Spirituality, Chronic Illness, and Healing: Unique Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

Understandings of health, well-being, disease, and illness have changed drastically over the past century, as life expectancy has increased and as treatments for diseases once considered fatal have created an experience we call chronic illness. Prior to the twentieth century, diseases either were resolved or resulted in death, and access to medical treatment was not available to most people. In developed nations today, there has been an epidemiological shift from shorter life expectancy and high death rates from acute, infectious, parasitic diseases to longer life expectancy and ongoing, chronic illness (Lynn & Adamson, 2003). According to Lynn and Adamson (2003), most Americans live their last days in institutional settings rather than at home, and most will spend the final two years of their life coping with chronic illness or disability. Adding to that group younger people with chronic illness, the aging baby-boomer generation which has yet to develop chronic illness, and those who encounter people with chronic illness at work, school, or in social settings, makes the potential range and impact of chronic illness seem overwhelming. In addition, societal changes have occurred that have altered the way people cope with chronic illness and disability. Today’s global society and highly transient lifestyle means that many people who live with chronic illness are not in situations in which they can be cared for, assisted by, or supported by nearby family members.KeywordsMultiple SclerosisChronic IllnessSpiritual PracticeSpiritual HealingPastoral TheologyThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.