Religion Religion is related to belief and doctrine, each religion has its own set of beliefs, doctrine, sacred tradition and community based worship. It is based on the belief in a deity or higher power. However religious care alone does not meet the need of the non-religious person

In contrast the universality of Spirituality is able to extend across creed and culture, while at the same time being experienced as unique to each individual person. Spirituality

What do we mean by Spirituality? How placed within the Mental Health context?

“Spirituality is the search for meaning through the inner journey which is mediated through relationships; - sometimes with each other, - sometimes with nature and - sometimes with God.” Harriet Mowat –

“ It is the spirit of human beings which enables and motivates us to search for meaning and purpose in life, to seek the supernatural, or some meaning which transcends us…” CW Ellison, as quoted in Swinton “ …it’s a quality which goes beyond religious affiliation, that strives for inspiration, reverence and awe, even in those who do not believe in any god. ‘Nursing Concepts for Health Promotion,’ Murray & Zentner

“ What’s important is to appreciate that our spirituality,- our search for meaning, hope, purpose in life, and our means of transcendence can’t be treated apart from the whole- because its an integrative force which vitalises and permeates every dimension of the human person. CW Ellison, as quoted in Swinton,

Spirituality and Mental Health Finding Meaning Giving and Receiving Love Encountering Hope

Elizabeth MacKinlay Ageing and Spirituality

Spirituality from participants perspective “Spirituality is about having a connection to something greater than yourself and trusting in my life that things will work out.” “My understanding of spirituality is that it is who we are. It is our essence that is what it is. It has nothing to do with what we look like. It is our essence. It is who we are.” “Something that you believe in, faith gives you strength and it is all positive. And for me also angel, I believe in angels.” “My spirituality is important to me; it is a way of life. I receive strength from my spirituality and it enables me to live each day.”

Whereas Debbie, was not really sure what spirituality was nor did she believe that she had a spirituality, stating that she took part in the study because “…. nothing else had helped and maybe this could help me deal with my obsessions.” Perhaps Debbie’s search for what might help her cope with the difficulties and “obsessions” was her spiritual journey at this stage in her life.

What is your understanding of Mental Illness?

That very night in Max’s room a forest grew and grew– and grew until his ceiling hung with vines and the walls became the world all around

And an ocean tumbled by with a private boat for Max and he sailed off through night and day and in and out of weeks and almost over a year to where the wild things are.

... And made him king of all the wild things. ‘And now,’ cried Max, ‘let the wild rumpus start!’

The wild things roared their terrible roar and gnashed their terrible teeth and rolled their terrible eyes and showed their terrible claws but Max stepped into his private boat and waved good-bye

Process of Disintegration

Morning Tea

We can view Mental illness as: Clinical Experience - Social Experience - Lived Experience - Spiritual Experience -

Schizophrenia is a brain disease,… It exhibits symptoms of a brain disease, symptoms which include impairment in thinking, delusions, hallucinations, changes in emotions, and changes in behaviour. And, like cancer, probably has more than one cause. E. Fuller Torrey Surviving Schizophrenia. How we view the person How the person may view the self Treatment and care As a Clinical Experience

A Personal Response: “I cannot think of anything more destructive of one’s sense of worth as a human being than to believe that the inner core of one’s being is sick – that one’s thoughts, values, feelings, and beliefs are merely the meaningless symptoms of a sick mind…What the concept of mental illness offered me was scientific proof that I was utterly worthless, and would always be worthless. It was just the nature of my genes, chemistry and brain processes – something I could do nothing about.” John Modrow – How to become Schizophrenic

A social experience: “Mental health problems are social experiences - open to various forms of interpretation, abuse and manipulation.” J.Swinton -Cultural Issues -Gender issues -Impacting on the person, family members and friends

Mental illness is a profound crisis of personal meaning.

My sense is that people often become psychotic because they have constructed a personality that is not congruent with who they really are. This happens because they are sensitive children, who perceive things going on in their environment that are not confirmed by the people around them. Thus the child builds up a personality for the sake of adaptation that is quite incongruent with his or her true nature~ As life goes on, this discrepancy between the adaptation and the real person becomes greater and greater, so that a rather large split develops. Often in psychosis it is as if the ego dissolves - an ego that is brittle and not connected in a human way to what the person is deeply. This kind of psychotic episode is an opportunity for the person to heal in a deeper way. p.17.Dallett, J. (1988) When The Spirits Come Back.

Spiritual Emergency/Spiritual Crisis form of identity crisis drastic changes to their meaning system. causes disruption in psychological, social and occupational functioning. turbulent period of transformation. the process of spiritual emergence becomes unmanageable for the individual. offers the possibility of breakthrough rather than breakdown

Listen to the person’s his – story Meaning is always there in the story of the person’s life, whether they or we are aware of it or not.

This crisis of personal meaning entails; -a loss for the person of their sense of place and belonging in world, their connectedness with others. - Old purposes and meanings no longer exist. It raises questions of - identity, self-worth, values, belonging, trust, purpose and direction in life.

“ You know, if I wasn’t made in God’s image and likeness I don’t know what I would be like.” “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” RSV Genesis 1 :27

“ We are not human beings on a spiritual journey. We are spiritual beings on a human journey.” Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

Spirituality has to do with - the ultimate questions of life, - the meaning of personhood - and the search for identity and personal integrity

Who am I? Why am I in this world? What is going to happen to me & my friends? How can I save the situation? How can I atone for my mistakes and sins? Boisen,A. The Exploration of the Inner World

“Some forms of Mental Illness are the persons attempt to resolve a problem of the soul.” Boisen,A. The Exploration of the Inner World.

R.D Laing argued that mental health problems could also be a transcendental experience with healing and spiritual aspects R.D. Laing

“Just as symptoms like fever & cough are not diseases but rather the body’s attempt to fight an infection, so too psychiatric symptoms like anxiety & depression are not themselves diseases but rather the soul’s attempt to resolve an inner conflict- by forcing us to pay attention to the unconscious…” Frattorelli, E. Healing the Soul in the Age of the Brain

What gives this person’s life meaning? What is it that sustains them amid this crisis?

Entering into, or coming alongside the person’s “lived, felt” experience of Mental illness Spiritual care is an invitation to see the world and be with people in a way that is sensitive to their inner experience. At times it is holding the personhood of the person even when they may be lost to themselves.”

“In Psychosis, the continuing recollections of the mental and emotional events seem to express something of a deeper yearning – a longing to understand the heart and mind, however disordered, to find the thread of meaning that can be woven into the fabric along the way.” Conroy,C. Spirituality and Mental Health - Breakthrough

Spirituality - concern for the wholeness of life in which the person longs for meaning and purpose to give and receive love & to experience hope

You may have been diagnosed with a mental illness, but you are not an illness. You are a human being whose life is precious and is of infinite value. You are precious and good. You are not trash to be discarded or a broken object that must be fixed. You are not insane. You do not belong in institutions for the rest of your life. You don't belong on the streets. You are a human being. You carry within you a precious flame, a spark of the divine. You were born to love and to be loved. That's your birthright. Mental illness cannot take that away from you. Nobody can take that from you.” YOU CARRY WITHIN YOU A PRECIOUS FLAME “You may have been diagnosed with mental illness, But you are not an illness. You are a human being whose life is precious and of infinite value. You are precious and good. You are not trash to be discarded or a broken object that must be fixed You are not insane. You do not belong in institutions for the rest of your life. You don’t belong on the streets. You are a human being You carry within you a precious flame, a spark of the divine. You were born to love and beloved. That’s your birthright Mental illness cannot take that away from you, Nobody can take that from you.” Patricia Deegan, Recovering Our Sense of Value after Being Labeled Mentally Ill. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing Vol. 31, No.41993