Cultural Awareness and Spirituality
Spiritual distress is feeling disconnected from a source of meaning, purpose, or hope in life. It can arise from various sources, including physical ailments, psychological or emotional distress, loneliness, or helplessness (Arshinoff et al., 2023). Caring for a loved one who is ill can be an emotionally and physically demanding task. Therefore, it is important to be aware of the signs of spiritual distress, as this can be an additional source of stress for caregivers.
Signs of Spiritual Distress
As a caregiver, knowing the signs of spiritual distress in those one cares for is important. Signs of spiritual distress can include distress, guilt or shame, confusion or disorientation, emptiness or hopelessness, or a lack of meaning and purpose in life (Pargament & Exline, 2021). This can manifest in physical symptoms such as a lack of energy, difficulty sleeping, changes in appetite, difficulty concentrating, or increased physical pain. The distress can also manifest in changes in behavior, such as withdrawing from social contact, difficulty making decisions, or a lack of motivation.
Helping Your Loved One
For caregivers, it is important to be aware of the signs of spiritual distress and take steps to help one’s loved one cope. Here are a few tips:
Listening to their concerns and feelings without passing judgment
Encouraging self-care
Helping them to create a positive environment
Offering positive affirmations
Encouraging spiritual activities
Providing emotional support
Utilizing the help of a professional if needed
Helping them to develop a plan to cope with spiritual distress
If you think your loved one needs professional help, contact your local hospital or mental health provider. We hope that this information has been helpful to you in identifying and helping your loved one through spiritual distress.
References
Arshinoff, R., Roldan, C., & Balboni, T. (2023, January 1). Chapter 13 – Spirituality and spiritual distress in neurologic illness (J. M. Miyasaki & B. M. Kluger, Eds.). ScienceDirect; Elsevier. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128245354000045./
Pargament, K., & Exline, J. (2021). The Psychology of Spiritual Struggle. https://www.templeton.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Spiritual-Struggle-Whitepaper_FINAL-10.5.pdf./
ORDER A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE
We’ll write everything from scratch
Question 
Must post first.
Topic
Discussion Topic #1-Cultural Awareness and Spirituality
Available on Feb 24, 2023, 12:01 AM. Access is restricted before availability starts. Available until Mar 3, 2023, 11:59 PM. Submission is restricted after availability ends. Must post first.
Cultural Awareness and Spirituality
Write health information material identifying the signs of spiritual distress to be used by the patient’s caregivers. Imagine this content being organized into a pamphlet that caregivers could take home. Post the content you create in the Discussion Forum for this topic.
*Remember to cite any sources utilized in APA format
After completing your post, please thoughtfully respond to the work of at least two of your peers.