Sometimes, Faith is the Answer.

[jt]

Hello SPW,
I know that there have been many religous topics around lately, but I think that is because it has proven to work the best. It doesn't cure you 100%, but if you pull through keeping your faith I think you can conquer social phobia.. if anyone wants to write some things they think about this topic, please do.

 

[mienaino]

I think the premise of faith is necessary, but it is inherent; you might even say it is humanity itself.
The subject of faith however seems less likely to have any impact on one's anxieties. If any effect, rather the opposite. Some of the most faith-oriented societies are the most plagued with social anxiety. I don't mean to condemn religion, but I think cultures that shift focus off of the fabric of society and onto legalistic elements of a faith are more likely to cripple their own social development. This is even more evident in matters relating to relgious taboo, such as relationships and sex, which faith-oriented societies often experience guilt and anxiety over having anything to do with.
Faith is fine as long as it doesn't condemn its followers and sweep everything that isn't kosher under the rug.

 

[asdfjkl]

couldn't agree with you more mienaino.. I still believe in god and all.. but i don't let that "don't have sex till marriage" and all this other shit they consider "sins" bother me like i used to and life is ten times better, otherwise it just gives you more anxiety cuz u feel like ur doing a whole bunch of "wrong" shit

 

[Zipper]

So-called "faith" -- namely the Christian religion is much to blame for my emotional distress. Self-loathing, self-mistrust, shame and guilt are a big part of the Christian control mechanism. Unfortunately for some of us sensitive types, it can create a lot of injury. The best thing that I did in order to recover from SA is to jettison the grim and ghoulish nightmare we call the "Good News."

 

[Shonen_Yo]

Well, I suppose it's how you interpret it. Faith can case anxiety, bu it can relieve it.

 

[ozkr]

couldn't agree with you more mienaino.. I still believe in god and all.. but i don't let that "don't have sex till marriage" and all this other shit they consider "sins" bother me like i used to and life is ten times better, otherwise it just gives you more anxiety cuz u feel like ur doing a whole bunch of "wrong" shit

I think it's great you see things that way .Sins are part of a broken control system. They try to make you feel ashamed of your nature and your instincts , which by their own nature ,are things that you cannot control, at least without feeling anxiety.

 

[missquiet]

Hello SPW,
I know that there have been many religous topics around lately, but I think that is because it has proven to work the best. It doesn't cure you 100%, but if you pull through keeping your faith I think you can conquer social phobia.. if anyone wants to write some things they think about this topic, please do.

i agree. not really religously, but just having faith as in thinking positively and believing that things just have to get better...that's what's been helping me.

 

[JamesMorgan]

faith in what, what do we need faith in?

Faith in our real self. Not the imagined person we come to think of ourself, meaning, our incorrect negative view that we are limited phobic, unconfident etc.

Our real nature is vast, untapped, many may call it intution, some call it God, some call it divine, some call it Buddha, whatever one calls it, it is inside us. We can literally tap into another world if we so wish, into our real essence at any time.

Faith functions to remove the faults we see in an object, such as holy spiritual beings, and this directly purifies the deceptive way we look at the world. The eyes of faith help us to go beyond our ordinary view of our self and our world, enabling us to reach exalted states of mind and to reach clear understandings.

So faith is essential in getting better, believing in your self is so important, not merely believing in the person you feel you have 'become', believing in your self connects you to everything, your real self is who you are but you are not currently realting to your real self, you realte to a limited being with limited abilities, who is disconnected from everyone, single and alone, this simply is not true.

 

[coriander1992]

i understand what you are all saying.
what i don't get is, how can faith make you feel better when its constantly telling you that you are bad for doing things that are human nature for us to do !?!?
wouldn't that just make you feel worse?

 

[workingonit]

"i understand what you are all saying.
what i don't get is, how can faith make you feel better when its constantly telling you that you are bad for doing things that are human nature for us to do !?!?
wouldn't that just make you feel worse?" coriander1992

I just wanted to say that faith doesn't tell you that your doing bad things that human nature has you do. Faith can be faith in yourself, or in God to get you through things. How does that say you can't have faith if you did something bad?
I have to say that for me personally, faith helped me alot and had me feel like I didn't have to control everything. If you have faith that everything will turn out alright, then it helps out tremendously. If you think about the most negative thing its just going to make you more anxious, so I guess yeah if you think about having faith is gonna make you feel worse, then its gonna make you feel worse. Its all on how you look at things.

 

[random]

So-called "faith" -- namely the Christian religion is much to blame for my emotional distress. Self-loathing, self-mistrust, shame and guilt are a big part of the Christian control mechanism. Unfortunately for some of us sensitive types, it can create a lot of injury. The best thing that I did in order to recover from SA is to jettison the grim and ghoulish nightmare we call the "Good News."

Christ never had 'self-loathing, self-mistrust, shame and guilt' as His goals - although there are churches who seem to think and behave as if He was eager to make our lives torture. So these dysfunctional organizations end up tormenting others and calling it good news - creating scars and hurting people etc. My faith in Christ relieves me of guilt (I am forgiven even when I completely ruin everything) and my spiritual faith continues to heal me from the false beliefs that my dysfunctional family gave me (they didn't mean to - they had flaws like everyone does). For shame, guilt, self loathing etc. I turn to my faith to read that Jesus died for us because we are so valuable, made to be loved by Him, that we have no reason to loathe ourselves because He made us the way we are, approved of us before we were born, and loves us - flaws and all.
I don't doubt that there are people who post here who were genuinely damaged by organized religion that was used as a weapon against them - I just don't have any reason to believe that God wanted anyone to abuse His children and distort His love, and lie about His message the way some toxic 'faiths' unfortunately have done. For those who hurt people in the name of God - they should remember that God said something to the effect of 'what you do to the littlest of Mine -you do to Me'