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Add to FavoritesA direct link between spirituality and psychiatry is a consideration? No. A psychiatrist is not a spiritual leader. Without any further discussion; spirituality is not definable. It is not consistent between any two people. Spirituality is a multi-level conceptual experience. Two elements of spirituality consist of talking and time. No psychiatrist spends time with a patient talking. Allow me to reiterate.
A psychiatrist does not spend his time talking about your spiritual life. The end.
A psychiatrist, with years of schooling and medical practice, is a doctor. A mental disease is a reality. Depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, schizophrenia are some of the labels used to define a mental disease. Those words defining a mental illness are no less a medical condition than the diagnosis of diabetes, high blood pressure, or arthritis.
You visit your medical doctor for physical ailments and diseases. One or more prescriptions may be part of your medical treatment. Your medical doctor will dispense the correct medications to manage your illness.
You do not schedule an appointment with your MD, anticipating a spiritual healing.
Individuals with crippling mental difficulties schedule appointments with psychiatrists. A psychiatrist is a doctor who will prescribe medicine. There are specific medicines relative to each medical mental disease. These drugs will help you cope with your difficulties. When you schedule your appointment with a psychiatrist; should you be anticipating a spiritual intervention?
There is no argument for or against spirituality. Spiritually knows no clock. It has no name. Spirituality cannot be pinned down, nor precisely identified. For no other reason (there are too many to list), a psychiatrist cannot be your friend or spiritual guide. It is not in his schedule. Psychiatrists are not personable doctors.
We have psychologists. Psychologists are not the same type of doctor as a psychiatrist. Psychologists like to talk. They are personable. Psychologists do not dispense drugs. If you want to talk, find a psychologist who suits your spiritual needs. I require a psychiatrist and a psychologist both to fully manage my illness.
Spirituality cannot be contained in a pill. No one is arguing that point, because it is nonsensical. When we speak of spirituality in a psychiatrist's office, we mean talking and perhaps praying. However a strictly logical discussion; consisting of facts only, comes to one conclusion. Psychiatric doctors dispense pills. An indisputable truth. If there is an argument for the benefits of spirituality in a psychiatrist's office; a formula for a pill to encompass the totality and singularity of all ethereal experiences would be needed.
If there is no spirituality offered, what can you expect when you see a psychiatrist?
The first visit to a psychiatrist consists of three elements.
Entering your doctor's office; you locate and check in with the receptionist. We'll call her Nancy. You hand Nancy your insurance card, and she verifies your coverage. Advising you of your co-pay; money is exchanged. Nancy smiles and asks you to fill out some forms required before your visit to the doctor. She gives you several pieces of paper and a clip board. Sometimes the pen writes and other times it does not. This is not to be considered spiritual intervention. If the pen does not work, this is not a sign from the heavenly hosts to leave the office immediately.
You begin to fill out form after form. You are asked more questions than you have answers for. This takes approximately one half hour to an hour.
There are some doctors who are timely. In my experience; psychiatrists run a tight schedule. If you are impressed by this efficiency, and assume your doctor is a special doctor who cares for your individual needs; you will be deflated. Psychiatrists are professionals. They are not timely for your convenience. Initial visits run between an hour and a half and one hour. Follow-up visits are scheduled in ten or fifteen minute blocks. When your scheduled time is up, your appointment is over.
The offices are much the same. The doctor has a big, fancy desk. There are expensive chairs placed in strategic positions around the room. The doctor greets you and the session begins.
Briefly, there is a discussion of medical conditions, a diagnosis and a plan of treatment. The doctor may order more extensive testing. An MMPI (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Disorder) is a true or false test common to the mental health profession. Further details of the testing are not relevant to the topic at hand.
At the conclusion of your visit; Your doctor will hand you one or more prescriptions, and a note on your file to reschedule you for the next visit. The doctor dismisses you and you leave his office. Stopping on the way out; you hand the doctors notations to Nancy. An appointment is set; Nancy says good-bye as she answers a phone call. You go home. There are no prayers, No "God Bless You" good-bye.
Spiritualit y may see you through the darkness in your mind. Perhaps faith expressed in any of the broad spectrum of beliefs; can be a light held aloft in the depth of the despair of depression. If you have this light or deep faith; your journey may indeed be less of a burden.
If you do not have this light, you will not be lost simply because you do not experience faith.
Spirituality has a place in some of our lives, but not in any psychiatrist's office. Worse, spirituality in a psychiatrist's office has the potential to exacerbate a psychiatric illness.
To be specific - I am schizophrenic. The ramifications of introducing the mystical world of faith to the mysterious workings of a diseased brain, while in my psychiatrist's care, is a separate topic of discussion.
No psychiatric doctor will supplement the treatment of a mental disease with the potential curative powers of spiritual guidance. It can be a deadly combination.
Learn more about this author, Anne Warchol.
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Yes
The pursuit of spirituality is critical component in the development of a healthy psyche and thus a topic of interest for any responsible therapist or clinical theorist. The interlacing of psychiatry and matters of the spirit have been a subject of debate since the founding of modern psychiatry though. Sigmund Freud dismissed it as fantasy or 'obsess ional neurosis'. For many years now there has been a severing of the relationship between psychology and spirituality, there are several schools of thought as to why that occurs.
There has been a recent upswing though in psychological circles though and many conferences, seminars, workshops, books, and special issues in major professional journals on spirituality and psychology integration in the last few years. It was Freud's student Carl Jung that ran with the ideas of spirituality within psychiatry. He never publicly proclaimed himself a spiritual man, but the links he created was a foundation for modern psychiatry. This essay will attempt to address the link between spirituality and psychiatry as well as why a link should be established and concreted between the psychiatrist and their client.
A significant portion of the world population believes in a higher power in some form. For many that leads to deep emotional connections that cannot be ignored, but regrettably have been noticeably absent in the study of psychology.
In his Modern Man in Search of a Soul, Carl Jung tells us that, "there are some people whose attitude is essentially spiritual and others whose attitude is essentially materialistic. It must not be assumed that such an attitude is accidentally acquired or springs from some misunderstanding. These attitudes show themselves as ingrained passions which no criticism or persuasion can stamp out...." (59-60). Many feel that integrating the two components is dangerous ethically and should be left to individual clergy. That leaves out an important facet of a clients life from examination that is necessary in making the whole.
It is possible to discuss spirituality without falling into debating religious dogma with the client. Value neutrality is necessary to adhere to when dealing with this realm of phenomena with a client. When one separates individual values from client evaluation there can be a 'happy balance' met. Responsible psychiatry must include the most important components of a clients life and spirituality is very often part of that core. Therefore the evolution of psychology to embrace this is necessary and expected as we move towards a more positive focus in psychiatric study.
Learn more about this author, Alastriona Ametza.
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