|Articles|May 13, 2020

Psychiatric Times

  • Vol 37, Issue 5
  • Volume 37
  • Issue 5

Care of the Soul in the Time of COVID-19

Beyond unsettling our minds, the current pandemic unsettles our souls in ways we are just beginning to understand. Just as the COVID-19 virus attacks the respiratory tract, the pandemic itself can assault the soul. Dr Pies identifies five manifestations of the crisis.

There is no one-size-fits-all formula for healing the soul. Each of us will need to find the unique path that leads us from grief or despair to healing.

“The reward of suffering is experience.” -President Harry S. Truman

In our profession, the term psyche is usually defined as “mind,” but the term’s history and etymology are more complex. The ancient Greek term psykhē had a range of meanings, including mind, spirit, or soul. It is this last meaning that I want to explore in relation to the frightening pandemic we are now encountering.

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