Spirituality and Mental Health/Addictions

Once again, the holiday season has come and gone and the issue of spirituality in our lives becomes more important for many people. As a practicing psychiatrist, the question of where psychiatry is in this mind/body/spirit equation that is becoming more and more integrated in different aspects of today’s medicine stands before me more compelling than ever.

Dr. B. Siegel, in his landmark book: Love, Medicine, and Miracles, as well as other authors have recorded time and again that spiritual beliefs are crucial to healing. They affect how we perceive the world, how we think, and how we treat ourselves, and others. Strong spiritual beliefs can save a profoundly depressed person from committing suicide or help an alcoholic to stay sober. Spiritual beliefs encourage and inspire people to develop their greatest potential.

My personal view is that religion and medicine are not opposed to each other. Using spiritual principles as a foundation, I have witnessed a higher rate of success in many of my interventions over four decades of medical practice.

I remember working with a young woman who suffered from a chronic mental illness. She had lost custody and contact with her two small daughters because her illness went untreated for years. When she finally engaged in treatment, she progressed and became quite stable with therapy and minimal medication until some critical events in her life triggered a relapse as she began to dwell on the belief that her children had rejected her. I suggested that she approach the relationship with her children as a spiritual one – one of love, of caring, and of being non- judgmental. I coached her to write several letters to her children where she expressed her love and forgiveness to them, her willingness to be there for them, and yet, not to expect anything in return. By using spiritual parameters in a detached way, she learned to navigate the chaotic feelings she had been experiencing and she was able to gain inner strength and stability without the necessity of increasing her medication. She trusted me to guide her through this difficult period in her life and her strong agitation began to subside; her despair and sadness turned toward a better outlook on life.

Years later she was rewarded with a return letter – one of her daughters responded and the client’s life turned even brighter. Through her spiritual thoughts she was able to detach enough to deal with many new emotions without increasing her medication, and not allowing these new emotions to throw her life into chaos as it once would have done.

Research shows us that spirituality can help improve how we deal with medical and psychological occurrences. As providers, we need to appreciate how spiritual principles can guide us clinically and encourage a more holistic approach in mental health and addiction services.

Dr. Gerardo Andriulli has been a practicing physician for over 40 years – 24 of those years as a psychiatrist, and has a wealth of experiences to share with clients and staff. He is an invaluable member of the East Bay Center team.

Access to Care When You Need It:

East Bay Center clinicians are always available by scheduled appointment or through the Center’s “Walk-in” model of care to assist adults, children, and their families through any number of complicated issues. Conveniently located in East Providence on the Wampanoag Trail – help is just around the corner. We encourage you to visit our website at www.eastbay.org for information regarding services, employment, locations, etc. To speak to someone regarding services or to schedule an appointment, please call 401-246-1195 and ask for “Intake”.