So, I'm on the fence about this article. On one hand, many could argue schizophrenia being treated like demon possession is toxic and abusive. However, I have known some people with this mental illness who sought out exorcisms and found them therapeutic and comforting. Religion is powerful and many mentally ill people take refuge in churches and I fully support that. I also know many people with this disease who want to be as far away from a church as possible, and that's fine too. It's not an easy disease to live with, and if a church can provide any help, comfort, or stability to someone with this disease, that's great.

But in this quote above, it appears Amanda is being blamed for her schizophrenia/possession and I would be careful there. Amanda is a child, and I am sure she did nothing to warrant this happening to her. I've known many people who more than 'dabbled' in the occult, and never had the problems she has. Schizophrenia is a tough disease to live with, and the people who have it didn't do anything wrong. Let's not victim blame Amanda here for being sick. She has enough problems. She should be the one deciding if the exorcism was helpful or abusive or whatever, but for the love of God, don't blame her for what she's going through. If she has schizophrenia, there is literally nothing she could have done to have caused this to happen to her. No one choses to have schizophrenia, just like no one choses to have brown eyes or to be 6 foot 10.

If she's a christian, it may be the church is somehow helpful to her, and she will need that support fighting a devastating disease. However, the church could do right by not blaming her for her own ailment. She did not invite these demons in, who would?