Disease and aging are natural parts of life. We can’t keep our patients free from illness or forever young. But we can help them respond to challenging life events with grace. When Ram Dass, PhD, experienced a life-changing stroke, he focused on the grace his experience brought him. He found kindness from strangers, and used […]
Do Patients Want to Talk about Spirituality?
It’s an important question to ask yourself: do my patients want to talk about their spiritual concerns? A recent study may help shed light on the topic. Farr Curlin, MD and his team at the University of Chicago analyzed data from 3,141 hospitalized patients looking to answer these questions. Patients who had a spiritual conversation […]
Can Spirituality and Medication Work Together?
I never would have imagined that medication and spirituality had anything in common. But a study out of Rush University Medical Center led by chaplain and assistant professor Patricia Murphy, PhD brings new findings that suggest spirituality can act synergistically with medication to produce better patient outcomes. For instance, spirituality may be a key factor […]
An Infant’s Eyes – More from Rachel Remen, MD
We got so many comments on Rachel’s story about how a newborn deeply affected a physician that we wanted to share it again with you. It’s a powerful reminder to keep your eyes open – you might be surprised by what you see. Take a look and let us know what you think. How has […]
Releasing Negativity – Why It’s Essential for Healing
We know that grief can affect our emotional health – but did you know that it may also have profound physical effects? A recent study led by Murray Mittleman, MD, at the Harvard School of Public Health found that the risk of heart attack may increase dramatically after the loss of a loved one. The […]