Uplift Your Life: Nourishment Of The Spirit

“Cure sometimes. Treat often. Comfort always.” A quote from Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine. In our current times, we seem to have forgotten that the patient is not only a disease or a condition, but a complex being that includes emotions, thoughts, and spiritual beliefs. If we are not treating the whole person, we have less chance of curing the disease. Lee Tomlinson writes: “Hundreds of patient studies on the benefits of compassion in treating and healing patients have concluded that those who experience compassionate care also experience: a physical feeling close to pleasure, a reduced desire for addictive painkillers, an increase in hope and optimism, an empowered immune system, (and) an increased will to live.” Yet 50% of Americans believe that the healthcare system and healthcare professionals are totally lacking in compassion. Even more astounding is that one-third of all Americans do not include compassion among their core values. With so much violence, anger, and prejudice, the world needs