Spirit: Meaning, purpose and spiritual wellbeing

Meaning, purpose and spiritual wellbeing

The fourth path is the one most programs skip and the one many Veterans and families say mattered most in the end. War raises questions that no therapy session is designed to answer: why did I survive, what do I owe the people who did not, what is all this for now. A partner or a child who has lived through the aftermath carries their own version of those questions.

The spirit path does not require a particular faith, or any faith. Some families find their footing in a congregation or with a chaplain. Others find it in service, nature, art or a community of peers who have been through the same thing. Programs grounded in post-traumatic growth research start from the idea that struggle can lead to a deeper sense of purpose, not despite what happened but because of what a person decides to do with it.

What belongs on this path

• Chaplaincy services, including VA chaplains who serve Veterans, families and caregivers of any faith or none.
• Faith-based and non-faith peer support where people can talk about meaning without being told what to believe.
• Meaning, purpose and post-traumatic growth programs built on published research and led by trained guides.
• Service-based community programs that put Veterans and families to work on something larger than themselves.

Coming full circle

Families who reach this path often find themselves back at the beginning, choosing a morning walk or a shared meal because it now means something. That is the method working. If you have not yet looked at the earlier paths, start with the Body path; if you have, consider sharing your story with us on the Stories page or volunteering to help the next family.