The
advice of clergy, psychiatrists or psychologists can be useful.
Mental health therapists who use group therapy along with personal sessions are
helpful too. But nothing beats the depth and wisdom in the spiritual community (i.e., church, synagogue, sangha, cloister, monastery, ashram or AA group ) of a another member with similar experience talking
with each other. This is especially so if we can find a closed-mouth and wise
sponsor or adviser in such a community who has been where we are and can admit to have gone through much of
the same self-delusion, fear, pride and ignorance as we have. My experience
with clergy and mental health therapy is not all that extensive but my
observation is, for the most part, that they, no matter how
well-intentioned, wise and compassionate they are, often know quite well the map but have
not personally muddied their feet on the ground and traversed the territory.
However, even the best adviser or sponsor might find my problems foreign to his/her experience and it is
helpful to consult those who have at least studied the map and know where I am trying to go; so, therefore, I have found that professional help is a powerful adjunct to bolster my sanity where any adviser cannot. After all, a lifetime of insane behavior is not corrected casually and
without using the best tools available because, in the end, I am the one who is
making the decisions and acting in our own best interests. It is my belief that
the more sane I am the better equipped I am to be useful to you and others.
geo, 4,686
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