Is there a God? Does life have a purpose?

These are big questions – and if we’re prepared to tackle them, we’ll

be less likely to suffer from depression and anxiety, and be better able

to cope with our emotions. People who avoid the issues raised by religion

and philosophy are likely to suffer from worse depression and anxiety, say

researchers from the Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.

They surveyed 307 people about their recent life experiences and found that

those who wouldn’t engage in the big questions of life suffered “more intense”

bouts of depression and anxiety.

“People seem to be more emotionally healthy if they’re able to accept troubling

insights. Looking at spiritual doubts in an objective way seems to help. You may

or may not work through them, but you can at least tolerate having them”, said

lead researcher Julie Exline. Also, ignoring the big questions could be symptomatic

of a more general problem of avoidance and escapism, which can be harmful or

self-defeating when trying to achieve personal goals.

From ‘What Doctors Don’t Tell You’  March 2017   page 14