Receiving a diagnosis of HIV is a very difficult time, and for some people, the emotional aspects of HIV are as difficult as the physical aspects. Why? While the physical problems can be treated with medicine, the emotional impact has no easy solutions. A person may be wondering: How and why did this happen to me? How will I go on?
For answers, some turn to their family, others talk to doctors or mental health professional. Sadly, some also turn to drugs or alcohol. But, for many people, support mainly comes from spirituality and religion. What does this mean? Take a look.
Is There a Difference Between Religion and Spirituality?
Depending who you talk to, you will get a different answer to this question. There are different opinions as to what spirituality and religion are. Here are a few:
- Spirituality - A Connection to the Past – One way of viewing spirituality is that it connects the past to the present. This connection to ancestors, their beliefs, and their practices all guide the present. This school of thought says actions of today are based on lessons learned from the past. In this way, spirituality tends to be unique to each person.
- Religion - A Connection to a Higher Power – While spirituality is a connection to the past, religion is a connection to a higher power or entity. Religious institutions such as Catholicism or Judaism worship a God in a very structured, regimented way. The means of worship is the same for everyone in the congregation. However, religion can also be a personal practice using prayer, meditation, or reflection as the means of worship.
- No Difference Between the Two – There are some who believe spirituality and religion are one in the same. Many people use the term "spirituality" to avoid the stigma and prejudices that sometimes emerge in organized religions. The is particularly true for HIV+ gay men.
Seeking out the Church but Feeling Like an Outcast
Research shows that people seek out religion and spirituality after an HIV diagnosis. Ironically, even though newly diagnosed people report being more religious, feeling alienated is not uncommon, either. According to one study, people with HIV avoided church services because of prejudices against homosexual men and women, especially in regard to their sexual practices. This led people to seek out alternative ways to express their beliefs and spirituality, sometimes by exploring non-Christian religions. Ultimately, if that doesn’t work, people turn to spirituality on a personal level in the form of private prayer or meditation..How Does Religion and Spirituality Help?
After all, HIV is a medical condition treated by medicines. However, that statement is only half-true. Very early on in the epidemic it became clear that HIV was much more than a physical ailment. It affects the entire person, physical and emotional. And for many, the way to treat an emotional issue is through religion and spirituality. Here’s how:- A New Meaning to Life – When HIV hits, many people begin to look at their lives in an effort to understand why they got HIV. This is an opportunity to examine the past, taking stock of one’s life up to the point of diagnosis and trying to figure out where life will take the person after their diagnosis. Religion and spirituality helps a person examine their life, interpret what they find, and apply what they have learned to their new life with HIV. Simply put, spirituality and religion helps a person find a "new meaning to life" after their HIV diagnosis.
- HIV Has a Purpose – An HIV diagnosis is often the stimulus needed for a person to get in touch with the spiritual part of their life. HIV can be the push people need to make positive changes in their life. For instance, the IV drug user who gets HIV from sharing needles devotes his life after HIV to helping people kick their drug habit. If not for his HIV diagnosis, he would still be "shooting up" each night.
- Illness Becomes Part of the "New You" – Consciously or unconsciously, people use their illness as a way to better understand their spirituality and themselves. People struggle trying to be the person they were before their diagnosis. Spirituality helps incorporate their illness into their life, accepting the changes that result from illness -- the "new" person they have become after diagnosis. Spirituality and religion teaches a person there is significant meaning to their life even after diagnosis. Spirituality helps the person let go of those things that were once an important part of their life before diagnosis but no longer fit their life after diagnosis.
- Spirituality Answers Questions– A diagnosis of HIV causes fear of the illness itself, fear that there will be suffering, and fear of what the future holds. The fear of illness and prognosis prompts questions. Spirituality and religion often hold the answers to those questions. Answers give the person a better understanding of their illness and themselves. Simply put, for those with spirituality, fear promotes healing and emotional calm.
Page two looks at the role of religion and spirituality in HIV prevention.
