FIRST OF ALL JESUS WOULD NEVER EVER SEND SOMEBODY TO COMMIT AN IILEGAL ACT OF ANY KIND JESUS IS ONLY LOVE
Man says God sent him to break into home
26/06/2011 8:36:00 PM
by Nevil Hunt
A Connecticut man says God gave him the go-ahead to break into an unoccupied home. Once inside, he smashed up some furniture and took a shower. It's the kind of story that makes us all feel thankful we're not part of the twisted script.
History tells us that God works in mysterious ways. And that people sometimes mistake their own mental issues for divine guidance.
When Levon Sarkisyan followed what he believed were God's orders, he broke into an unoccupied home in West Hartford, Connecticut. He destroyed statues and a table, then took a shower before putting on a deceased person's clothes.
Sarkisyan faces burglary and mischief charges and has already been released on bail.
While $10,000 in property damage is a problem, we can be thankful no one was hurt.
It's the kind of news story that people get a laugh out of. It makes us all feel a little more normal when we're presented with a case of not-normal-at-all. But delusional behaviour can provide some very unhappy endings.
In 2006, a woman in San Francisco killed her three young sons because God told her to sacrifice them. She was later diagnosed as a diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic with delusional thought disorder.
Here in Canada, a Manitoba man was sent to jail in 2003 after testifying that he was ordered by aliens or God to have sex with his 13-year-old daughter. He suffered from a psychotic or a personality disorder, and one document presented in court said he thought he was the Messiah.
Unlike the smashed statue case in Connecticut, there's no humour to be found in either of those cases. But the basic plot is the same: person hears voices, believes them to be authoritative, and acts.
Maybe we should teach people that if God ever speaks to them personally, they should let their family doctor know. Part of demystifying mental health issues is talking about them. Talking about hearing voices isn't a happy topic, but we can't predict who may suffer from these delusions, so better to make sure everyone is aware that there is help available.
People need to hear – loud and clear – that hearing voices is a symptom of an illness we know how to treat. Rarely does the affected person become violent, but nonetheless, they need help to return to reality.
Instead, what we all absorb are stories like Sarkisyan's; news articles that tell us that delusional people are funny and that the justice system will sort them out. That's not a good way to encourage others to self-identify when they feel compelled to act out.
In Sarkisyan's case, there are details about his past behaviour that make it clear he has continuing problems that have not been treated. In 2008 he threatened members of a university fraternity and was convicted of breach of the peace and trespassing.
The Connecticut story doesn't involve a death, but the courts have obviously not fixed the problems of one of the state's citizens. Instead of making us smile, Sarkisyan's story should remind us that mental issues deserve real treatment, not a trip to court.
Should delusional people be hauled off to jail when they break the law? Who should be responsible for ensuring those who need treatment receive it?
Man says God sent him to break into home
26/06/2011 8:36:00 PM
by Nevil Hunt
A Connecticut man says God gave him the go-ahead to break into an unoccupied home. Once inside, he smashed up some furniture and took a shower. It's the kind of story that makes us all feel thankful we're not part of the twisted script.
History tells us that God works in mysterious ways. And that people sometimes mistake their own mental issues for divine guidance.
When Levon Sarkisyan followed what he believed were God's orders, he broke into an unoccupied home in West Hartford, Connecticut. He destroyed statues and a table, then took a shower before putting on a deceased person's clothes.
Sarkisyan faces burglary and mischief charges and has already been released on bail.
While $10,000 in property damage is a problem, we can be thankful no one was hurt.
It's the kind of news story that people get a laugh out of. It makes us all feel a little more normal when we're presented with a case of not-normal-at-all. But delusional behaviour can provide some very unhappy endings.
In 2006, a woman in San Francisco killed her three young sons because God told her to sacrifice them. She was later diagnosed as a diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic with delusional thought disorder.
Here in Canada, a Manitoba man was sent to jail in 2003 after testifying that he was ordered by aliens or God to have sex with his 13-year-old daughter. He suffered from a psychotic or a personality disorder, and one document presented in court said he thought he was the Messiah.
Unlike the smashed statue case in Connecticut, there's no humour to be found in either of those cases. But the basic plot is the same: person hears voices, believes them to be authoritative, and acts.
Maybe we should teach people that if God ever speaks to them personally, they should let their family doctor know. Part of demystifying mental health issues is talking about them. Talking about hearing voices isn't a happy topic, but we can't predict who may suffer from these delusions, so better to make sure everyone is aware that there is help available.
People need to hear – loud and clear – that hearing voices is a symptom of an illness we know how to treat. Rarely does the affected person become violent, but nonetheless, they need help to return to reality.
Instead, what we all absorb are stories like Sarkisyan's; news articles that tell us that delusional people are funny and that the justice system will sort them out. That's not a good way to encourage others to self-identify when they feel compelled to act out.
In Sarkisyan's case, there are details about his past behaviour that make it clear he has continuing problems that have not been treated. In 2008 he threatened members of a university fraternity and was convicted of breach of the peace and trespassing.
The Connecticut story doesn't involve a death, but the courts have obviously not fixed the problems of one of the state's citizens. Instead of making us smile, Sarkisyan's story should remind us that mental issues deserve real treatment, not a trip to court.
Should delusional people be hauled off to jail when they break the law? Who should be responsible for ensuring those who need treatment receive it?
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