I would be very uncomfortable being asked this by my doctor. Religious affiliation/spiritual belief has become a point of great political contention, and I certainly wouldn't want to risk having information about that in my medical records. You never know who will be reading them or what they'll do with that information.
damnesian•4mo ago
You are 100% correct that it has become increasingly politicized in recent days. My reaction is it should be non-controversial to approach self-improvement in an agnostic, purely therapeutic way.
It's a really fine line "holistic" practice in general has had to tread to not insult either the strictly religious, or the strictly irreligious. But it's potentially the sphere where this advice could come from. Do you have connections to a community? Do you take time for self-care? Have you taken a walk in nature lately? Do you try to do things mindfully? Have you tried taking stock at the end of the day with journaling in order to empty the mind of worry before sleep? this kind of advice is aimed at physical bases for positive effects on feelings of well-being we often lump into "spirituality" which are really more mind and body hacks than anything else.
JohnFen•4mo ago
I agree, all of the questions you pose would be fine by me and wouldn't immediately put me on the defensive.
Any variety of "what is your spiritual belief" would get me to clam up, though, for the reasons I said.
There's also another factor that, if the health care provider in front of me isn't someone I already know pretty well, I'd assume that they're asking as a prelude to some sort of effort to evangelize to me or condemn me because in any other setting, that question is almost always such a prelude. Rightly or wrongly, it would make me suspicious of and on guard with the health care provider.
JohnFen•4mo ago
damnesian•4mo ago
It's a really fine line "holistic" practice in general has had to tread to not insult either the strictly religious, or the strictly irreligious. But it's potentially the sphere where this advice could come from. Do you have connections to a community? Do you take time for self-care? Have you taken a walk in nature lately? Do you try to do things mindfully? Have you tried taking stock at the end of the day with journaling in order to empty the mind of worry before sleep? this kind of advice is aimed at physical bases for positive effects on feelings of well-being we often lump into "spirituality" which are really more mind and body hacks than anything else.
JohnFen•4mo ago
Any variety of "what is your spiritual belief" would get me to clam up, though, for the reasons I said.
There's also another factor that, if the health care provider in front of me isn't someone I already know pretty well, I'd assume that they're asking as a prelude to some sort of effort to evangelize to me or condemn me because in any other setting, that question is almost always such a prelude. Rightly or wrongly, it would make me suspicious of and on guard with the health care provider.