Page 21 - Petelin, Ana, ur. 2024. Zdravje delovno aktivnih in starejših odraslih / Health of Working-Age and Older Adults. Zbornik povzetkov z recenzijo ▪︎ Book of Abstracts. Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem/University of Primorska Press

Spirituality as a source of strength in dealing with chronic diseases

Brankica Rimac
Libertas međunarodno sveučilište, Zagreb

Introduction: What does an overview of the origin, meaning and use of the term ‘spirit-
uality’ bring, from a historical-systemic point of view? These linguistic considerations
open up the need to thematize and reflect on the anthropological aspect of spiritual-
ity: under the reasonable assumption that only man has spirituality, it is necessary to
say what follows from that for its correct understanding. The inevitable finitude of the
human being, its vulnerability (of which illness is one of the eminent expressions) and
finally mortality come to the fore. However, society changes over time, it is historical,
so it is necessary to explore at least some of the most important theoretical approach-
es to its understanding as elaborated by contemporary sociology. of the key signs of
modernity, is usually cited in the literature as the main feature of our modernity.
Content presentation: The concept of spirituality was originally related to the Christian
religious context, but gradually in the last few decades it separated from that context
precisely due to the process of secularization. In the concept of modernity, seculariza-
tion and postmodernity, we warn of places that point to spirituality as a possible goal
towards which a (post)modern individual more or less consciously strives. It has been
shown in all the referenced theories that the withdrawal of religion leaves a void that
confronts the individual with the question of the meaning of his own existence and
with spirituality as a possible practical answer to that question. Spirituality should be
comprehensively presented, with special attention to its meaning and importance in plenarna predavanja | plenary lectures
medical care in general and for patients with chronic diseases in particular. This is then
followed by a presentation of research objectives and methods; this work is not pure-
ly theoretical in nature, but aims to ‘record’ the state of affairs in relation to medical
care for patients with chronic diseases and to understand the importance of spiritual-
ity in their lives, i.e. its relationship with life satisfaction and its role in maintaining the
quality of life under chronic disease conditions.
Conclusions: Spirituality concerns, first of all, generally religiously, man’s relationship
with a higher being, that is, with the sphere of the holy and divine. Spirituality also re-
fers to a special quality of life that permeates the entire human being. So, that it inte-
grates all its dimensions, going beyond only the physiological and psychological taken
separately. Finally, spirituality also expresses man’s need to give and receive love, to
keep hope and trust, to find the meaning of life and its difficult moments (accidents,
illness, death) on a personal way of life with the goal of self-realization and life satisfac-
tion. It is evident from everything that the concept of spirituality is neutral with regard
to faith in God - it neither necessarily includes it, nor excludes it, it depends on life con-
texts and existential determinations of people.
Keywords: spirituality, chronic diseases, health, patient

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