Spirituality

S

PIRITUALITY

spiritual distress

– spiritual pain, alienation, anxiety, guilt, anger, loss, and despair

spiritual needs

– underlying all religious traditions and common to all people are

•

need for meaning and purpose- offer compassionate presence- assist in struggle to find meaning and purpose in face of suffering,illness, and death

•

need for love and relatedness - foster relationships (with God/humans) thatnurture spirit

•

need for forgiveness - facilitate pt’s expression of religious or spiritual beliefsand practices

spirituality

– anything that pertains to person’s relationship with a nonmaterial lifeforce or higher power- not something that runs parallel to rest of human life- ultimate depth of everything spiritual creatures do when they realizethemselves (laugh, cry, acceptresponsibilities, love, live, die, stand up for truth, break out of preoccupation, hope, refuse to beembittered by stupidity)- live as if in opposition to selfishness and to the despair that alwaysassails- elements include* experienced as unifying force, essence of being* expressed and experienced in and through connectedness w/nature andother people* shapes self-becoming and reflected in one’s being, knowing, and doing* permeates life, providing purpose, meaning, strength, and guidanceand shaping the journey

faith

– confident belief in something for which there is no proof or material evidence- involves a person, idea, or thing, and usually followed by action related to theideals or values of that belief - religions share* conviction of fundamental unity of human family, quality and dignity of all human beings* sense of sacredness of individual and conscience* sense of value of human community* belief that love, compassion, unselfishness, and force of innertruthfulness and of spirit have greaterpower than hate, enmity, and self-interest* sense of obligation to stand on side of poor and oppressed* profound hope that good will finally prevail

atheist

– person who denies existence of a God

agnostic

– one who holds that nothing can be known about the existence of aGod

hope

– ingredient in life responsible for positive outlook in even life’s bleakestmoments- enables ability to consider a future and to actively bring that future into being- originates in imagination but must become a values and realistic possibility inorder to energize action- unique to each person

love

– develops from basic human need to love and be loved, cannot be spirituallywhole, spiritually healthy, unlessthis need is met

religion

– organized system of beliefs about a higher power- set forms of worship, spiritual practices, and codes of conduct- can directly influence pt’s response to illness and suffering, self-carepractices, birth and death rituals, genderroles, spiritual practices, and moral codes- never presume to know what a pt’s religious beliefs are upon learning pt’sfaith- do not interpret the fact that a pt does not belong to an organizedreligion to mean that pt has nospiritual needs; person may be deeply spiritual yet not profess a religion

I. S

PIRITUALITY

, H

EALTH

AND

I

LLNESS

A. G

UIDE

TO

D

AILY

L

IVING

H

ABITS

- certain practices may have religious significance forpt- ex. dietary requirements and restrictions; acceptable birth-controlpractices

B. S

OURCE

OF

S

UPPORT

- many seek support during times of stress- support is vital to acceptance of illness, especially if it is a prolongedperiod of convalescence or aquestionable outcome- prayer, devotional reading, and other religious practices often dospiritually what protective exercisesdo physically

C. S

OURCE

OF

S

TRENGTH

AND

H

EALING

- values derived from religious faith cannot be enumerated or evaluatedeasily- effects are constantly in evidence- endure extreme physical distress because of strong faith- taken on almost unbelievable rehabilitative tasks because of faithin eventual positive results

D. S

OURCE

OF

C

ONFLICT

- sometimes religious beliefs conflict with prevalenthealthcare practices- ex. Jehovah’s Witnesses prohibits blood transfusions; some viewillness as punishment forsin and is therefore inevitable- acknowledgment of pt’s religious convictions and efforts by healthpractitioners to accommodate pt’s

beliefs can result in quality healthcare without violating person’sreligious practices- ea. person is unique and has a right to pursue their own convictions,even though they may differfrom those of the healthcare provider- major questions that religious beliefs, attitudes, and values can colorinclude* meaning of suffering* how the physical body is regarded and its functions* meaning and role of gender differences, sexuality, andreproduction* how birth, aging, and death are understood and responded to* what constitutes the self, and how selfhood is to be assessed* how sin and moral culpability are understood (what makessomething sinful, how sin isrelieved or absolved)* tradition’s specific bioethical teachings

II. F

ACTORS

A

FFECTING

S

PIRITUALITY

A. D

EVELOPMENTAL

C

ONSIDERATIONS

- child must have some capacity for abstract thought before beginning tounderstand the spiritual self - not to say spirituality is meaningless to children- common themes in all children* notion of God who works through human intimacy andinterconnectedness of lives* belief that God is involved in self-change, growth, andtransformations that make theworld fresh, alive and meaningful* attributing to God tremendous and expansive power andshowing considerableanxiety in face of this power* image of light- life experiences usually influence and mature spiritual beliefs- with advancing years, people have a tendency to think about life afterdeath prompting some to re-examine and reaffirm their spiritual beliefs

B. F

AMILY

- parents play key role in development of child’s spirituality- what is important is what child learns about God, life, and self fromparents’ behavior

C. E

THNIC

B

ACKGROUND

- clear distinctions between Eastern and Western spiritual traditions aswell as individual ethnic groups- culture and formal religion have much to do with whether basicapproach to religion is doingsomething, being someone, or continually striving for harmony

D. F

ORMAL

R

ELIGION

- common characteristics of major religious groups include

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Upload Date:	03/18/2009
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