HIV/AIDS Support

Charlotte also provides spiritual support for those living with HIV/AIDS.

As an ordained Minister of Peace of the Beloved Community she brings a ministry of presence, which is centered on a caring acceptance, a nonjudgmental stance, unconditional love and physical and emotional availability. She knows first hand the wounds that organized religion can bring through judgments and seeks to bring healing to those wounds by guiding people through a journey to find that they are loved and accepted by that which is higher than we are, unconditionally and without condemnation.

About Spirituality:
Spirituality is a factor that contributes to health in many persons. The concept of spirituality is found in all cultures and societies. It is expressed in an individual's search for ultimate meaning through participation in religion and/or belief in God, a Higher Power, Allah, Creator, family, naturalism, rationalism, humanism, and the arts. All of these factors can influence how patients and health care professionals perceive health and illness and how they interact with one another!

Illness is a major life event that can cause people to question themselves, their purpose, and their meaning in life. It disrupts their careers, their family life, and their ability to enjoy themselves; three aspects of life that Freud said were essential to a healthy mind. Illness can cause people to suffer deeply. Victor Frankl noted when writing about concentration camp victims that survival itself might depend on seeking and finding meaning: Man is not destroyed by suffering; he is destroyed by suffering without meaning.

Charlotte believes that in addition to physical and psychological symptoms, people with chronic or advanced illness will suffer existential distress as well. Existential distress is probably the least understood source of suffering in patients with advanced disease, for it deals with questions regarding the meaning of life, the fear of death, and the realization that they will be separated from their loved ones. These issues take on greater importance in HIV/AIDS because of the stigma and judgment that still accompany people living with this disease.

In my own experience, I have found that people cope with their suffering by finding meaning in it. Spirituality plays a critical role, because the relationship with a transcendent being or concept can give meaning and purpose to people's lives, to their joys and to their sufferings. Quality of life instruments used in end of life care measures often include an existential domain which measures purpose, meaning in life, and capacity for self-transcendence. Three items were found to correlate with good quality of life for patients with advanced disease:

* If the patient's personal existence is meaningful
* If the patient finds fulfillment in achieving life goals
* If life to this point has been meaningful

In HIV, people often struggle with existential crises as do other people with chronic illness. However, the social stigma of the illness may affect how people view their illness, particularly for those who are religious. In a study of people with HIV, those who were spiritually active had less fear of death and less guilt about their illness. Fear of death was more likely among religious patients in this study who felt their illness was a punishment from God. Fear of death diminished among patients who had regular spiritual practices or who stated that God was central to their lives.

If you are living with HIV/AIDS please contact Charlotte to schedule a consultation for spiritual support. charmar35@gmail.com