Rev. Craig Rennebohn on differing motivations for Recovery

The Importance of Spirituality in Treatment and Recovery

As part of a study on spirituality and its relevance in the treatment of dually diagnosed patients, Marc Galanter and his colleagues developed a measure of the importance for treatment of four issues.[1] Patients rated the importance for treatment of spiritual orientation, AA meetings, job and outpatient treatment. Medical students and addiction faculty also participated, rating both their own view of the importance of these factors, and the importance they think that patients attached to these issues for treatment.

The findings are instructive. For patients, spiritual orientation was of the strongest importance for their treatment, followed by AA meetings, outpatient treatment and, lastly, a job. Medical students saw patients as holding outpatient treatment as of strongest importance, followed by a job and AA meetings. Spiritual orientation was of least importance to patients. Their own view was that outpatient treatment was most important, followed by a job, then, spiritual orientation and lastly, AA meetings. Faculty rated outpatient treatment as of strongest importance, followed by AA meetings, a job and, lastly, spiritual orientation. Faculty saw patients as viewing a job as of strongest importance for their treatment, followed by outpatient treatment, AA meetings with spiritual orientation least in importance for treatment.

The study concluded in brief, “that for certain patients a spiritual orientation is important to their motivation for recovery. Furthermore the relevance of this issue may be underestimated in the way treatment is framed in a range of clinical facilities.”

The study supports a notion that patients facing addiction and co-occurring mental illness view their spiritual orientation as an important factor in their healing and recovery. It is the particular responsibility of the spiritual caregiver to explore and assess the ways a person views his or her spiritual orientation as important to their treatment, healing and recovery.

Let me suggest four basic lines of inquiry for the spiritual caregiver.

1. How does a person’s spiritual orientation assist a patient in naming, describing and understanding their symptoms?

2. How does a person’s spiritual orientation provide an explanatory framework for illness and wellness?

3. What practices supportive of healing and wholeness does a person’s spiritual orientation offer?

4. Finally, how does a person’s spiritual orientation contribute to an experience of community, meaning and purpose supportive of long term stability and well being?

We have long asked these very questions with respect to a wide range of illnesses. Chaplains, pastoral counselors and other religious leaders, both lay and professional, follow patients recovering from general medical and surgical conditions. Those dealing with mental health issues should not be overlooked.

As mental health care and addiction treatment has moved from institutional settings into community based clinics and centers, spiritual care resources have followed only slowly and sporadically. Spiritual care is rare in outpatient mental health and chemical dependency service settings. The Galanter study suggests that chaplains, pastoral care and counseling, and the presence of trained and dedicated visitation from local faith community representatives would be helpful in the outpatient setting. Patients see their spiritual orientation as of first importance. Spiritual care providers on the treatment team can assist both patients and providers to maximize a person’s spiritual orientation as a resource for recovery.

Footnote:

[1] "Assessment of Spirituality and Its Relevance To Addiction Treatment," Marc Galanter, M.D., Helen Dermatic, PhD., Gregory Bunt, M.D. Caroline Williams, M.D., Manuel Trujillo, M.D., Rev. Paul Steinke, Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, Vol. 33 Issue 3, October 2007, pp.257-264.

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