CARING FOR THE WHOLE PERSON God, Medicine, and Miracles (GMM) - chpt 1 Helping Hurting People (HHP) – lesson 1

The Overall Goal : Healing Curing the physical disease(s) Resolving the psycho-social and spiritual problems  Healing the heart, mind, soul, and spirit. This helps in curing the disease Restoring the sick person to full life

The spirit of a person The inner core of the personality that deals with : Relationships with the spiritual dimension of life – God, or other spiritual powers The Will – where we make basic life decisions Where we ask the basic questions of life : Who am I? – identity Why am I here? - meaning, purpose What has gone wrong? How am I to live?

Spiritual care – What is it? Personal and spiritual assessment - history Discerning personal and spiritual problems Inviting a person into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ – salvation Resolution of inner problems to restore peace Helping a person find true identity – a positive self image – and find meaning and purpose in life Prayer for healing

Spiritual care is back IN JCAHO requires hospitals to provide spiritual care It must be “patient directed” It is “evidence-based” “The Faith Factor,” Dale Matthews “The Link Between Religion and Health,” Harold Koenig and Harvey Cohen

Anger at God You are examining a man with severe coronary artery disease. You ask him about his faith, and he replies angrily: “How can I believe in a God who allowed a drunken driver to kill my 5 year old grandson?!” Do you think this is affecting his heart disease? How would you reply to him?

In ancient times Illness was thought to be primarily a spiritual issue Faith and healing were together The priest was the healer The temple was the place of healing

With the rise of Science Faith and science became separated Religion and healing went separate ways Faith is now “spiritual,” private, for eternity Medicine is “secular,” practical, impersonal, and scientific Few people see the interface between physical and spiritual realms

WESTERN BIO-MEDICAL MODEL Isaiah 28:20 – The bed is too short to stretch out on, the blanket too narrow to wrap around you. Why is the bio-medical way of healing too short and too narrow?

BIO-MEDICAL MODEL OF HEALING Focus is on disease, not on the person who is ill Focus is on cure of the disease, not on restoration of the sick person to health Neglects emotional, social, and spiritual concerns of the sick person It is a fragmented approach

Results Evidence-based medicine – this is good Depersonalization of sick persons : we treat organs, lab results, not people – this is bad Depersonalization of health professionals : we become technicians – this is bad Commercialization of medicine : a pill for every pain – this is worse

BODY Physical 2. SOUL Psycho-logical 4. SOCIAL Relationships     BODY Physical 2. SOUL Psycho-logical 4. SOCIAL Relationships 3. SPIRIT Spiritual

CAREGIVERS BODY SOCIAL SPIRIT PHYSICIAN COUNSELOR SOCIAL WORKER     CAREGIVERS BODY SOUL PHYSICIAN COUNSELOR Office: 2800 Medical Park Blvd Office: 194 Broadway. SOCIAL SPIRIT SOCIAL WORKER PASTORS PRIESTS Office: 1260 Quillen Blvd.. Suite 201 Office: Christ Community Church.

Divided Care Care for each of these four dimensions is separate Different caregivers for each dimension Different locations, appointments, fee structures, etc. Therefore no unified care

Interactions What happens in one dimension of life affects the other three The relationship may be cause or effect Without care for all dimensions, healing and restoration to wholeness do not occur

    SOUL BODY SOCIAL SPIRIT

SOCIAL Hypertension; Heart Disease Chronic pain; inflammation     BODY SOUL Hypertension; Heart Disease Chronic pain; inflammation Auto-immune disorders Digestive problems Diabetes Malignancies Many infections Fear; Worries; Anxiety Anger; Bitterness Resentment; Hostility Shame; Guilt Jealousy; Envy Grief SOCIAL SPIRIT Dysfunctional relationships Loss of significant other Divorce Abuse Poverty Unemployment Lack of identity Meaninglessness Poor self-image Depression Sense of rejection Loneliness

SOCIAL Hypertension; Heart Disease Chronic pain; inflammation     BODY SOUL Hypertension; Heart Disease Chronic pain; inflammation Auto-immune disorders Digestive problems Malignancies Many infections Fear; Worries; Anxiety Anger; Bitterness Resentment; Hostility Shame; Guilt Jealousy; Envy Grief SOCIAL SPIRIT Dysfunctional relationships Loss of significant other Divorce Abuse Poverty Unemployment Distorted view of God Lack of identity; Meaninglessness Poor self-image Depression Sense of rejection Loneliness

Conclusion Problems of soul, spirit, or relationships can affect the body by 1. Producing physical symptoms and illness 2. Aggravating existing diseases 3. Impeding recovery from illness

What can we do to care for the whole person? Learn how to take a personal and spiritual history Learn how to explain these dynamics to sick persons Train spiritual caregivers to work in the clinic as part of the team

A team approach Health providers who understand wholeness Lay caregivers trained in spiritual care Regular consultations between them Remove the lines between physical, psychological, social and spiritual care Much prayer

The Team Religious communities Family Medical staff Spiritual caregivers Nursing staff Friends Social services Administrative staff

Whole person care in the clinic J E J E S U S U S MEDICAL SOCIAL EMOTIONAL SPIRITUAL

CARE SOCIAL Hypertension; Heart Disease Chronic pain; inflammation     BODY SOUL Hypertension; Heart Disease Chronic pain; inflammation Auto-immune disorders Digestive problems Malignancies Many infections Fear; Worries; Anxiety Anger; Bitterness Resentment; Hostility Shame; Guilt Jealousy; Envy Grief CARE SOCIAL SPIRIT Dysfunctional relationships Divorce Loss of significant other Abuse Poverty Unemployment Lack of identity; meaninglessness Poor self-image Depression Sense of rejection Loneliness

Results of Whole Person Care Improvement or healing of the whole person Restoration to partial or complete functional wholeness Bringing faith and science, the church and medicine back together

We must make a huge paradigm shift From thinking technologically to thinking wholistically From a focus on disease to a focus on the person From curing to healing Shifting paradigms IS NOT EASY It involves changing thinking and habits

A Wholistic Clinical Attitude “God, what are you doing in Mrs. Smith’s life?” “Where do you want me to fit in?” “What medical and spiritual care should I use with her?”

Conclusion Healing of the heart - mind, soul, spirit, and relationships - FAVORS [not guarantees] healing of the body.

Question How do you see this fitting into your own practice or situation? List the advantages and difficulties When you were sick in the past, who were your caregivers and what did they do for you? Did you have other personal concerns that were not addressed? How do you feel that could have been done?