SOUL CARE MATTERS - signs and Symptoms of Soul Injury

In the medical world, if a patient enters an emergency room due to some physical ailment, two areas will be assessed by the medical professionals.

Signs – what is observed.

Symptoms – the patient will be asked what they are experiencing.

These two indicators help to find the source of the problem and determine the course of action needed. For example, a medical professional my “observe” that the person is flushed or slurring their speech; the patient may “experience” feelings of weakness or nausea. Both are true. Both are needed to help determine the best course of treatment.

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If you are experiencing soul injury or crisis, there will be spiritual signs and symptoms that present to you and those in your closest circle.

Spiritual Signs

Whether the spiritual signs of your struggle are subtle or obvious, they can be observed by those around you. For example, an indication of spiritual injury may be when you isolate or pull away from those who care about you. Or you have a shortage of spiritual fervor and joy. You may demonstrate a sense of apathy towards soul health by your actions, or lack thereof. Another clear indicator is maintaining a level of superficiality and an unwillingness to let others know you. When you allow walls to surround you it shows you are protecting some portion of your soul. (While this is a natural response to injury, it is not healthy overall. If you have a significant injury, you may need to consider professional help to address your issues.)

The signs are clear.

Spiritual Symptoms

When the soul is injured or unhealthy, you will encounter a wide range of symptoms. They may be elusive, such as doubts about faith, guilt, questioning past decisions, or feeling disillusioned with God. You may withdraw from others due to fear or uncertainty. Conversely, your reactions may express themselves more severely as you feel bitter toward those who have hurt you, and anger may shake its fist. You may feel frustration or disappointment when you ponder the cause of your pain. Perhaps you frequently tell your narrative to anyone who will listen, believing the more you tell it the better you will feel.

The symptoms are apparent.

 The great news about the signs being clear and the symptoms apparent, is that they allow you to

-Find the source of the injury (you may or may not know what it is) and,

-Determine steps forward to regain your spiritual health.

How can you use these indicators to help move the needle of spiritual health forward? First, realize,  walking through this world as an injured soul is not what you want. Then, understand that soul injury can happen to anyone multiple times. It always rocks your stability and takes time and effort to overcome.

As you become aware of the spiritual signs and symptoms of your soul, use these three starting steps to begin working toward deeper soul health.

ACKNOWLEDGE what it is that has injured your soul.

You have been wounded spiritually and feel loss, (even if you are unable to define exactly what the loss is). It's normal to wonder how you will ever heal or live a joy-filled life after experiencing this injury to your soul. The more you can face it, the better equipped you will be to move beyond it. Remember, spiritual healing from any setback will take time and intention.

Go ahead and spend some time gently pressing in on and around the tender spot of pain. It will help you to see what it is/was and serve as a springboard to begin to undo the knots that restrain your joy.

Ask and answer these questions:

Is the injury due to my own missteps or poor choices?

Was the injury perpetrated by someone else? (Am I safe now? Do I need help to get safe?)

How strong is my willingness to work toward forgiveness or resolution?

 Is the injury due to disillusionment or disappointment of some kind?

Am I wounded due to difficult life circumstances?

Do I blame God as the source of my injury?

Do I believe I can recover from this injury?

What will it take for me to release the pain?

It is tempting to ignore or resist the sheer magnitude of your feelings about this injury. Avoiding the issue is one way to give it a lot of power to affect you for the long term. Bolster your courage and face it squarely. If it is too daunting, always remember you can turn to a professional counselor to learn some coping strategies.

ALLOW grief without getting stuck.

Loss is a part of soul injury, and it is valuable to allow yourself time to grieve that loss. Always be gentle with yourself and allow time and space to express your feelings—whatever they are. Crying can be cathartic. You need not resist your tears. Also, journaling may be liberating as you write out your true emotions to understand them more clearly.

Also, time spent talking with a trusted friend can allow you space to express your pain and offer a sounding-board and input. Don’t let fear or shame or embarrassment keep you from connecting. Lean into the support system you have; surround yourself with positive, compassionate people who want to support your journey. It makes an enormous difference to not “go it alone.”

ACCEPT the injury for what it is.

Wishing for a different reality or a better outcome is a normal reaction to an unwanted situation. That said, hanging out too long wishing it were different will significantly hold you back.

The only place you can affect change is here in your own mind, and the only time you can control is now. Accept that this is your reality and find hope that you hold the power to begin steps forward beyond the hurt.

Once you acknowledge the signs and the symptoms of your injury you begin to understand more clearly what has caused your pain. When you allow grief to surface and express itself, you begin to turn toward acceptance. The very great news is with acceptance, your load begins to lighten, and you joyfully witness yourself making progress on your journey to deeper soul health.

Share in the comments below the ways you are working to recover from soul injury and continue on your journey forward. Always remember: SOUL HEALTH MATTERS!

Watch for next week’s edition: GOD’S VIEW OF MY SOUL