I chose this particular topic because I think it is vital for us all to stay connected to one another as we age, as we will all need the support at one time or another. . Living into old age means that a person’s support network narrows considerably. I have learned through researching this topic that older individuals who have a strong spiritual connection of some sort live longer, healthier and happier lives. Being in a spiritual practice with others can form a strong bond of support and create a community for those who find themselves on their own due to loss of spouse, parents, or other family and friends. In addition, as people age, stressful events of life can be more of a challenge to manage; immune systems in older individuals …show more content…
Prayer and meditation are among these spiritual practices, and several studies have shown the effectiveness of both in managing hypertension, depression, heart conditions, diabetes, and many more chronic conditions. Self-esteem can also be enhanced with these spiritual practices, and belonging to a religious group can also boost self-esteem and well-being; spirituality helps the elderly cope with the stressors of aging. In addition to providing relief from various maladies, belonging to a religious or spiritual group is a way for the elderly to stay connected with others and to socialize. Studies have also shown how devastating isolation can be for the elderly, both psychologically and physically. In the article “Spiritual Well-being in Older Adults” the authors write that the spiritual needs of older adults need to be addressed by health care professionals because for many elderly, when they are engaged in spiritual practice, they are “energized” and this is a good thing for their overall health. Stress in the form of illness, depression, anxiety, or changes in environment, can sap a person of their energy, and this leads to many chronic health conditions. ( Isaia, Diana,M.S., F.N.P., Parker, V., PhD., & Murrow, Elizabeth,PhD., R.N. , …show more content…
Cortisol, which is the stress-hormone, is not good when it is constant and prolonged; it can make the individual susceptible to many potential health risks, such as hypertension, heart problems, anxiety, depression and a whole host of other ill health results. If the person is in a long period of stress, then the risk of death is high because their body is unable to go back to a state of homeostasis, or balance. Studies have shown that prayer and meditation in the lives of the elderly can have a positive, healthy effect and helps the older individual better deal with the stressful events of life. By incorporating these practices along with exercise, social connectedness, and good sleep and eating habits, a person is better able to bounce back after experiencing stress. (Science Journal, 5(2), 74-89). In the article “Self-Esteem and life satisfaction”, the subject which the author addresses is of elderly who are part of a minority group; they are more likely to have less money and education and other resources that contribute to their security and well-being, so being a part of a religious or spiritual practice can have positive effects on their overall mental and physical
Aging and old age for a long time presented as dominated by negative traits and states such as sickness, depression and isolation. The aging process is not simply senescence most people over the age of 65 are not Senile, bedridden, isolated, or suicidal (Aldwin & Levenson, 1994). This change in perspective led the investigation of the other side of the coin. Ageing is seen as health, maturity and personal Royal growth, self-acceptance, happiness, generatively, coping and acceptance of age-related constraints (Birren & Fisher, 1995). Psychological und...
In the Unnatural Causes film, UC Berkley Professor and Epidemiologist, Leonard Syme, states that an important component of overall health is the “ability to influence the events that impinge on your life,” or another words, the means by which you are able to effectively manage the stressors in your life will greatly impact your health (2015). It is common knowledge that stress can negatively impact your health and the film points out that chronic stress affects the body by increasing cortisol levels, heart rate, blood pressure, circulating glucose levels and decreases the immune system’s response. All of this increases the risks of diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic illnesses (Smith, director, 2015). If we have power, control and
Therefore, prolonged stress included adverse psychological and physical health effects as well as the increased risk of premature death (Denollet, J., et al.
Weaver, Andrew J. and Kevin J. Flannelly. “The Role of Religion/Spirituality for Cancer Patients and Their Caregivers.” Southern Medical Journal 97 (December 2004): pp. 97-98. 1210-1214. Spiegel, David. The 'Standard'.
After this response is made, a cascade of behavioral and physiological processes is activated. Behavioral factors such as increased alcohol use, reduced exercise, changes in sleep quantity/quality, and changes in diet, have shown to be related to stress. In turn, stress-related changes are associated with many hormonal fluctuations known to influence susceptibility to disease (Schedlowski and Tewes, 1999). There is overwhelming evidence that daily stress may be harmful to the overall health of humans (Cohen, Tyrrell, and Smith, 1991; Glaser, Rice, and Sheridan, 1987; and Schleifer, and Keller, 1991). The mechanism by which stress influences health outcomes is thought to involve the immune system.
Snodgrass, J., & Sorajjakool, S. (2011). Spirituality in older adulthood: Existential meaning,productivity, and life events. Pastoral Psychology, 60, 85-94. doi: 10.1007/s11089-010-0282-y
To a great extent, stress can be a helpful response, especially for prehistoric humans. During this era, our species needed to react quickly to outside stimuli through a response of “fight or flight”. Through stress, certain hormones are released to help the individual resist the stressor, which may have meant running away from a natural predator. Thus, stress is a positive response that ensures the survival of the species. However, stress over a prolonged period of time causes exhaustion in the individual. Consequently, although stress can be helpful for individuals today, many often experience chronic stress, inflicting varying degrees of damage to their bodies.
The purpose of this paper is to define stress and how it effects the body's physiological systems. This paper will include the normal functions and organs involved in the following five physiological systems, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, respiratory, immune and musculoskeletal. This paper will also include a description of a chronic illness associated with each physiological system and how the illness is affected by stress.
There is evidence suggesting that attention to one’s spirituality influences the ability to cope with illness, help in the prevention of illn...
Strawbridge, W. J., Wallhagen, M. I., & Cohen, R. D. (2002). Successful aging and well-being: Self-rated compared with Rowe and Kahn. The Gerontologist, 42(6), 727–33.
Kumar, Anil, Puneet Rinwa, Gurleen Kaur, and Lalit Machawal. "Stress: Neurobiology, consequences, and management." Journal of Pharmacy and Bioallied Sciences, 2013: 1-7.
Solid connections have been demonstrated to expand prosperity and reinforce future Spiritual quality can enable you to conquer hardships. Having a solid spiritual standpoint may enable you to discover importance in life's troublesome conditions Dr. Steven Southwick, in his book,' Resilience: The Science of Mastering Life's Greatest Challenges' depicts the tale of a lady who defeated the post-traumatic anxiety taking after a snatching and assault by trusting that her injury "filled in as a stage for her self-awareness, compelling her to assess her life and step by step improve it. She attributes her capacity to advance with her life… to her devotion to
These individuals were asked how regularly they attended a religious gathering, and how much they identified with religion and spirituality. Ultimately the study concluded that people who went to a religious gathering were 22 % less likely to become depressed in the future. This was compared to people who choose to not attend such gathering. Reference 2: Terry Goodrich
Prayer as Caring-Healing Practice with Older Adults In seeking alternative and complementary therapies, the relationship that spirituality has with clinical care has been under scrutiny. This paper aims to describe and reflect on a healthcare module and an article by Coats, Crist, Berger, Sternberg, & Rosenfeld (2015). It then provides insights that the journal article and the module develop regarding prayer being part of caring nursing praxis with older adult clients. With prayer showing potential effectiveness in healthcare, clear guidelines are necessary to integrate prayer when handling older adults.
"Forty-three percent of all adults suffer adverse health effects from stress; 75 to 90 percent of all physician office visits are for stress-related ailments and complaints; stress is linked to the six leading causes of death--heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, cirrhosis of the liver, and suicide." (Miller, 1993, p.12) " Stress plays havoc with our health, our productivity, our pocketbooks, and our lives, but it is necessary, even desirable." (Oxford, 1998, p.29)