Severe emotional problems & the human spirit - part 1

Severe emotional problems - What are they? What does this mean? What does healing of severe emotional problems look like?

When one speaks of "severe emotional problems" to me I become attentive. Are we talking about "Core Issues" - my code word for deep trouble with the growth, maturity and functioning of the human spirit? I now need to look for this.

As I make further enquiry around the issue of severe emotional problems I look for evidence that the functions of the human spirit are blocked, indications of related problems and reasonable causes in the life story.

Many severe emotional problems build on, or stem from, core issues involving the human spirit. The human spirit, our unique individual human spirit, is the core of the person we are. My spirit flows through my body to give energy to my conscious mind, will and emotions. My unique human spirit is the core of who I am - my identity, and the core of my personality. My spirit is the core of the I - the inner "I."

My spirit is the core of my mind - the"spirit of my mind", to quote scripture. My spirit is the core of action flowing through my body in feats beyond my self. My spirit is the core of intuition and creativity. My spirit is an essential part of human to human communication including what we call empathy.

My spirit is essential to human to God communication and is source of how God speaks to us (to our spirit and then registering in our consciousness). My spirit effects the operation of faith - the Pygmalion effect in Psychology. My spirit effects others who will respond to me based on the core identity, beliefs and expectations in my spirit. My spirit even releases or binds others into healthy or unhealthy patterns because in truth we are al spirit beings and our spirits are networked forming powerful systems that hold people into healthy or unhealthy patterns. Finally, hate and love are a flow of the spirit. Without a functioning spirit I am not able to give and receive love.

When the human spirit is blocked a person may sense problems in the above functions and report this in their own words. This is what others or the person will observe:

1. They may feel that "something is missing" in their life.
2. They may feel cut off from others as if a glass wall was in between them and others.
3. They may have a lot of thoughts and feelings related to not feeling loved.
4. They may try hard to please and do it right in order to feel loved.
5. They may become depressed easily with little energy to move ahead in life.
6. They may have had thoughts of suicide.
7. They may feel cut off from God.
8. Their social and emotional intelligence is low which impacts their relationships.
9. Relationships break down.
10. They feel like an little child within an adult body.
11. Their emotional reactions seem like that of a little child. In other words, at times they act emotionally immature.
12. In their life in Christ they will also find it difficult to mature.
13. They may find responsibility a difficult thing.
14. They prefer life to be run by rules in which it is clear what is the expected behaviour in every situation.

I have more to say on understanding core issues. For more about the human spirit read Watchman Knee "Releasing the Human Spirit," John and Paula Sandford, "Healing the Wounded Spirit" especially their chapters on "Functions of the Human Spirit", "The Slumbering Spirit" and "the Captive Spirit."

Therapy (healing) of Severe Emotional Problems when it is related to such "core issues" is going to take more time and care then normal healing (therapy). I plan to slow down, listen more carefully and look for ways to bring healing to these core issues.