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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
clarification (kind of)	k	Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Question: Dear Brother Ignatius, I'm sorry, I did not mean to confuse you. No, I am not having visions where I see things with my eyes. I have never had a vision that way. Either it is simply an awareness of a Presence, or more rarely, a strong image in my mind that I cannot manipulate or stop in the duration that it lasts. Both types of visions are not common for me. The first spiritual director I had was wonderful and I obeyed him completely, even if I did not always agree with him right away. He never once suggested to me to see a psychologist and gave me sound advice on how to treat various experiences. Unfortunatly, he was transferred to another parish, and the priest who replaced him was unable to direct me or anyone else for personal reasons. He is the one who recommended I see a psychologist because he thought I was subject to 'scruple and worry' in my confessions. Other priests too, saw strains of worry in my confessions, so eventually I sought my current psychologist out. My original diagnosis was Generalized Anxiety Disorder with some depression also, and that stayed the diagnosis until yesterday, as I have said. I had been relating my past spiritual experiences with him, but he did not change that diagnosis of anxiety until I began to really worry that everything- even visions or experiences that followed St. Margaret Mary's litmus test of whether it is from God- was not in fact, from a diabolic spirit instead. Hence, I found your website, printed off the discernment of apparitions, read some of it out loud to him and explained how I was afraid I was a false mystic, rather than a genuine one. This is when he immediately wished to type a letter to my psychiatrist. I am afraid to see her, because she is secular and the things he wrote about (my spiritual experiences) I had a very hard time telling priests, much less psychologists. The reason I am so upset over everything, is that he believed me until I started talking about diabolic oppression and/or obsession.
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear K: My previous answer still applies regardless of the type of visions you are having. I should not have qualified it as "ocular". Any type of visions have those four possibilities. As for your diagnosis, it does not change because you are referred to a psychiatrist. If the diagnosis changes it will be AFTER you see the psychiatrist and are evaluated. Psychiatric issues are about brain chemistry and other medical matters, thus seeing a secular psychiatrist is less of a problem, though a Catholic psychiatrist would still be the preference. I would not be afraid to go to the secular psychiatrist. She won't bite. Since I do not know your case there is really not much I can say about whether or not your experiences are mystical or psychiatric. But, since you have been referred to a psychiatrist I would go ahead that do that. Getting a psychiatric evaluation can be very helpful to me in evaluating your situation should you seek deliverance counseling. We are praying for you. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

clarification (kind of)

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Question:

Dear Brother Ignatius,
I'm sorry, I did not mean to confuse you. No, I am not having visions where I see things with my eyes. I have never had a vision that way. Either it is simply an awareness of a Presence, or more rarely, a strong image in my mind that I cannot manipulate or stop in the duration that it lasts. Both types of visions are not common for me.

The first spiritual director I had was wonderful and I obeyed him completely, even if I did not always agree with him right away. He never once suggested to me to see a psychologist and gave me sound advice on how to treat various experiences. Unfortunatly, he was transferred to another parish, and the priest who replaced him was unable to direct me or anyone else for personal reasons. He is the one who recommended I see a psychologist because he thought I was subject to 'scruple and worry' in my confessions. Other priests too, saw strains of worry in my confessions, so eventually I sought my current psychologist out.

My original diagnosis was Generalized Anxiety Disorder with some depression also, and that stayed the diagnosis until yesterday, as I have said.

I had been relating my past spiritual experiences with him, but he did not change that diagnosis of anxiety until I began to really worry that everything- even visions or experiences that followed St. Margaret Mary's litmus test of whether it is from God- was not in fact, from a diabolic spirit instead. Hence, I found your website, printed off the discernment of apparitions, read some of it out loud to him and explained how I was afraid I was a false mystic, rather than a genuine one. This is when he immediately wished to type a letter to my psychiatrist.

I am afraid to see her, because she is secular and the things he wrote about (my spiritual experiences) I had a very hard time telling priests, much less psychologists. The reason I am so upset over everything, is that he believed me until I started talking about diabolic oppression and/or obsession.

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear K:

My previous answer still applies regardless of the type of visions you are having. I should not have qualified it as "ocular". Any type of visions have those four possibilities.

As for your diagnosis, it does not change because you are referred to a psychiatrist. If the diagnosis changes it will be AFTER you see the psychiatrist and are evaluated.

Psychiatric issues are about brain chemistry and other medical matters, thus seeing a secular psychiatrist is less of a problem, though a Catholic psychiatrist would still be the preference. I would not be afraid to go to the secular psychiatrist. She won't bite.

Since I do not know your case there is really not much I can say about whether or not your experiences are mystical or psychiatric. But, since you have been referred to a psychiatrist I would go ahead that do that.

Getting a psychiatric evaluation can be very helpful to me in evaluating your situation should you seek deliverance counseling.

We are praying for you.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.