family members suspected that she might have been afflicted with the Munchausen by Proxy syndrom. She seemed to thrive on the media attention. When she would describe one of the boys' conditions, she seemed almost to be bragging about all of the media fuss.
Now that the boys are grown, I suspect that she longs for the attention, and has connived this multiple-personality condition to ensure that she gets it.
Her pastor has councelled her that she needs to stop trying to "fake it": so she left the church. All of the PsychoTherapists she has seen locally have come to the same or similar conclusions. (It seems that these episodes of 'other personalities comming out' only occur when she is in the company of those who are in her camp - never happens when anyone who thinks as I do is present . . .)
Her husband located a facility in Dallas that "treated" her for several months in residency last year at HUGE $$. This facility has referred her to a practitioner here locally in the Washington, DC metro area. who would continue her therapy. A meeting has been set-up with this therapist and the family members that resice in Ruth's vicinity, and are in closest contact with her.
As you have probably noted, I am see this as a sham, however, my wife is unsure where she should come down.
I don't have much faith or confidence in the so-called science of psychology and I would like to better understand the church's (biblical) position regarding it. At the meeting that my wife is scheduled to attend, she is going to be 'taught' by this therapist what she (my wife) can do to best help and support Ruth. Before going in, she would like to have a better perspective on this condition, specifically, and psychology, in general, from the church's point of view. Can anyone help us understand this and point us toward online resources that might help illuminate us?
Thanks,
One-three
[Edited on 4-18-2005 by one-three]
A member of my wife's extended family, I'll call her Ruth, has some sort of multiple-personality disorder. Can't recall its name. She was evidently abused as a child, emotionally by her parents, and physically and sexually by her older brother. She is now in her mid-40s, the mother of 3 grown boys ranging in age from 17 to 25. Two of her sons have had very serious medical issues as young children - one had Andine's Curse and survived, and her oldest was born 2 1/2 months pre-mature. Consequently, she was the focus of a lot of media attention. Many family members suspected that she might have been afflicted with the Munchausen by Proxy syndrom. She seemed to thrive on the media attention. When she would describe one of the boys' conditions, she seemed almost to be bragging about all of the media fuss.
Now that the boys are grown, I suspect that she longs for the attention, and has connived this multiple-personality condition to ensure that she gets it.
Her pastor has councelled her that she needs to stop trying to "fake it": so she left the church. All of the PsychoTherapists she has seen locally have come to the same or similar conclusions. (It seems that these episodes of 'other personalities comming out' only occur when she is in the company of those who are in her camp - never happens when anyone who thinks as I do is present . . .)
Her husband located a facility in Dallas that "treated" her for several months in residency last year at HUGE $$. This facility has referred her to a practitioner here locally in the Washington, DC metro area. who would continue her therapy. A meeting has been set-up with this therapist and the family members that resice in Ruth's vicinity, and are in closest contact with her.
As you have probably noted, I am see this as a sham, however, my wife is unsure where she should come down.
I don't have much faith or confidence in the so-called science of psychology and I would like to better understand the church's (biblical) position regarding it. At the meeting that my wife is scheduled to attend, she is going to be 'taught' by this therapist what she (my wife) can do to best help and support Ruth. Before going in, she would like to have a better perspective on this condition, specifically, and psychology, in general, from the church's point of view. Can anyone help us understand this and point us toward online resources that might help illuminate us?
Thanks,
One-three
[Edited on 4-18-2005 by one-three]
coming right up!
