REPLAY: Judaism and Mental Health

“The way people behave from birth, the way that people grow up, is what’s normal to them.”

— Dr. David Greenberg

Can Judaism make you sick?

There are many studies that highlight the positive effects of religious life — greater contentment, a feeling of community, and a strong sense of purpose.

But what about the negative effects of religion?

How should we think about and deal with the guilt, shame, fear, and disordered behaviours that religion can bring up in some people?

This episode of Living Jewishly is an instalment of Crossing The Sea, a podcast about Judaism and mental health.

This episode looks at the line between healthy piety and unhealthy pathology and features interviews with mental health experts Dr. Michelle Friedman, Dr. David Greenberg, and Dr. David H. Rosmarin.

“Thinking of Judaism or frankly any type of religion or tradition as a monolithic entity that has a one-way street would be a big mistake,” says Dr. Friedman. “I’ve definitely seen situations where a practice of Judaism has been incredibly helpful for people, and I’ve certainly seen the opposite… where a family’s expression of Judaism, a doctrinaire attitude or approach, can really be quite difficult.”

In this episode, you’ll explore the positive and negative effects of religion, how our upbringing influences our experience of mental distress, and how religion can be a healthy resource for LGBTQ+ people.

“The basis of religious practice should be a source of confidence — should be a source of a positive feeling, not a negative feeling.”

— Dr. David Greenberg

This‌ ‌episode discusses:‌ ‌

• Whether religion can cause disordered thinking or only exacerbate conditions that already exist
• How we can separate healthy belief from pathological or delusional thinking  
• How spirituality can be effectively integrated into psychotherapy in clinical settings ‌

Highlights:‌ ‌

• 00:51  Can Judaism make you sick?  
• 02:00  About Dr. Michelle Friedman
• 02:35  Why Judaism can affect people differently
• 05:23  OCD & religious ritual
• 06:51  The chicken & the egg #1
• 08:59  Cultural contexts & mental disorder
• 12:10  About Dr. David Greenberg
• 13:19  Healthy belief v. delusional thinking 
• 15:52  Distress & how to assess
• 18:31  Differences of opinion on change 
• 22:59  The chicken & the egg #2
• 29:09  About Dr. David Rosmarin
• 31:59  Positive & negative effects 
• 33:29  Spiritual struggles
• 36:57  X factor & case example
• 39:00  G-d’s providence
• 40:42  Integrating spirituality into psychotherapy
• 44:31  LGBTQ+ community & religion
• 49:01  Recap

Links:‌ ‌

Sanity and Sanctity: Mental Health Work Among the Ultra-Orthodox in Jerusalem by David Greenberg and Eliezer Witztum

https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300071917/sanity-and-sanctity 

To get in contact or learn more about Living Jewishly:

Visit‌ ‌our ‌website: https://livingjewishly.org 

Follow us on Instagram: @living.jewishly

Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO2YEegjapKpQeXG6zh6tzw

or send us an email at hello@livingjewishly.org. 

Shalom!