something to share
Note to mods: if this is out of line, please give me the word and I'll pull it, but I thought this would be an appropriate place to post it. I'm on the Heathen Thing list and I've seen the thread regarding disabled Heathens. As someone living with a disability myself, and who writes extensively, I finally sat down and wrote this over the weekend, "An Open Letter to Mental Health Professionals Regarding Heathenry/Nordic Paganism".
A word about this letter:
I wrote this letter after hearing time and again the stories of my friends who have faced discrimination in mental health treatment (whether long-term or short-term) after being asked outright by the professionals what religion they practiced, and answering "Heathenry". If I had a letter similar to this to give to mental health professionals many years ago, I might not have had such a hard time as they thought my religious beliefs were a symptom of illness rather than something positive.
One may ask why a Heathen, who is supposed to be "self-reliant", would go into psychiatric treatment in the first place. The problem with making assumptions is it differs for each person. If a person has a series of events happen, such as death in the family, serious injury or illness, job loss, relationship troubles, and this is already compounded with a dysfunctional childhood, they may feel helpless and may feel the need to rely on someone outside of themselves for guidance, someone who has been professionally trained in such a thing. There are people who have severe mood swings and self-destructive behavior, who are not only making their own lives difficult, but those around them. There are people who have rather serious seasonal depression, where despite their best efforts they can barely get out of bed, never mind work at their job and/or around the home. There are a number of reasons why a Heathen would seek therapy and psychiatric treatment, and certainly there should be no shame and stigma in doing so. Furthermore, if a Heathen decides not to seek psychiatric services, either for reasons of previous negative experiences (esp. with prior religious discrimination resulting in overmedication given punitively), or wanting to do the natural route first, there should be no shame and stigma in this, as well, for forcing someone into treatment not only takes away rights, but responsibility as well.
Though I intend this work for publication in a project being done by a friend of mine regarding disabled Heathens, you can feel free to make copies of this letter and give to your own professionals, or those you know who are Heathen and in treatment or considering such, and you may also post this on your own personal journal or e-lists, so long as the text is not changed in any way and if it's on LJ you give credit (pretty please) to svinfylking.
I hope this proves to be helpful.
An Open Letter to Mental Health Professionals Regarding Heathenry/Nordic Paganism
To whom it may concern,
I am presenting you with this letter because you are providing me with mental health services, and for you to give the best quality treatment, we need to have a certain level of trust and cooperation.
Because your treatment is of my mental health, you probably want a good understanding of my thought processes, and will most likely ask me at some point what my religious beliefs are, if anything. In the best interests of honesty to maintain client-professional trust, I want to be open with you about this even if it is not the business of educators, employers, and so forth.
My religion is called Heathenry, which is from the Old English word meaning "of the heath", referring to the pre-Christian practices of the ancient Germanic people, usually hold-outs in rural areas during and after the conversion, which started in approximately the 6th century C.E. This religion is also sometimes known as Asatru, which means "trust in the Aesir", or Forn Sed, meaning "Old Custom". I am telling you about this because Heathenry plays a big part of my life, insofar as my worldview, and my options for recovery. Unfortunately there exists misconceptions about this religion as well as other alternative religions. To properly give me professional help, it is important that my religion be understood, the misconceptions addressed and an agreement worked out between us about not only my right to practice my religion, but the right to have my needs met according to my Heathen practice. Even if I cannot scientifically prove that the Gods exist, my belief in the Gods influences my life in positive ways.
My beliefs are not silly superstitions and are just as valid as that of other Pagan groups, Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and others. My beliefs inspire me to act positively. Therefore, medication should not be given punitively for "hallucinations" when it would not be given to others of different religions, nor should my beliefs be attacked as hindering treatment. I do not want to become a docile sheep, but an empowered human. With that in mind, please do not attempt to re-direct me to a more "mainstream" religion, as I have no interest in converting. I am not wrong, only holding an older belief.
One of the ways that belief in the Gods is positive to me, is a teaching of Asatru called the Nine Noble Virtues. Most Asatruar accept this teaching as a valid representation of Heathen worldview as given in the poem "Havamal", or "Sayings of Har (The High One, another name for Odin)" in the Prose Edda. The Nine Noble Virtues are the most important values to Heathens. They are:
1. Courage
2. Truth
3. Honour
4. Fidelity
5. Discipline
6. Hospitality
7. Self Reliance
8. Industriousness
9. Perseverance
As you can see here, these values tend towards the desire, on my part, to heal, to grow, and to live a worthwhile life. I am exhibiting courage by seeking help to get a handle on my issues. I am exhibiting truth by being honest with my treaters about my issues. I am exhibiting honor by conducting myself in an appropriate manner inside and out of session. I am exhibiting fidelity by committing myself to attending these appointments, co-operating with my treaters, and associating with positive, helpful people. I am exhibiting discipline by being willing to work on my issues through talk, reading and writing if assigned, and taking appropriate medication if prescribed. I am exhibiting hospitality by being calm, friendly, and open in session, and promoting healthy relationships with others outside of session. I am exhibiting self-reliance by wanting to figure out what's going on with me, so I can maximize my strengths and minimize my deficits. I am exhibiting industriousness by using this experience to learn, and put my knowledge to use by giving support to others who can benefit. I am exhibiting perseverance by staying in treatment, dealing with my issues, and pushing forward to a healthy life of wholeness.
I will in turn expect you to exhibit courage by being open-minded about values perhaps different from your own. I will expect you to exhibit truth by telling me what is expected of me in treatment, what a medication is if it is prescribed, and the full range of its side effects, including possible interactions with other medications given. I will expect you to exhibit honor by holding to the Hippocratic Oath to do no harm, if you are a doctor, and maintain confidentiality... to treat actual symptoms based in fact rather than a judgment passed on my moral/ethical values. I will expect you to exhibit fidelity by committing yourself to my wellness. I will expect you to exhibit discipline by not overmedicating me, not medicating me punitively or out of convenience to you, and giving me therapeutic coping techniques rather than the most convenient treatment for you. I will expect you to exhibit hospitality by not talking down to me, not insulting my intelligence, or my person. I will expect you to respect my self-reliance by not medicating me to the point where I can't function and am physically sick, and by teaching me skills to better cope with my life, so I can eventually move on from treatment, or at least minimize the amount of times I need to come in. I will expect you to exhibit industriousness by knowing what you're talking about, and giving me information relevant to my situation. I will expect you to exhibit perseverance by not dismissing me as a hopeless case or lost cause, no matter how severe my diagnosis.
In keeping with the thought of my religion being positive to me rather than negative, Asatru is not Satanism. We do not believe in a devil, nor do we believe in an all-powerful, beneficient God. We believe our Gods and Goddesses are multifaceted and are not so easily categorized into "good" and "evil". They are very much like forces of nature, and they are very much like humans as well. Asatru is also not a neo-nazi religion. There are certainly some who claim to be Heathen and are racially motivated, but by and large most Heathens are not racist and decry bigotry. Adolf Hitler even said himself:
It seems to me that nothing would be more foolish than to re-establish the worship of Wotan. Our old mythology had ceased to be viable when Christianity implanted itself. -Hitler (ref. found at http://www.nobeliefs.com/HitlerSources.htm)
Asatru is growing slowly but steadily worldwide, and at the present time, approximately 50,000 people claim it as their religion. Some Heathens practice individually, some join groups, called Kindreds, which are led by a person called Godhi (male) or Gydhia (female) which translates approximately as "Godman" or "Godwoman". This is the Heathen equivalent of clergy, both to lead rituals and provide information and support to the group.
Though Heathens will vary in allegiance to different Gods, politics, and so on, there is one thing that Heathens universally agree on. One is Heathen because one gives honor to the Germanic Gods through ceremonies called faining (also known as Blot) and sumble. In faining, the Gods are usually given a drink to share with the people in attendance. Mead tends to be the drink of choice. It is assumed that if I am prescribed medication in treatment, and/or have recovery issues, I will either use an alcohol substitute, such as cider or goat's milk, or take one small sip of the beverage. In sumble, there are several rounds of drinks, with toasts made to appreciate the Gods, oaths made to do something worthy of the Gods, and boasts of deeds accomplished. Again, the same caution with alcohol would be taken in sumble. I may do these rituals by myself or with a group. I may do these rituals as infrequently or often as I see fit, and I may also add practices such as prayer or meditation on the side, as well as study of the Poetic and Prose Edda, the Icelandic Sagas, Scandinavian folklore, and even historians such as Bede and Saxo.
In my treatment I would ask that you be mindful of my Heathen worldview. Some Heathen values are looked askance by professionals. It is unrealistic to expect me to forgive those who have deliberately harmed me, even if I would not take revenge on them, as forgiveness was not known of in pre-Christian Germanic culture, one who did harm had to repay that harm by fine, by deed, or by outlawry from the community. It is also unrealistic to expect me to think of anger as a "negative" emotion, for even my Gods get angry, and anger can be a tool of motivation for necessary change. I do not believe it is healthy for me to be too passive or too aggressive, and I believe that my rights should be upheld so long as I prove myself responsible.
I leave you now with the words of the Havamal:
69. No man lacks everything,
although his health be bad:
one in his sons is happy,
one in abundant wealth,
one in his good works.
70. It is better to live,
even to live miserably;
a living man can always get a cow.
I saw fire consume
the rich man’s property,
and death stood without his door.
71. The halt can ride on horseback,
the one-handed drive cattle;
the deaf fight and be useful:
to be blind is better
than to be burnt:
no ones gets good from a corpse.
I have worth as a person, and as a Heathen, and though I do not expect you to know and understand everything about my religion, co-operation for a positive treatment experience means at least accepting and respecting my beliefs as being a key to my mental health.
Sincerely,
_____________________________________________
(signature of client)
_____________________________________________
(signature of client's Godhi/Gydhia/Steward, if applicable)
_____________________________________________
I, the mental health professional, have read the above and agree to abide by the religious freedoms of my client.
:)
A word about this letter:
I wrote this letter after hearing time and again the stories of my friends who have faced discrimination in mental health treatment (whether long-term or short-term) after being asked outright by the professionals what religion they practiced, and answering "Heathenry". If I had a letter similar to this to give to mental health professionals many years ago, I might not have had such a hard time as they thought my religious beliefs were a symptom of illness rather than something positive.
One may ask why a Heathen, who is supposed to be "self-reliant", would go into psychiatric treatment in the first place. The problem with making assumptions is it differs for each person. If a person has a series of events happen, such as death in the family, serious injury or illness, job loss, relationship troubles, and this is already compounded with a dysfunctional childhood, they may feel helpless and may feel the need to rely on someone outside of themselves for guidance, someone who has been professionally trained in such a thing. There are people who have severe mood swings and self-destructive behavior, who are not only making their own lives difficult, but those around them. There are people who have rather serious seasonal depression, where despite their best efforts they can barely get out of bed, never mind work at their job and/or around the home. There are a number of reasons why a Heathen would seek therapy and psychiatric treatment, and certainly there should be no shame and stigma in doing so. Furthermore, if a Heathen decides not to seek psychiatric services, either for reasons of previous negative experiences (esp. with prior religious discrimination resulting in overmedication given punitively), or wanting to do the natural route first, there should be no shame and stigma in this, as well, for forcing someone into treatment not only takes away rights, but responsibility as well.
Though I intend this work for publication in a project being done by a friend of mine regarding disabled Heathens, you can feel free to make copies of this letter and give to your own professionals, or those you know who are Heathen and in treatment or considering such, and you may also post this on your own personal journal or e-lists, so long as the text is not changed in any way and if it's on LJ you give credit (pretty please) to svinfylking.
I hope this proves to be helpful.
An Open Letter to Mental Health Professionals Regarding Heathenry/Nordic Paganism
To whom it may concern,
I am presenting you with this letter because you are providing me with mental health services, and for you to give the best quality treatment, we need to have a certain level of trust and cooperation.
Because your treatment is of my mental health, you probably want a good understanding of my thought processes, and will most likely ask me at some point what my religious beliefs are, if anything. In the best interests of honesty to maintain client-professional trust, I want to be open with you about this even if it is not the business of educators, employers, and so forth.
My religion is called Heathenry, which is from the Old English word meaning "of the heath", referring to the pre-Christian practices of the ancient Germanic people, usually hold-outs in rural areas during and after the conversion, which started in approximately the 6th century C.E. This religion is also sometimes known as Asatru, which means "trust in the Aesir", or Forn Sed, meaning "Old Custom". I am telling you about this because Heathenry plays a big part of my life, insofar as my worldview, and my options for recovery. Unfortunately there exists misconceptions about this religion as well as other alternative religions. To properly give me professional help, it is important that my religion be understood, the misconceptions addressed and an agreement worked out between us about not only my right to practice my religion, but the right to have my needs met according to my Heathen practice. Even if I cannot scientifically prove that the Gods exist, my belief in the Gods influences my life in positive ways.
My beliefs are not silly superstitions and are just as valid as that of other Pagan groups, Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and others. My beliefs inspire me to act positively. Therefore, medication should not be given punitively for "hallucinations" when it would not be given to others of different religions, nor should my beliefs be attacked as hindering treatment. I do not want to become a docile sheep, but an empowered human. With that in mind, please do not attempt to re-direct me to a more "mainstream" religion, as I have no interest in converting. I am not wrong, only holding an older belief.
One of the ways that belief in the Gods is positive to me, is a teaching of Asatru called the Nine Noble Virtues. Most Asatruar accept this teaching as a valid representation of Heathen worldview as given in the poem "Havamal", or "Sayings of Har (The High One, another name for Odin)" in the Prose Edda. The Nine Noble Virtues are the most important values to Heathens. They are:
1. Courage
2. Truth
3. Honour
4. Fidelity
5. Discipline
6. Hospitality
7. Self Reliance
8. Industriousness
9. Perseverance
As you can see here, these values tend towards the desire, on my part, to heal, to grow, and to live a worthwhile life. I am exhibiting courage by seeking help to get a handle on my issues. I am exhibiting truth by being honest with my treaters about my issues. I am exhibiting honor by conducting myself in an appropriate manner inside and out of session. I am exhibiting fidelity by committing myself to attending these appointments, co-operating with my treaters, and associating with positive, helpful people. I am exhibiting discipline by being willing to work on my issues through talk, reading and writing if assigned, and taking appropriate medication if prescribed. I am exhibiting hospitality by being calm, friendly, and open in session, and promoting healthy relationships with others outside of session. I am exhibiting self-reliance by wanting to figure out what's going on with me, so I can maximize my strengths and minimize my deficits. I am exhibiting industriousness by using this experience to learn, and put my knowledge to use by giving support to others who can benefit. I am exhibiting perseverance by staying in treatment, dealing with my issues, and pushing forward to a healthy life of wholeness.
I will in turn expect you to exhibit courage by being open-minded about values perhaps different from your own. I will expect you to exhibit truth by telling me what is expected of me in treatment, what a medication is if it is prescribed, and the full range of its side effects, including possible interactions with other medications given. I will expect you to exhibit honor by holding to the Hippocratic Oath to do no harm, if you are a doctor, and maintain confidentiality... to treat actual symptoms based in fact rather than a judgment passed on my moral/ethical values. I will expect you to exhibit fidelity by committing yourself to my wellness. I will expect you to exhibit discipline by not overmedicating me, not medicating me punitively or out of convenience to you, and giving me therapeutic coping techniques rather than the most convenient treatment for you. I will expect you to exhibit hospitality by not talking down to me, not insulting my intelligence, or my person. I will expect you to respect my self-reliance by not medicating me to the point where I can't function and am physically sick, and by teaching me skills to better cope with my life, so I can eventually move on from treatment, or at least minimize the amount of times I need to come in. I will expect you to exhibit industriousness by knowing what you're talking about, and giving me information relevant to my situation. I will expect you to exhibit perseverance by not dismissing me as a hopeless case or lost cause, no matter how severe my diagnosis.
In keeping with the thought of my religion being positive to me rather than negative, Asatru is not Satanism. We do not believe in a devil, nor do we believe in an all-powerful, beneficient God. We believe our Gods and Goddesses are multifaceted and are not so easily categorized into "good" and "evil". They are very much like forces of nature, and they are very much like humans as well. Asatru is also not a neo-nazi religion. There are certainly some who claim to be Heathen and are racially motivated, but by and large most Heathens are not racist and decry bigotry. Adolf Hitler even said himself:
It seems to me that nothing would be more foolish than to re-establish the worship of Wotan. Our old mythology had ceased to be viable when Christianity implanted itself. -Hitler (ref. found at http://www.nobeliefs.com/HitlerSources.htm)
Asatru is growing slowly but steadily worldwide, and at the present time, approximately 50,000 people claim it as their religion. Some Heathens practice individually, some join groups, called Kindreds, which are led by a person called Godhi (male) or Gydhia (female) which translates approximately as "Godman" or "Godwoman". This is the Heathen equivalent of clergy, both to lead rituals and provide information and support to the group.
Though Heathens will vary in allegiance to different Gods, politics, and so on, there is one thing that Heathens universally agree on. One is Heathen because one gives honor to the Germanic Gods through ceremonies called faining (also known as Blot) and sumble. In faining, the Gods are usually given a drink to share with the people in attendance. Mead tends to be the drink of choice. It is assumed that if I am prescribed medication in treatment, and/or have recovery issues, I will either use an alcohol substitute, such as cider or goat's milk, or take one small sip of the beverage. In sumble, there are several rounds of drinks, with toasts made to appreciate the Gods, oaths made to do something worthy of the Gods, and boasts of deeds accomplished. Again, the same caution with alcohol would be taken in sumble. I may do these rituals by myself or with a group. I may do these rituals as infrequently or often as I see fit, and I may also add practices such as prayer or meditation on the side, as well as study of the Poetic and Prose Edda, the Icelandic Sagas, Scandinavian folklore, and even historians such as Bede and Saxo.
In my treatment I would ask that you be mindful of my Heathen worldview. Some Heathen values are looked askance by professionals. It is unrealistic to expect me to forgive those who have deliberately harmed me, even if I would not take revenge on them, as forgiveness was not known of in pre-Christian Germanic culture, one who did harm had to repay that harm by fine, by deed, or by outlawry from the community. It is also unrealistic to expect me to think of anger as a "negative" emotion, for even my Gods get angry, and anger can be a tool of motivation for necessary change. I do not believe it is healthy for me to be too passive or too aggressive, and I believe that my rights should be upheld so long as I prove myself responsible.
I leave you now with the words of the Havamal:
69. No man lacks everything,
although his health be bad:
one in his sons is happy,
one in abundant wealth,
one in his good works.
70. It is better to live,
even to live miserably;
a living man can always get a cow.
I saw fire consume
the rich man’s property,
and death stood without his door.
71. The halt can ride on horseback,
the one-handed drive cattle;
the deaf fight and be useful:
to be blind is better
than to be burnt:
no ones gets good from a corpse.
I have worth as a person, and as a Heathen, and though I do not expect you to know and understand everything about my religion, co-operation for a positive treatment experience means at least accepting and respecting my beliefs as being a key to my mental health.
Sincerely,
_____________________________________________
(signature of client)
_____________________________________________
(signature of client's Godhi/Gydhia/Steward, if applicable)
_____________________________________________
I, the mental health professional, have read the above and agree to abide by the religious freedoms of my client.
:)