Note from the Editor
Our fast-paced world of high tech and sophistication has brought with it a yearning
for simplicity, a move inward, toward the spiritual side of our being. But in a country
as diverse as Canada, it can be a real challenge to properly address spiritual issues.
While spirituality transcends ideology and ritual, it is also expressed through religion,
culture and philosophy. Ultimately, the question isn't what religion we subscribe
to, but how our view of God or a higher power gives meaning to our lives and the
challenges we face.
For people with mental health or addiction issues, such core beliefs may be central
to understanding their problems. But professionals have rarely discussed the spiritual
lives of clients, focusing instead on the physical and psychological components of
mental health and addiction. This may be due to the schism between the "scientific
paradigm" and the psychospiritual or to the professional's own unresolved issues
around spirituality. However, the spiritual diagnostic category that was added to
the DSM-IV in 1994 has opened the door for mental health and addiction professionals
to look at how religion and spirituality shape our lives.
As the stories in the focus section reveal, western medicine is beginning to recognize
the role of spirituality in the realm of mental health and addiction. In an
interview with Ian Kinross, two therapists discuss why spirituality has been
neglected, why it is important to incorporate it into treatment and how this can
be done. In a story about the healing power of prayer, Andrea Gordon highlights research
that links prayer and religiosity with successful recovery from mental illness and
addiction. Lisa Schmidt's story reveals the unique challenges -- and rewards -- of
being a forensic chaplain.
Other cultures contribute their own understanding of the role of spirituality
in well-being. Deborah Etsten describes how the ancient eastern practice of yoga
is used as an adjunct to treatment for addictions, while Tamsen Tillson explains
how the sacred tradition of the medicine wheel
has been reclaimed by the aboriginal community as an integral part in recovery
from addiction.
We have come far since the time when mentioning religion was "like committing
psychiatric sin," in the words of Dr. David Larson in Gordon's story. But there
is much work still to be done.
Now it's your turn to tell us how we have been doing. In the spirit of promoting
discourse and inquiry, send a letter to the
editor.
Hema Zbogar
Tel (416) 595-6714
e-mail hema_zbogar@camh.net
|
(416) 595-6714 
