Introduction
When doctors accept a patient’s spiritual beliefs and incorporate it into their care plan, since it is an element that not only defines the patient but also gives them a sense of meaning and purpose, the patient buys into the treatment plan with more acceptance and willingness to participate. The patients also may be able to better understand the limitations with which they are faced if spirituality is a part of the treatment plan. Faith may help and enhance the healing process. For the terminally ill, it may enable a patient to come to a sense of peace knowing that the control of their faith is no longer within them.
Buddhism
Buddhists believe that all human beings endure suffering in their lifetime. Through relating death to life and the use of compassionate care, suffering can be diminished by a believer. When a person who follows the Buddhist faith is facing an incurable disease, the teachings may help the patient endure the suffering of the physical symptoms. This could be done through the encouragement of learning as much as possible about the illness and its processes as well as its’ hold on the person. Additionally, the Buddhist faith encourages the focus of the mind, including at the tsk on hand, such as self-healing and trying to remove some of the pain during times of suffering. Such mind-driven concentration might be beneficial to all patients regardless of their background in faith.
This is essential in the Buddhist faith, which teaches that doctors should use love and compassion first as methods of healing. This is certainly not what is taught in schools of medicine in the western world. Buddhist patients are expected to not focus on their physical complaints, no matter how bad they may be, but rather their focus is directed on their minds. For doctors to get an accurate description of the level of suffering that a Buddhist patient is enduring, this must be kept in mind as a Buddhist patient will underrepresent the pain when compared to most patients that adhere to western philosophies.
Part of the Buddhist faith is the way in which death is related to life. Death is dealt with throughout one’s life, which lessens the anxiety that comes with death when faced with a terminal illness. People in the Buddhist faith inhabit a body during their time on Earth. Therefore, when faced with death, it is just a passage into the next phase of existence.
Buddhists believe in the four noble truths: truth of suffering, the origin of suffering, the cessation of suffering and the origin of suffering, and the path that leads to the ending of suffering and how suffering began. A main question of thought studied by Buddhists is why people have to endure suffering. For these reasons there is an open approach to Buddhists about the pain that may be associated with illness. Managing symptoms of disease is an important task, especially when the illness is terminal, as it is a preferred practice to die at home, rather than in the hospital, when possible.
In a study done on Buddhist patients in an intensive care unit there were four qualities associated with the patients’ peaceful death: peace of mind, limited suffering, family’s acceptance of the impending death, and support of the patient throughout treatment.
Hinduism
The Hindu faith is very personal, with focus on individual prayer and the following of rituals. The extended family is important. Their involvement in the care of a sick family member is essential for the person who is ill as well as the good of the family. The family expects to be included in the treatment planning process.
Hindus are very modest at all times. Medical treatments need to be performed by professionals of the same gender. There are no exceptions to this, as for many would rather forgo treatments rather than their modesty. Bathing is also a ritual that is to be conducted with running water, not bath water, daily before prayer since there is a value on physical purity. This desire for a running water cleansing is most desired by the terminally ill Hindu. For a Hindu requiring assistance, it is necessary to have aid from someone of the same gender in this circumstance. After toileting, a comprehensive wash is also a necessity, and if assistance is needed, again a same gender person must be available.
In the Hindu faith, food is viewed as one of the medicines of treatment. It is common for Hindus to be vegetarian and since cows are sacred, beef is not eaten. Produce is to be as fresh as possible, frequently from one’s own garden and frequently curry is included. Ginger is commonly used to aid digestion and garlic to reduce cholesterol. Unlike in the west, bread is usually not consumed for breakfast. It is common for some Hindus to forgo beef, pork, lamb, and chicken including byproducts such as eggs. Fasting on Fridays is a common ritual.
As a Hindu approaches death, the involvement of family members becomes an important part of the preparation process. It is important for health care professionals to know the intricacies of the Hindu beliefs. A sip of water accompanied by chanting and prayers is customary. After death, ideally only family members should touch the body. It is cleansed by a family member of the same gender and cremated after being wrapped in a red cloth with the ashes to ideally be scattered in the Ganges River. It is a much scripted process, unlike most other faiths. Family involvement is necessary (Shanmugasundaram, S., & Margaret O'Connor, 2009).
No matter what faith one practices, faith can help with the healing process in numerous ways. By using interpersonal resources such as emotional and practical support, patients can add faith to help cope with the stress that their illness is bringing upon them. Through intrapersonal resources such as the power of one’s mind, positive thinking, and empowerment through the use of personal control, faith can give some needed additional strength, both mentally and physically. Extra-personal resources, such as therapeutic touch, visualization, and relaxation, when accompanied by a style or method of prayer, have been demonstrated to help a patient seek increased rest and reduce stress. With these non-medical aids, a patient can be given added measures of comfort .
Native Americans
In the Native American culture, disease is caused by being out of harmony with God and Mother Nature. Material and spiritual treatments are used to try and cure illness. For spiritual healing, Native Americans use herbs and ancient ceremonies in addition to prayer. Nonmaterial forces, such as the Great Spirit or some of the lesser gods may be beckoned to assist with the healing process. It remains unclear to most outside of the Native American culture the connection between faith, prayer, and healthcare (Meisenhelder, J. B. & Chandler, E. N., 2000).
Native Americans routinely are faced with barriers to accessing high quality health care. The Native American support groups are aware of and actively addressing this problem as it is an issue of high priority and concern within this group. Additional help needs to come into play by support in both monetary resources and accessibility of care by health care facilities where Native American communities are located (Sequist, T., Cullen, T., Bernard, K., Shaykevich, S., Orav, E. J., & Ayanian, John Z., 2011).
Christianity
In the western world, church attendance and the use of prayer have been associated with lower rates of depression, increased immune function, increased surgical success, and decreased rates of death. The use of spirituality is common in health literature, referring almost always to Christian beliefs. It is important for care givers to validate and respect the beliefs of the patient, no matter how different those beliefs may be from one’s own personal philosophies. In present United States society, that means having an understanding beyond the Christian faith as many other faiths are present within the healthcare system (Meisenhelder, J. B. & Chandler, E. N., 2000).
Conclusion
The Buddhist practice of meditation can assist patients in minimizing their physical suffering as well as the acceptance that pain is a part of being human. Practitioners can realize that the mind is also powerful in the person’s well-being and an important component in their treatment plan. The Hindu practices of family involvement can also be utilized by members of other faiths. Native American customs involving herbs and alternative treatments are gaining more acceptance in western culture.
Patients do deserve respect and dignity from their health care providers. Judgment and disregard of beliefs because of different faiths and practices is not only disrespectful, but the stress and tension that will be caused will do the patient emotional and psychological harm at a time when energy needs to be focused on the healing process. Through this research I learned not only some facts about other faiths, but my eyes were opened as to how much the spiritual aspects affect the physical components of treatment when one is ill.
References
Masel, E. K. (2012). Life is uncertain. Death is certain. Buddhism and palliative care. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 44(2), 307-312.
Meisenhelder, J. B. & Chandler, E. N. (2000). Faith, prayer, and health outcomes in elderly
Native Americans. Clinical Nursing Research, 9(2), 191-203.
Schneider, M., Fletcher, P., & Snider, H. (2008). Mind over matter: A qualitative examination of
the coping resources used by women with cancer. Indian Journal of Palliative Care,
14(2), 56-70. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4103/0973-1075.45447
Sequist, Thomas D. M.D., M.P.H., Cullen, T., Bernard, K., Shaykevich, S., Orav, E. J., &
Ayanian, John Z. M.D., M.P.P. (2011). Trends in quality of care and barriers to
improvement in the Indian health service. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 26(5),
480-6. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11606-010-1594-4
Shanmugasundaram, S., & Margaret O'Connor. (2009). Palliative care services for Indian
migrants in Australia: Experiences of the family of terminally ill patients. Indian Journal
of Palliative Care, 15(1), 76-83. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4103/0973-1075.53589
