Brain Stimulation Therapy Offers Promisng Results

               Mental Health is a complex and often misunderstood issue.  Like any health concern symptoms can vary greatly from mild to severe and even life threatening.  Equally varied are the types of treatment commonly prescribed.  Part of the challenge is in proper diagnosis.  Mental health problems frequently are masked by other issues or may share overlapping symptoms that could be misdiagnosed by even the best professionals.  Still, without a doubt, we have come a long way in finding successful diagnoses and treatments for mental health patients.

               Mental illness is a serious and growing concern.  Here are a few facts that illustrate the magnitude of the problem in the United States, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).

·  Approximately 1 in 5 adults in the U.S.—43.8 million, or 18.5%—experiences mental illness in a given year.

·  Approximately 1 in 25 adults in the U.S.—10 million, or 4.2%—experiences a serious mental illness in a given year that substantially interferes with or limits one or more major life activities.

·  Approximately 1 in 5 youth aged 13–18 (21.4%) experiences a severe mental disorder at some point during their life. For children aged 8–15, the estimate is 13%.

·  1.1% of adults in the U.S. live with schizophrenia.

·  2.6% of adults in the U.S. live with bipolar disorder.

·  6.9% of adults in the U.S.—16 million—had at least one major depressive episode in the past year.

·  18.1% of adults in the U.S. experienced an anxiety disorder such as posttraumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and specific phobias.

·  Among the 20.2 million adults in the U.S. who experienced a substance use disorder, 50.5%—10.2 million adults—had a co-occurring mental illness.

            [These statistics are found at www.nami.org, where documentation can also be obtained.]

The numbers can be staggering.  But tremendous gains have been realized by researchers and practitioners in finding help for the millions who experience one or more of these illnesses.

               Of particular interest to me is the ever-evolving field of treatment known collectively as Brain Stimulation Therapy.  I am certainly not very knowledgeable about this science, so again I will quote from the NAMI website which tells me that “brain stimulation therapy involves activating or inhibiting the brain directly with electricity”.

               NAMI lists five different forms of brain stimulation, each with its own success depending on the patient’s diagnosis.  These include the following.

·       Electroconvulsive therapy

·       Vagus nerve stimulation

·       Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation

·       Magnetic seizure therapy

·       Deep brain stimulation

Some of these involve surgical implants of probes or electrodes in the brain or elsewhere.  Others are noninvasive and involve the temporary placement of electrodes or magnetic fields on the scalp to target specific sections of the brain.  In nearly every case such treatment is only prescribed by specially trained professionals after other forms of treatment, such as medication and/or psychotherapy, have been tried with little or no success.

What caught my attention to this topic was an interview I heard while listening to a radio program called Snap Judgment on WITF-FM 89.5.  The episode was entitled “Fortress of Solitude” featuring guest John Robison.  What really made me pay attention was the fact that Robison had Asperger’s Syndrome, an Autism Spectrum disorder.  As his story unfolded John revealed that he received Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS).  While I was vaguely aware of brain stimulation therapies in general, I was not familiar with TMS.  John’s story peaked my interest.  I wanted to learn more.  So I did some online research of my own.  You can listen to the interview with Robison by visiting https://soundcloud.com/snapjudgment/ and look for the episode Switched On: “Fortress of Solitude”.

As I soon discovered brain stimulation therapy has been around for quite a few years.  Some of the greatest hospitals in this country are on the cutting edge of this technology, including Johns Hopkins and the Mayo Clinic just to name two.  There appear to be two main advantages to BST that make it particularly attractive.  First there typically or no negative side effects as is often the case with medications.  Second brain stimulation targets specific areas of the brain to be treated and thus appears to be a bit more specific or concrete as opposed to counseling or psychotherapy.  However, as I said previously, brain stimulation is never the first course of action and is only prescribed when other forms of treatment have been tried and found to be less than successful.

All of this causes me to wonder if we might actually see the day when mental illness in all its complexity can be thought of as a very treatable and nonthreatening concern.  My wife and I have spent many long days dreaming of a cure for autism, for example.  It breaks my heart to know that so many families live with some form of autism these days and sadly many either do not have the knowledge or the resources to deal with it effectively.  What is more disturbing is the thought that so many young people on the autism spectrum are now entering adulthood.  They want to be able to live and work and function on their own but most cannot without proper support.  Such support is terribly expensive.  Very few families can afford it on their own, forcing reliance upon the State and Federal governments.  But as we all know government funding for such support is shrinking even as the problem is growing.  The future can be quite discouraging if we allow it to be.

This is why I am intrigued at groundbreaking efforts like BST.  I do not know what the future holds.  However, any signs of hope, any positive research, any success realized is a glimmer of hope for all.  I for one will be eager to see where it all leads. 

Confessions Of An Anabaptist In Conflict

By G. D. Gehr  August 10, 2016

              I recently taught an elective class in Sunday School that was part of a series on the Reformation.  My assignment for this particular day was “The Third Way:  Anabaptism”.  It is one of my favorite topics in large part because Anabaptism has shaped who I am and how I think on so many levels.

               I will try to refrain from going into a detailed discussion of what Anabaptism is and how it came to be.  I will simply say here that Anabaptism is perhaps best found in the Mennonite and the Brethren traditions.  As a general statement the Mennonites are pure Anabaptists while the Brethren really began as Pietists who became so heavily influenced by Anabaptism that they adopted it almost from their beginning and merged it, if you will, with the teachings and practices of Pietism, thus forming a rather unique and intriguing theological path.

               As a pastor in the Church of the Brethren and a student and disciple of this Anabaptist-Pietist tradition I hold certain doctrines and values to be especially dear.  These include, but are not limited to, the following.

1.     Free Will.  The believer chooses to follow Jesus by making a conscious, informed decision to do so.  Such a choice is personal, voluntary, and willingly entered into without coercion.  Likewise, all decisions and actions made by an individual are his/her responsibility.  That is, neither God nor Satan make us do anything.  We choose to act as we do and are held accountable for our actions.

2.     Believer’s Baptism,  This is a natural result of Free Will.  Infant baptism is not valid because the individual had no say in the matter.  The New Testament is very clear that baptism is entered into by persons who have heard the Word of God and choose to accept it by being baptized.

3.     A Literal Interpretation of, and a Total Commitment to the Words, Teachings, and Example of Jesus.  Jesus is the highest expression of God.  In his flesh the Divine Being was revealed to us.  He alone has lived the perfect life without sin and thus is the model by which we set our hearts to follow.

4.     Sanctity of human life.  All humans are created by God and in the image of God.  While all are sinners yet all have redemptive value.  As followers of Jesus we are not to judge others (Matthew 7:1 ff) but are called to respect life as a gift from God.

5.     Unconditional Love to all persons.  Jesus instructs us to “love your neighbor as yourself” and by his example that means everyone. 

6.     Nonviolence.  Jesus never once used violence, nor did he endorse its use.  Rather he consistently taught his followers to denounce all forms of violence and hatred in favor of committing ones’ self to a life of peacemaking and reconciliation.

7.     Separation From The World.  By this it is meant that the body of believers, also known as the Church, is called to live apart from the values, the principles and the sinfulness of the non-believing world.  We are to obey the laws of the land and pay respect to civil authorities, but “our citizenship is in heaven. (Philippians 3:20)”.  We are only transients, aliens in this life who are merely passing through on our way to our true home, our spiritual country, heaven (I Peter 2:11).  This includes the separation of Church and State, that is, the State cannot dictate to the Church what it must believe or practice or support.  But likewise the Church cannot seek to demand that the State follow its value system, its morals or truth.  More on this shortly.

This is a summary of the convictions I have come to embrace and claim as my own.  This list only offers a brief and superficial introduction to the values and teachings of the Anabaptist movement.  Much more needs to be said to flesh out these ideas but hopefully they give you some insight into what makes me tick theologically.

As much as I value these principles and seek to guide my life according to them I must confess they do present a problem at times.  One way in which they trouble me is in response to the current election process in the United States.  Which candidate should I vote for?  Which Party Platform bests embodies my values and convictions?  For that matter, should the Christian even engage in the political process?  For many, this last question will make no sense at all.  Of course, they will say, the Christian must engage and take a part in the process.  We must vote and make our values known at the ballot box.  It is our godly duty.

Is it?  If we are strangers and aliens in this world and our true citizenship is in heaven, then why should we become so identified with the governments and the principalities of this life?

The early Anabaptists shunned participation in the civil government, including the voting process.  Many still do.  That is not to say they had no opinion or were unwilling to voice their views.  It was not uncommon for the Brethren and the Mennonites to witness to the world concerning the Truth and promoting biblical values.  During the days of the Revolutionary War a Philadelphia printer named Christopher Sauer was deeply influenced by the Brethren.  His son, Christopher Sauer, Jr. even joined the Brethren Church at Germantown.  Father and son printed pamphlets and flyers in opposition to the War based on the biblical teachings of Jesus and the New Testament which they believed called for nonviolence and obedience to the king (I Peter 2:13-14;  Romans 13:1-5).  The Sauers paid dearly for this at the hands of the Revolutionary leaders including Benjamin Franklin, who confiscated Sauer’s press, had them arrested, put in chains, and marched through the streets of the city in disgrace.  Isn’t it interesting how a government that claimed all men are created equal and that pronounced freedom of religion and freedom of speech should take such outrageous measures against two men for voicing their religious opinions.

As the years went on, the nation grew, the people prospered and the Church slowly assimilated into civil society many in the Anabaptist community and elsewhere softened in their understanding of the Church and State.  The spiritual sojourners and aliens became increasingly comfortable in this land of opportunity.  It began to feel more and more like home.  Gradually it seemed many Church members were developing a sense of civic responsibility.  They began following politics including casting their vote and eventually some began to run for office themselves.  As this evolution unfolded the whole thing seemingly morphed into a very different animal all together.  Before long, Christians wanted to impose their views on others by making laws that reflect what they perceived to be biblical values and ideals.  This shift began outside the Anabaptist movement to be very sure.  But over the course of some 240 years it drew many Anabaptists into the stream as well.

Now I must make myself very clear at this point.  I am not suggesting that the Christian should not vote or hold public office.  I have voted on many occasions, though I have often chosen not to vote also.  But when I vote I always try to be informed by my faith.  I vote on the issues, or so I like to think.  I refuse to endorse any political party because I have yet to find one that consistently harmonizes with my faith convictions.  Having said this I find myself torn on certain issues.

For example, any Presidential candidate is seeking to become the Commander-In-Chief of the armed forces of the United States.  If this country is invaded, attacked, or otherwise compromised it will become their duty to defend it with force, if necessary.  How am I to reconcile that with the life and teachings of my Master and Lord, Jesus Christ?  Honestly, I cannot.  The New Testament clearly states that we are to love our enemies (Matthew 5:44), bless those who persecute you (Romans 12:14) & do not repay evil for evil (Romans 12:17).

Consider the Death Penalty.  I find myself unable to vote for any candidate that seeks to enact or increase the use of the death penalty.  Such a position is in direct violation of the Ten Commandments, the Sermon on the Mount, and the example of Jesus who himself was executed yet forgave those who put him to death.

Now, let’s get even more specific.  What about abortion?  It is no secret that the next President of the United States will likely have the occasion to nominate anywhere from 1 to 5 Supreme Court Justices.  This could become crucial in swinging the pendulum from a Supreme Court that is closely divided on overturning Roe v. Wade, to one that will be likely to have a strong majority that will either be pro-life or pro-choice, depending on who wins the election.  Given my understanding of theology through the lens of Anabaptism I tend to be pro-life.  Abortion is not an option for me.  Yet I cannot help but think that my faith tradition also cherishes Free Will.  I recognize that very few citizens of this country share my faith tradition.  In fact, many are not Christian at all.  They either follow a very different religion or they are simply secularists, choosing not to engage in religion.  Is it fair for me to impose my values and beliefs on others when I do not want them to tell me how I must think and live?  If I really want to be objective about this I am inclined to say no.  As an alien, a stranger passing through this life on my way home – to heaven – I find myself in the role of a foreigner even though I may have a slip of paper that says I am an American citizen.  The thought that has been eating away at me is this:  Shouldn’t I extend the option of Free Will to everyone, even as I wish to claim it for myself?  Is it possible to be Pro-Choice with regard to my position for the country while personally preserving my right to be Pro-Life?  If I demand our government should overturn Roe v. Wade, and abortions should become illegal, am I not also denying the right for a person to make that decision themselves?  Would I maintain my integrity more by living in a Pro-Choice country and bearing witness to my Pro-Life convictions, encouraging people to choose to join me as God draws them closer to him?

I sometimes wonder if we confuse legislation with evangelism.  We think that we can legislate morality by passing laws that fall into harmony with our perceived theological perspective.  If we succeed we have won a major victory for God.  Or did we?  When a baby is baptized it may become wet, but is it a believer in Christ?  Has that infant’s reasoning, its thought process, its commitment to God changed in any way during the 15 seconds after it was ceremonially made wet as compared to what it was just moments earlier?  No!  Neither can we expect that we will save souls and bring people to Christ because the law of the land now reflects my way of thinking rather than yours.

What I am finding in this election is that many Christians are becoming one-issue voters.  They are so consumed with the desire to overturn Roe v. Wade and thereby outlaw abortion that they are willing to support the Republican Party’s candidate for President simply because the Party’s platform contains a plank stating their intent on achieving this goal.  OK, I get that.  If you feel that strongly about it I can respect your view even if I am not in total agreement with it.  However, in voting for that candidate you are also casting a vote in support of many other things as well.  Things like religious intolerance that would refuse to allow Muslims to immigrate legally into our country and would establish surveillance on those who already live here.  How do we reconcile that with our own desire for religious freedom and the opportunity to worship as we see fit?  Then too there is the stated intention to carpet bomb suspected terrorists and any civilians near them, resulting in the loss of untold human life including women, children, and men who may or may not be associated with terrorism but will all be killed mercilessly just in case they are.  Can there possibly be anything biblical about that?  How about the many documented lies and contradictions that have spewed forth from the mouth of the Republican candidate and his entire camp over the course of this weary campaign?  What does Jesus say about liars?  James tells us that the devil is the father of all lies.  Are we willing to align ourselves with such a candidate for the sake of imposing our Pro-Life position on the rest of the nation?

The arrogance, the hatred, the violent rhetoric, the distortions, the disdain for the Constitution of the United States are all part of the package with this candidate and his Party.  Yet I read of persons who are considered leaders in the evangelical church, men and women who are highly respected and looked to for spiritual guidance enthusiastically supporting Donald Trump and telling us that it is our moral duty to vote for him!  Individuals like Dr. Wayne Grudem, Research Professor of Theology and Biblical Studies at Phoenix Seminary.  His endorsement can be found at http://m.townhall.com/columnists/waynegrudem/2016/07/28/why-voting-for-donald-trump-is-a-morally-good-choice-n2199564.  To me, Grudem’s position is an embarrassment to the Christian faith.

But Grudem is not alone.  Far too many otherwise respected persons in the Church and out, including some of the highest ranking leaders in the GOP, continue to declare their support for this volatile cannon that is about to self-destruct.  It is inconceivable to me that Christian leaders who have studied the scriptures and have walked the life of faith for so long can turn a blind eye to the endless contradictions of Donald Trump and remain committed to casting a vote for him.  I can only conclude that their obsession with the Pro-Life agenda has blinded them to everything else.

The fact that Republican leaders such as Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell, John McCain, Rudy Giuliani, Chris Christie, Ben Carson and so many others remain unwavering in their support is also mind boggling.  What does it say when former Republican Presidents George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush join with former nominee Mitt Romney in going on record as not supporting this pipe bomb?  In a very real sense they have received the highest insult from their own Party leadership who have heard their pleas but ignore them anyway for political pragmatism.  When this election is over, they will need to ask themselves if it was truly worth it.

Once again I want to be very clear that I am not endorsing any candidate for President.  In fact, today I am feeling increasingly comfortable in embracing my Anabaptist heritage and claiming my citizenship in heaven where I have a Savior who is my head, my life, my all.  I am not sure what that means by the time November rolls around.  But I will say this, as I have said at times in the past, to decide not to vote for any candidate is in itself a vote.  It is a vote of conscience; a vote of objection; a vote based on unconditional loyalty to Jesus Christ that says I cannot support candidates that so contradict my overall value system and faith foundation.  Perhaps.  Or perhaps not.  I have an awful lot of praying and thinking to do during the next 2 months or so. 

Note:  I welcome your thoughts and comments.  Please feel free to respond in constructive conversation in the hope that we might all grow in Grace and Truth.