Get your health question answered instantly from our pool of 18000+ doctors from over 80 specialties
178 Doctors Online

By proceeding, I accept the Terms and Conditions

Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

HCM Blog Instant Access to Doctors
HCM BlogQuestions Answered
HCM Blog Satisfaction

What Causes Different Behavior While Going To Temple?

My mother whenever she goes to temple or puja or heard mantras, she behaves differently. As someone came and says something as shown in films..god comes into people and they speak. May i know how severity is this problem ? I believe it is some mental disorder. Can anyone clarify ?
posted on Thu, 13 Mar 2014
Twitter Fri, 25 Jul 2014 Answered on
Twitter Fri, 25 Jul 2014 Last reviewed on
Report Abuse
Psychiatrist,  's  Response
Hi,

I went through your query and from what you have mentioned, it seems your mother is suffering from a disorder termed as dissociative trance and possession disorder. It is a condition in which a person's behavior suddenly changes and acts as if he or she is being possessed by a god or even a devil and they speak in slightly different tone as if the god or devil was speaking. It usually happens due to some underlying unconscious conflict which goes on in a person's head and remains persistent due to the attention being received from others due to the episodes, which acts as maintaining factor. Most people in our cultural setting believe it to occur due to religious factors and hence, don't seek proper treatment.

I would recommend that you seek psychiatric consultation for initiating treatment. Medications including anti-depressants might help. More importantly, it will be important to understand the underlying conflict. As family members, you can help her by reducing the attention given to her during the episodes. The praying and offering things by others must stop during the episodes.

I do hope that I was able to answer your query. Best wishes.



I find this answer helpful
Disclaimer: These answers are for your information only and not intended to replace your relationship with your treating physician.
This is a short, free answer. For a more detailed, immediate answer, try our premium service [Sample answer]
Share on
 

Related questions you may be interested in


Recent questions on Meditation


Loading Online Doctors....
What Causes Different Behavior While Going To Temple?

Hi, I went through your query and from what you have mentioned, it seems your mother is suffering from a disorder termed as dissociative trance and possession disorder. It is a condition in which a person s behavior suddenly changes and acts as if he or she is being possessed by a god or even a devil and they speak in slightly different tone as if the god or devil was speaking. It usually happens due to some underlying unconscious conflict which goes on in a person s head and remains persistent due to the attention being received from others due to the episodes, which acts as maintaining factor. Most people in our cultural setting believe it to occur due to religious factors and hence, don t seek proper treatment. I would recommend that you seek psychiatric consultation for initiating treatment. Medications including anti-depressants might help. More importantly, it will be important to understand the underlying conflict. As family members, you can help her by reducing the attention given to her during the episodes. The praying and offering things by others must stop during the episodes. I do hope that I was able to answer your query. Best wishes.