- 1. Spiritual Causes of Physical Pain Tim Harlow Caring in
Devon
2. Palliative Care
- Active total care of patients whose disease is not responsive
to curative treatment, where the control of pain, of other symptoms
and of psychological, social andspiritualproblems is paramount, and
where the goal is the best quality of life for the patient and
their family Back, N. Handbook Palliative Medicine: 2001,
p188.
3. Doctor, why am I ill? Your heart valve leaks. Yes but why me?
Wait, Ill call the vicar. Bert Keizer 1996, Dancing with Mr D 4.
Total Pain
- Iceberg- Tip we see is physical pain, driven by many other
things underneath
5. One of those things underneath is spiritual distress 6. When
a man lies dying, he does not die from illness alone- he dies from
his whole life Charles Peguy (1873-1914) Basic Verities 7. Does
Spiritualitymatter ?
- A significantly larger number of terminally ill adults
indicated a change towards increased spiritualityReed 1987
- Spiritual Well Being associated with decreased desire for
hastened death, decreased hopelessness, suicidal ideation,
depressionMcClain 2003, Nelson 2002
8. Weathering the Storm: thedark night of the soul (St John of
the Cross-1577) 9. Yes- it really matters
- We do see pain which is difficult to control but which is eased
significantly by addressing the spiritual
10. Spiritual?
- Deliberately wide definition- many non-Christians will use
Christian context and language
- Many will have a Christian Faith
- Many of those who wish to help will come from a Christian
background
11. Meaning?
- Despair is suffering without meaning (Victor Frankl, 1975)
- Suffering is pain without meaning( Nietzsche)
12. Interpretations of Spirituality
- Jesus is with me.So many people are praying for me, I will join
the Lord when He wills it.
- It is not for us to know when it is written that someone will
die, we must trust in Allah.
- It is the nature of existence to suffer, the suffering will be
left behind when I leave this body behind.
- I am a grain of sand in the cycle of evolution.
13. Non Christians?
- Many people will have an element of themselves reasonably
described as Spiritual
- Maybe specific faith- Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu,
Buddhist- may need to help them within that context
- Maybe no formal faith- still have significant component of
spiritual distress or insight
14. 15. Deathbed conversions?
- Faith is enhanced amongst those with a strong faith
- Faith did not emerge in those without a faith initially-[great
challenge for those attending with a strong faith themselves].
- Spirituality increases over time and is greatest at
death(Thompson, 2008, Strathcarron Hospice)
16. Not just what causes pain
- Pain in the context of fear and feeling out of control can be
unbearable and overwhelming, whereas pain that is expected and for
which there is known to be relief available, if wanted, is much
more often bearable.Iona Heath 2008
17. Tahir
- 32year old man.Close family, exiles from homeland.Cancer
affecting bones, multiple sources of pain- nerves, bones, back.Pain
very difficult to control.
- Often found his predicament unbearable.
- Suffering, not good in itself but recognised as natural
-guidance from Imam.
- Times when Tahir seemed inconsolable but greatly eased by
readings from the Quran
- Medication vital but very far from enough.
18. Nigel
- Deep Christian faith, church very important part of his life
such that his pain and painkiller requirements decreased
significantly when he was able to get to the cathedral once
more.
19. Absolution
- From many sources clergy, friends, family.
- Very important need, can help the whole person, including their
physical pain.Hidden experiences
- Opportunistic- not see as our role?
20.