Religious or Spiritual?

[Donte]

The World Health Organization defined health in its broader sense in its 1948 constitution as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." And mental health as “a state of well-being in which every individual realizes their own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to their community.” Many view spirituality as inextricably linked to mental health and quality of life founded on the principle that spiritual needs are intrinsic to humanity. Meaningful living is linked to a sense of purpose and is at the heart of quality of life for all people. Everyone has spiritual needs regardless of faith, beliefs and religion or the lack of. Unmet spiritual needs may manifest themselves in a range of ways such as depression, anxiety, hopelessness, challenging behaviors and ongoing dissatisfaction. Being spiritually healthy is associated with increased learning, creativity and productivity, more pro-social behavior and positive social relationships, and with improved physical health and life expectancy! Mental health is about being cognitively, emotionally and socially healthy – the way we think, feel and develop relationships. Each individual defines and express the universal idea of spirituality within the context of their culture and society. But is there a way to measure the benefits of spirituality on mental health? Could spirituality contribute to the prevention of mental health conditions, and/or support people who have experienced these conditions to get as well as they can and lead full and contributing lives? Having social connections, good personal relationships and being part of a community are vital to maintaining good mental health and contribute to people's recovery, should they become unwell. However, spiritual care is often conflated with religious and pastoral care. This has caused many people to avoid spirituality altogether, leaving spiritual needs unmet, especially if they are from a culturally or linguistically diverse background. Spirituality could positively contribute to well being if it is inclusive of activities that focus on meaning, purpose and connection as well as overall resilience building. What's your experience of spirituality and how, if, it relates to your mental health?

[Donte]

Hi Geoff,

First of all thank you for your reply and your honesty. No need to apologise for not being religious or spiritual. We are all unique and view things in our way which is based on our personal experience and creates our own 'truth'. You seem to have a great awareness of this. In my experience, this is spirituality (the way I have come to understand it). Having that awareness of who I am, why, what my truth is and how I relate to others and to my environment and contribute to what we call life. This has a tremendous impact on my self-image and respect and the way I see others. Maybe that is the difference between humans and the rest of the living creatures. We are aware. We see and understand the impact of our existence. We have choices and we can choose to do or not do. Mindfulness and awareness and/or the lack of is definitely what contributes to our overall mental health and the one of those around us.