Promote Peace In a Personal Or Health Crisis

Spirituality is the way you find meaning, hope, comfort and inner peace in your life. Many people find spirituality through religion. Some find it through music, art or a connection with nature. Other cherish their spirituality as their principles and values. Medical studies has shown that people who describe themselves as spiritual exhibit fewer self-destructive behaviors (suicide, smoking, and drug and alcohol abuse, for example), less stress, and a greater total life satisfaction. Spirituality has been shown to reduce depression, improve blood pressure, and boost the immune system.  Spirituality is more individual, and has to do with a sense of peace, purpose, and connection to others, and beliefs about the meaning of life. (Kevin G, 2013) Serious illnesses may challenge a patient’s beliefs or religious values, resulting in high levels of spiritual or psychological distress.

Talking about this distress with a caring health care provider or with a multidisciplinary team, spiritual service/ counselor who is familiar with the illness and treatment may help the patient feel better, even if they are not healed. Example of my personal crisis: In 2012 my 39yrs old brother was diagnosis with stomach cancer, He was very health conscious about many things including his diet, exercise, and staying healthy (non- smoker and non-alcoholic). Many times my family including my brother fined our self-questioning god even anger at times with him. My brother always say” I am a strong believer in god and with him all thing are possible”. As Christian and a care giver I believed that having faith and a spiritual background help me to believe that prayer, meditation, support from family and religious leader (pastor, priest, or Rabbi) is a great assets in any health crisis.

Knowing where to turn to for help is important when contemplating health crisis, coping with grief and depression, or facing another personal crisis. My faith in Jesus Christ has grown tremendous as I grow older, I have learned that with faith, prayer, and God’s love, humans can endure great hardship with confidence that they will survive. My faith is what I ultimately turned to in my times of greatest crisis and it gave me reason to cope during crisis. As a healthcare worker I would assist my patient in making sure their spiritual needs are met (Encourage patients and family members to bring in pictures, cross, rosary, bible etc.)