Balancing faith and mental health

September 04, 2012

source: Deseret News

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MR says: LDS psychologists say the relationship between spirituality and mental health is both complex and important to understand for every person’s individual well being.

A young mother struggling with bulimia was asked one day by her therapist if she ever prayed.

“She lived on a small farm, had a simple life and she was a wonderful mother,” said Michael Berrett, a psychologist who specializes in eating disorders. “But she hated herself with a passion. She was throwing up five times a day.”

The woman said she did pray, and went on to list all the people and things she prayed for. The list was long, and Berrett noticed that she left herself completely off it.

“I asked her, ‘Do you ever pray for yourself?’” Berrett said. "And she said, ‘No.’”

Read the rest of this story at deseretnews.com

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