Spirituality can help people heal in a number of ways. But does it have any effect on traumatic brain injury?
A recent study by Brigid Waldron-Perrine, PhD at Wayne State University has found that it just might.
More specifically, she found that religion and spirituality may help improve the emotional and physical rehabilitation of patients suffering from traumatic brain injury (TBI).
TBI can increase patients’ risk for mental and physical problems, including higher levels of stress, lower life satisfaction, and being overly-dependent on others.
Dr. Waldon-Perrine interviewed 88 individuals, most of whom were African-American Christian males. After running neuropsychological tests to measure cognitive abilities, she asked them about their religious practices and then gathered information about their functional status from a significant other.
What she found was inspiring.
Participants who reported greater connection to a higher power had improved emotional and physical rehabilitation outcomes, including higher life satisfaction, lower distress, and higher functional ability.
This study didn’t use a randomly assigned, controlled procedure, so we cannot infer causality. (It may be that the men in her study had improved functioning for other reasons, but the correlation found between spirituality and healing is still interesting.)
Other researchers have also found a connection between the social support faith communities provide and faster healing.
But what is special about this study is that even after taking social support out of the equation, participants still healed more quickly.
You can find the entire study in the journal Rehabilitation Psychology.
When we help our patients connect to their higher power, whatever that may be, we may also be helping to improve their outcomes.
How has spirituality influenced your patients’ outcomes?
I discovered your blog post web site online and appearance several of your early posts. Always maintain in the great operate. I recently additional your Feed to my MSN News Reader. Seeking forward to reading a lot more from you finding out afterwards!…
On your dieting exlpmae, I can attest that being mindful absolutely works. I’ve stopped dieting and instead focus on eating whole foods and really enjoying every bite. This also means I get to indulge in bad food like sweet or even *gasp* packaged food. But rather than beating myself up about it, I enjoy it all so that rather than feeling fretful or guilty, I allow myself to taste every bite and listen to when I’m full.Now that I have a kid though, I admit that this isn’t always possible, as I usually end up scarfing my food down so that I can tend to my little guy. But generally I’ve focused less on what I can’t have and instead spend the energy enjoying what I eat.
Three Years and 4 months a survivor of a Severe TBI and broken femur. Comatose for 30 days. I was assigned a 11% mortality rate. The 89 people behind me with a similar diagnosis using the Glasgo Coma Scale rating of a #3 or #4 did not live. Missed 51 wks of work.
Psalm 91 is the psalm of divine protection.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
HIS ANGELS PREVENTED “MY FOOT FROM STRIKING THE STONE”
+++++++++++MY FAVORITE WORSHIP SONG+++++++
“I Can Only Imagine”
I can only imagine
What it will be like
When I walk
By your side
I can only imagine
What my eyes will see
When your face
Is before me
I can only imagine
[Chorus:]
Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel
Will I dance for you Jesus or in awe of you be still
Will I stand in your presence or to my knees will I fall
Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all
I can only imagine
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The Lord Jesus Christ-Son of God delivered me from the gates of death-and allowed this brain injury to be my testamony of his Greatness-and Power in my Life
I find this article to reaffirm other research I have read. However this article makes a leap beyond what the research actually shows, in order to make it more politically acceptable. The study group was with 88 individuals, most of whom were “Christian” black men. Christianity is a specific form of spirituality with a belief in a Biblical God and Jesus Christ. Tio take the outcomes and generalize to a less specific, diluted faith in “spirituality” and a “belief in a higher power” is not scientifically warranted, and in fact, is poor science. While many may prefer the more diluted results, it is not accurate. Regardless of a persons, partivularly a clinicians, personal beliefs, this researvh demonstrates that a belief in the Christian God has made the difference, not just any spiritual belief. I am in favor of accuracy in science, rather than in pushing my own personal preferances in a belief system. A more diverse spiritually faithful group would be necessary to make the conclusions so general.
More articles on impact of spirituality and illness
Ruth,
Our brains are so much more powerful than most of us realize or imagine. I just finished listening to Dr. Bruce Lipton’s CD’s of The Biology of Belief . One thing he emphasizes about our body cells is that they either move toward or move away from something. We move away from something due to fear. If we move toward it and have faith in a higher power, that faith alone will help to heal whatever ails us. Examples abound, from Christian Science, John of God and myriad other healing modalities and healing testimonials.
Warmly,
Dr. Erica
What if you are a card carrying atheist?
Seek the power that is within yourself. Let your clients choose to access their own higher power, spirituality, or that which is within/outside them. What is the “you” that makes you who you are, unlike anyone else? We all can believe as we choose and as a teacher and hpnotherapist, allow your clients/students to find their own beliefs.
CJ
In all the years of working with Alcohol and Drug abusers I found that the client that embraced the spirituality of the program recovered faster and were able to sustain their soberity.
What is spirituality? I have learned that spirituality is so much more than religion. Spirituality comes from our own depths; our need to express our inner beauty – our contact with the unfathomable and expressing it; by painting, dancing, writing, or any other way. Suppressing this part of ourselves leads to depression and anxiety. It is vital that psycholigists understand this, and that we – everyone treat this part of ourselves with the utmost respect and sincerity.
This is top down thinking using a biopsychosocial spiritual interactive healing model. I have used it now for several years. The recovery and healing rates are measurably much higher! We must become integrated in order to move towards healing and fullness of “Integrity and Character”.
totally agee with this.