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Anti-psychotic pills harm me according to my own judgement, should I still take them?

Question:

Hello Rabbi,

I have been prescribed an anti-psychotic pill to combat "hearing voices" and other "psychotic" effects.

These "psychotic" feelings are extremely real to me, and it is inconceivable to my mind that they are caused by some sickness (e.g. chemical imbalance) in my brain, but rather are caused by supernatural/spiritual forces/beings which G-d is allowing me to sense.

Intuitively, it seems to me the pill I am prescribed solely harms me without any benefit, by destroying whatever it is G-d created in my nervous system that allows me to sense the spiritual manifestations.

I am so far taking the pill, due to pressure of literally everyone around me, however I feel lack of clarity that this is the halacha:

Perhaps it is G-d's will that I leave my body His creation in its natural, in my opinion healthy state, and suffer these manifestations? What gives me permission to, according to my own best judgement of what is happening, damage my nervous system so? Because the psychiatrist assumes the manifestations are not real? Those assumptions are philosophical extrapolations (i.e. it is the accepted world view of our age that ghosts don't exist, this is not a scientific assumption), with 0 actual experience to base off. Or because statistics say there is a risk of suicide or becoming dangerous? Those are not risks, they are sins (i.e. if one H'V kills themselves, it was a free choice and they should have overcame and not sinned, it was not the determined effect of a sickness). We are not allowed to cut off our hands, because maybe we will sin with them. We need to both have our hands and also choose to not sin with them.

I am looking for clarity that it is indeed the halacha to take the pill.
Thank you

 

Answer:

Hello,

While I am not a doctor, halacha does recognize that the medical advice of a doctor should be adhered to. You do not have to worry that, the pills will ruin your spiritual level, because in spirituality, what will lower your level, are aveiros, not pills. In general when a doctor, prescribes something for a person's, it is a mitzva for the person to listen to the doctors advice, (u'shemartem me'od l'nafshoseichem). Your spiritual level is not going to go down because you did a mitzva. Therefore you have nothing to lose by listening to the doctor, and your family, who have your best interest in mind.

Best wishes

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