Information Related to "The Bible's Keys to Mental Health"
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Why are mental problems and disabilities on the rise? Could it be that we overlook the Bible's keys to healthy, positive thinking?
by Noel Hornor
Dr.
Gro Harlem Brundtland, director-general of the World Health Organization,
reported in 2000 that "five of the 10 leading causes of disability
worldwide ... are mental conditions" (Bulletin of the World Health
Organization, 2000, 78).
The five conditions she listed are major depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, alcohol abuse and obsessive-compulsive disorders. In addition, significant mental-health disorders plaguing humanity include phobias, generalized anxiety and panic disorder. Any of these maladies can be disabling.
Worldwide, mental-health afflictions are increasing. The total share of disability caused by them increased from 10.5 percent in 1990 to 12 percent in 1998 and is expected to increase to 15 percent in 2020-almost a 50 percent increase in only three decades. Depression, currently the fifth-leading cause of disability, is projected to jump to second place by 2020.
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While treatment options-including medication and counseling-are available, prevention is the better choice.
Why is prevention preferable rather than treating a problem after it arises? Although treatment often works, it usually is much more costly. The costs often include financial losses, physical-health deterioration and trauma to family members-sometimes resulting in family disintegration.
Related Information on UCG Sites:
Table of Contents that includes "The Bible's Keys to Mental Health"
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