2.1 and 2.2. Discussion Responses
Respond to the two Discussion Post
2.1
Death and Dying
Crystal C
When I think about death, I’m reminded of the Bible when it says to be a apart from the body means you are present with the lord. I feel comfort in this knowing that through Jesus Christ sacrifice, we will live forever in eternity. I know I will see my loved ones again. Before I grew closer to God, the thought of death terrified me but I realized fear is not of God.
A family members death that changed my life was my husbands grandmother. She was one of the strongest Christians I know. She knew God orchestrated her life. I remember seeing her come close to death where she was unable to talk, once she woke up she told me she knew God was going to bring her through. She always reminded me that God will never let me down, so I try to be strong in my faith like she was. However, I always remembered she had a lot of regrets in life as far as things she wish she had accomplished, so I told myself I am going to live the life I know God wants for me. I believe she was the driving force behind me returning to school. She used to tell me it was okay to raise my children but God had a bigger purpose for me.
2.2 – The Disease Model
Weston K
The disease model in psychology focuses on finding out what is wrong with an individual and works towards fixing the problem. They look to find what is physically wrong with a person suffering from a mental illness and work to solve the physical ailment. This was the common approach in psychology for a long period and it had both positive and negative outcomes. Some of the bright spots of this approach included the ability to discover treatments for 14 conditions and cures for 2 mental conditions, opened the door to creating a classification system for mental illnesses, and allowed researchers to understand the causality of mental illnesses (TedTalks, 2008). While these are all monumental moments in helping treat mental illnesses, there are also several weaknesses in this model. Some of these weaknesses include the idea that psychologists became victimologists and adopted a mindset that all their patients were victims, this approach also turned a blind eye toward improving the lives of individuals not dealing with mental illness, and finally, this model never led to trying to make individuals thrive or feel happier (TedTalk, 2008).
After learning more about the disease model I still believe that there is a need for this approach at times when treating mental health. This is an effective way of treating many addictions. This model has also been great for research and has allowed many researchers to discover and learn a great deal about mental illness. However, I don’t think this should be the only approach that psychologists take because there is far more to this field than just helping the sick. Although the disease model has many advantages it limits the scope of what psychologists can do and because of that reason it should not be the only perspective psychologists take.
I don’t believe that the disease model contradicts a biblical perspective on mental illness because the entire purpose of the model is to heal people from their illnesses. It can be harmful when people using this model look down upon people with mental illnesses and treat them differently because of their condition. We are called to take care of our bodies and this perspective fits the idea of seeking healing when it is needed. Jesus himself healed many people who were both physically and mentally ill and we should do our best to help others as well when we can.
References
“TedTalks: Martin Seligman—What Positive Psychology Can Help You Become.”
Films On Demand, Films Media Group, 2008,
