Book Covers Mental Illness From LDS Perspective By Jorge Torres
23 Sep 2008 Without complex jargon and excessive medical terminology, "Matters of the Mind" serves as a guide for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to understand mental illnesses. Marleen S. Williams, Ph.D., and John P. Livingstone, Ed. D., both BYU faculty members, worked together to create a book that helps Latter-day Saints better understand the complexity of mental disorders ranging from anxiety to Alzheimer's disease. According to "Matters of the Mind, Latter-day Saint Helps for Mental Health," the book's purpose is to give readers a more accurate understanding of mental illnesses. The book examines the causes of mental illnesses, treatments available for patients suffering from mental disorders and also serves as a spiritual guide that will help readers cope with such illnesses. "This book is a first of its kind," said Williams, clinical professor of counseling psychology. "There are a lot of myths and misconceptions about mental illnesses. People don't seem to understand what mental health is." Williams said the book combines the expertise of W. Dean Belnap, M.D, specialist in psychiatry, the spiritual perspective of Livingstone, a religion professor, and her years of experience in the field of psychology. While serving as the president of the Association of Mormon Counselors and Psychotherapists, Livingstone came up with the idea of writing a book for members of the LDS faith struggling with mental disorders. "Wouldn't it be of service if we could write a book about the brain and its problems?" Livingstone said. "If people have brain problems this may affect their spiritual health." They wanted to write a book that was easy to read and would help people with mental illnesses and family members to better understand how to cope with the illnesses, Livingstone said. They also wanted to give valuable information on the types of treatments available, he said. "A lot of people don't understand how complex the brain is," Williams said. "People believe that mental illnesses are character flaws that can be overcome by the patient." Many myths exist in the LDS faith. Some members of the Church believe that a person can just throw away their medication and be cured, just because they have faith, Williams said. People suffering from these chemical imbalances and illnesses must know about the treatments available and know it is to their advantage to receive help from professionals, she said. This book also contains various articles published in LDS publications such as the "Ensign" and "New Era." LDS people must access spiritual and scientific resources to cope with mental illnesses, Williams said. "I think the Lord can reveal truth and theory through medical professionals, who have been inspired to create medicines and components to help Heavenly Father's children with brain problems," Livingstone said. On Thursday and Friday, Williams and Livingstone will be at the BYU Bookstore for a book-signing event organized during Utah Mental Health Week. More information is avaialable on Utah Mental Health Week at www.namiutah.org.
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