Spirituality and mental health

Pages:91-94
Brahmdeep Sindhu (General Hospital, Gurgaon)
Rajiv Gupta (Department of Psychiatry, PGIMS, Rohtak)
Swati Sindhu (Consultant Physician , Gurgaon)
Krishan Kumar (National Brain Research Centre, Manesar)
Devender Kumar (General Hospital, Gurgaon)

Mental health has two dimensionsabsence of mental illness and presence of a well-adjusted pei;sonality that contributes effectively to the life of the community.Ability to take responsibility for one’s own actions, flexibility, high frustration tolerance , acceptance of uncertainty, involvement in activities of social interest, courage to take risks, serenity to accept the things which we cannot change, courage to change the things which we can change, the wisdom to know the difference between the above, acceptance of handicaps, tempered self-control , harmonious relationships to self, others, including Nature and God, are the essential features of mental health . Spirituality is an important aspect of mental health. St. Augustine prayed “O God, thou created us in thy image and our hearts will be restless until they find their rest in Thee.”Though Sigmund Freud looked upon religion as an illusion and neurosis, Carl Jung considered the psyche as a carrier of truth, powerfully rooted in the unconscious mind. Religion is important, directly and indirectly, in the etiology, diagnosis, symptomatology, treatment and prognosis of psychiatric disturbances. Lack of spirituality can interfere with interpersonal relationships, which can contribute to the genesis of psychiatric disturbance. Psychiatric symptoms can have a religious content. For example, the loss of interest in religious activities is a common symptom of depression. Too much and distorted religious practices are common in schizophrenia. It is well recognized that some religious states and experiences are misdiagnosed as symptoms of psychi.atric illness. Visions and possession states are examples .The spiritual background of the patient will help in the diagnosis of psychiatric disturbance. They are important in the treatment of psychiatric disturbance because spiritual matters can be profitably incorporated in psychotherapy . Spirituality is important in the prognosis of psychiatric conditions.Inthe spiritual perspective, a differentiation must be made between cure and healing .Cure is the removal of symptoms.Healing is the healing of the whole person. Adversity often produces maturity. Hence in psychotherapy, the patient must be helped to accept the handicap and transform the handicap to a life of usefulness.