Spirituality: What is Its Role in Pain Medicine?

Akita Suggagaki · Jul 1, 2023

"There are several distinguishing features between psychology and spirituality. Spirituality is firstly about issues that lie at the core of a person's identity and motivation for life. For example, a sense of meaning and purpose are fundamental issues that have a major bearing on the attitudes, emotions, and behavior that form a person's identity. The second distinguishing feature is the relationship with the transcendent. Psychological aspects are very much influenced by social relationships. However, inherent within the concept of spirituality is a relationship that may be shared by our social network but involves a connection with something or someone outside these relationships that is transcendent or even sacred.

Spirituality: What is Its Role in Pain Medicine?

AbstractBackground. For many years, spirituality has been regarded as an integral aspect of patient care in fields closely allied to pain medicine such as

academic.oup.com

Yes, how doe son distinguish psychology from spirituality? Does an atheist have spirituality?

I thought this was a good article dealing with the subject.

The IbanezerScrooge · Jul 2, 2023

Akita Suggagaki said:
"There are several distinguishing features between psychology and spirituality. Spirituality is firstly about issues that lie at the core of a person's identity and motivation for life. For example, a sense of meaning and purpose are fundamental issues that have a major bearing on the attitudes, emotions, and behavior that form a person's identity. The second distinguishing feature is the relationship with the transcendent. Psychological aspects are very much influenced by social relationships. However, inherent within the concept of spirituality is a relationship that may be shared by our social network but involves a connection with something or someone outside these relationships that is transcendent or even sacred.

Spirituality: What is Its Role in Pain Medicine?

AbstractBackground. For many years, spirituality has been regarded as an integral aspect of patient care in fields closely allied to pain medicine such as

academic.oup.com

Yes, how doe son distinguish psychology from spirituality? Does an atheist have spirituality?

I thought this was a good article dealing with the subject.

I'm not a dr. or psychologist so, just a laymen's opinion...

"Spirituality" is just psychology. They aren't separate things. It's all still only happening inside the patient's brain. I think it's prudent from a treatment perspective to treat people as if what the patient believes, however far out there or even, dare I say, delusional those beliefs might be, may well be true for them and diagnose and prescribe treatment accordingly (obviously, up to a point where those beliefs and the treatments are not a harm in and of themselves), because people will act upon and skew their behaviors according to what they believe to be true. I just don't think this approach should be construed as evidence that spirituality is anything other than psychological.

To answer your question, sure, some atheists might have "spirituality." Not this one, but some.

Akita Suggagaki · Jul 2, 2023

The IbanezerScrooge said:
I'm not a dr. or psychologist so, just a laymen's opinion...

"Spirituality" is just psychology. They aren't separate things. It's all still only happening inside the patient's brain. I think it's prudent from a treatment perspective to treat people as if what the patient believes, however far out there or even, dare I say, delusional those beliefs might be, may well be true for them and diagnose and prescribe treatment accordingly (obviously, up to a point where those beliefs and the treatments are not a harm in and of themselves), because people will act upon and skew their behaviors according to what they believe to be true. I just don't think this approach should be construed as evidence that spirituality is anything other than psychological.

To answer your question, sure, some atheists might have "spirituality." Not this one, but some.

In healthcare "spirituality" has become a specialized aspect of Psychology. The focus is on identity and meaning rather than pathologies.
Psychologists like Victor Frankel and Abraham Maslow worked with these themes. One does not need to be a psychologist to be a pastor though it would help. "Relationship to the transcendent" is probably what we mostly identify as "spiritual".

From the article:
"A review of publications dealing with spirituality and end-of-life care has identified several dominant themes within the literature, including transcendence in relation to both self and a higher being, a sense of communion or connection, faith or beliefs, and hope . Transcendence is defined variously, but the central issue is of “going beyond” our physical selves. Although it may be expressed within the context of a relationship with God or the sacred, it may also be about nature, art, music, family, or community. In this broader view of spirituality, it is most commonly conceptualized in terms of those aspects of life that lie at the core of a person's identity and direction, such as the beliefs, values, activities, and relationships that provide meaning and purpose for life."

Of course it all still happens inside a person's brain, how they think, believe and value.

Gregory Thompson · Jul 2, 2023

Akita Suggagaki said:
Spirituality is firstly about issues that lie at the core of a person's identity and motivation for life.

Akita Suggagaki said:
Yes, how doe son distinguish psychology from spirituality? Does an atheist have spirituality?

Based on the definition provided by the article, atheists have that type of spirituality.

Spirituality comes from the interaction of our spirit with the Holy Spirit.

People who have not been born again by the Holy Spirit are born with a dead spirit like Adam after eating the forbidden fruit. People born with a dead spirit (but not born again) cannot discern spiritual things, and mistake invisible presences that they can "feel" as spiritual.

The spirituality described in the quote related to identity, is an experience of the paranormal, and is not based on interaction with spirits.

Paranormal interaction is based on electromagnetics, but is a pseudo science since the instrument of observation is each individual human. Since the observed reality cannot be a shared observation like with biology, physics, neurology, and geology; This is the distinction between paranormal psychology, and scientific psychology.

Akita Suggagaki · Jul 2, 2023

Can we agree on the main point of the article?
"On the therapeutic side, the ability to place and make sense of adversity and to give it a meaningful place within the overall context, direction, or purpose of life can make it easier to endure, particularly if it is seen to be beneficial. Reframing life goals and purpose also allows the formulation of a different direction that still provides a sense of meaningful purpose.

Frank Robert · Jul 2, 2023

Akita Suggagaki said:
"There are several distinguishing features between psychology and spirituality. Spirituality is firstly about issues that lie at the core of a person's identity and motivation for life. For example, a sense of meaning and purpose are fundamental issues that have a major bearing on the attitudes, emotions, and behavior that form a person's identity. The second distinguishing feature is the relationship with the transcendent. Psychological aspects are very much influenced by social relationships. However, inherent within the concept of spirituality is a relationship that may be shared by our social network but involves a connection with something or someone outside these relationships that is transcendent or even sacred.

First, I agree that spirituality can help with pain alleviation. However, I think the case for spirituality can be made much more simply than the article suggests. For example, if pain can be rightfully described as an alarm signal that occurs when the body is in danger then that signal should be able to be manipulated or interrupted and we have plenty of evidence from hypnosis that it can be interrupted.

6 ways to use your mind to control pain - Harvard Health

Drugs are very good at getting rid of pain, but they often have unpleasant, and even serious, side effects when used for a long time. Some age-old techniques as well as newer variations may help re...

www.health.harvard.edu

Relaxation, meditation, positive thinking, and other mind-body techniques can help reduce your need for pain medication

1. Deep breathing

2. Eliciting the relaxation response

3. Meditation with guided imagery

4. Mindfulness

5. Yoga and tai chi

6. Positive thinking

Prayer and spirituality is often associated with relaxation, meditation, positive thinking, and other mind-body techniques

Note: I am a retired addictions psychologist who has worked with pain alleviation techniques.

Gregory Thompson · Jul 2, 2023

Akita Suggagaki said:
Can we agree on the main point of the article?
"On the therapeutic side, the ability to place and make sense of adversity and to give it a meaningful place within the overall context, direction, or purpose of life can make it easier to endure, particularly if it is seen to be beneficial. Reframing life goals and purpose also allows the formulation of a different direction that still provides a sense of meaningful purpose.

So the article seems to be talking about the side effects in believing in something unseen, not necessarily spirituality. This appears to be an article about psychology and positive intent assisting in alleviating pain.

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Spirituality: What is Its Role in Pain Medicine?

Akita Suggagaki

Well-Known Member