Navigating Spiritual Crises: Symptoms, Treatment, and Support

Spiritual crises present as mental health emergencies characterized by delusional religious beliefs, hallucinations, and paranoia, requiring professional therapeutic intervention to address symptoms and restore emotional stability through evidence-based counseling approaches and crisis support services.

When intense spiritual experiences begin to disrupt your daily life, it can be difficult to know what's normal and what's concerning. Understanding spiritual crises – and how they differ from healthy spiritual exploration – could be the first step toward finding clarity and support when you need it most.

Understanding Spiritual Crises: Symptoms, Treatment, and Support in Telehealth Settings

Spiritual crises typically involve delusional spiritual beliefs that have no basis in reality. These experiences may also involve additional concerning symptoms, such as hallucinations, paranoia, personality changes, and confusion. Understanding spiritual crises and how they differ from other types of spiritual experiences may help you determine whether you or someone you love might be showing early signs of a concerning mental health episode. Treatment options are available through licensed clinical social workers, and you’re not alone.

What is a spiritual crisis?

Spiritual crisis is not an official diagnostic term, but generally serves as a description of certain types of delusions and beliefs that can accompany a serious mental health episode.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), psychosis refers to a “collection of symptoms that affect the mind, where there has been some loss of contact with reality.”

Symptoms of a concerning mental health episode

Symptoms of a serious mental health episode can include the following:

• Hallucinations
• Delusional beliefs (firmly held beliefs with no basis in reality)
• Disorganized thinking, speech, and behavior
• Paranoia
• Confusion
• Personality changes
• Suspiciousness and unease around others
• Social withdrawal
• Decline in self-care
• Disruption of sleep
• Difficulty responding to reality, as well as hostility or irritation when others point out fallacies

Spiritual crises typically involve the above symptoms but also have a focus on spiritual or religious beliefs. For example, an individual experiencing a spiritual crisis may believe they are a reincarnation of a goddess, or that spiritual deities and supernatural beings are speaking to them. This can differ from a spiritual questioning or spiritual emergency, which may be thought of as losing one’s faith or undergoing dramatic changes in one’s spiritual beliefs.

Risks during spiritual practices

Common spiritual crisis beliefs tend to involve ideas about the end of the world, the existence of other dimensions, mystical experiences, and beliefs that one is spiritually superior or born to spiritually “heal” others.

For the person in this altered state, these beliefs can seem real. Individuals experiencing spiritual crises may become frustrated or hostile when others challenge them. These episodes can be harmful because the condition may lead to unhealthy behavior that harms oneself or others, including suicidal and homicidal thoughts and actions.

Early warning signs of spiritual crises

Mental health episodes often occur in stages, including an early or “prodromal” stage that may indicate an episode is developing. Identifying these signs early may help an individual reach out to services quickly before a spiritual crisis progresses.

Common signs to watch for

Below are some of the most common signs to look for:

• Increased attention to religious and spiritual topics
• Increased irritability
• Increased ideas of grandeur (beliefs that one is better or more “special” than others)
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Increased social withdrawal
• Hyperfixation on religious and spiritual topics or activities
• Difficulty concentrating on daily tasks like work, school, and chores
• Changes in affect, such as a lack of emotion or severe mood swings
• If living with bipolar I disorder, episodes of mania
• A decline in self-care and hygiene practices
• A decline in sleep hygiene practices

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) reports that early intervention can be an opportunity to receive life-changing and radical treatment before the episode progresses. For this reason, reaching out for support as soon as possible may be beneficial.

If you or someone you love is experiencing early signs of a mental health crisis, reach out to a hotline, local mental health emergency service, licensed clinical social worker, or doctor for guidance. These professionals can screen for both common and severe mental health challenges, such as anxiety, depression, and early signs of crisis.

What is the difference between spiritual crises and healthy spirituality?

People in spiritual or religious communities often have intense beliefs that greatly impact their lives. They may experience spiritual emergence (an experience of transformative growth related to their beliefs) or a sense of connection with a god or other deity.

Distinguishing between someone who is simply connected to their beliefs, someone who is having a spiritual experience, or someone experiencing a mental health crisis may be challenging.

Differences between spiritual crises and intense spiritual beliefs

Below are a few ways spiritual crises usually differ from intense spiritual beliefs:

• People experiencing mental health crises often have hallucinations involving auditory, olfactory, visual, tactile, and gustatory perceptions of sensory stimuli.
• Delusions may have an element of grandeur, which can involve thoughts that one is more important than others in a spiritual community.
• People experiencing crises may believe a certain action must be taken within a timeframe based on their delusions. For example, an individual might believe they must recruit five other people to their belief system before the next weekend to not “upset a deity” or to “fulfill their purpose.”
• Those experiencing mental health crises often experience other challenging mental health symptoms, such as depression, anxiety, and anger issues.
• These episodes are usually temporary, often lasting a few days to a few weeks. Spiritual and religious beliefs and practices are often long-term endeavors.
• After an episode, individuals are often able to realize that they were in a state of delusion and may experience shame and regret.
• Mental health crises often cause significant functional difficulty and a reduction in well-being, and may harm a person and others around them.

If you’re unsure whether your spiritual beliefs and practices could indicate a crisis, talking to a licensed clinical social worker at ReachLink to receive a mental health screening may be helpful.

Causes of spiritual crises

In general, spiritual crises do not have one specific cause. However, experts believe a combination of risk factors may lead to this condition, including, but not limited to, the following:

• A family history of serious mental illness
• Certain mental health diagnoses
• Experiencing a traumatic event
• Changes in prescription medication or side effects of certain medications
• Substance use
• Previous mental health episodes
• Medical conditions, such as an autoimmune disorder
• Hyperfocus on a higher power or spiritual beliefs

If you are at high risk for spiritual or mystical crises, reaching out to mental health services to be screened for concerning symptoms may be helpful. However, note that some people may develop this condition without any risk factors, and others with the risk factors may not.

Mental health support options

Various support options are available for treatment. An active mental health crisis requires emergency support, so reach out for help as soon as you notice symptoms in yourself or someone else.

Immediate crisis support

If you’re unsure where to find crisis mental health support in your area, you may call a hotline for information about resources in your area. Hospital emergency departments are normally trained to screen for severe mental illness and may refer you to crisis services, such as inpatient mental healthcare.

Medical treatments

Medication may be recommended as a primary treatment for serious mental health episodes of any type. These medications can reduce the impact of symptoms like hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thoughts, which can help an individual stabilize enough to reach out for other forms of support, such as support groups or therapy. Medications are often used in the short term to regulate symptoms and may be tapered down after the episode has ended.

Important Note: ReachLink’s licensed clinical social workers do not prescribe medications. If medication seems necessary, our providers will refer you to appropriate medical professionals who can evaluate and prescribe treatments.

Support groups to improve mental health

Although they may not be a helpful option during an active episode, support groups can connect individuals who have previously experienced mental health crises with others who relate to their experiences. Social support may improve mental health and help individuals find new coping techniques.

Spirituality self-care

Self-care practices can reduce the aftereffects of mental health crises and improve general well-being. When you care for yourself, you may be better able to care for others and show up daily to complete essential tasks. Below are a few self-care activities to try:

• Engaging in physical movement, such as walking, going to the gym, or taking a dance class
• Eating nutritious meals that nourish your body
• Asking loved ones for support
• Drafting a safety plan for challenging episodes
• Reaching out to a crisis line if you notice worsening symptoms
• Journaling about your mental health
• Practicing regular hygiene
• Partaking in hobbies
• Listening to music
• Spending time with others

Therapy

Therapy can be an effective prevention method for mental health crises. A licensed clinical social worker can assess the severity of symptoms and help clients develop safety plans for the future. Talking to a therapist can be a step toward independence and safety, and many therapists practice using different modalities, so finding one that resonates with you may be helpful. For example, some professionals may use aspects of transpersonal approaches, which generally combines spirituality with principles of psychology, to help individuals who may have experienced spiritual emergencies.

Telehealth therapy: Options and limits for crisis care

Some people may avoid in-person therapy due to their symptoms or barriers like financial challenges. In these cases, telehealth platforms like ReachLink may be more feasible. ReachLink enables you to connect with licensed clinical social workers through secure video sessions, providing therapy on your schedule. You can attend therapy from your home or any location with an internet connection.

According to a 2021 study, “Emerging evidence suggests that Internet-based interventions for people with psychosis are feasible and efficacious.” The study further noted that individuals who actively participated in an online intervention tended to experience reduced delusion severity after treatment. Online therapy may be helpful for individuals who have previously experienced spiritual crises, but telehealth therapy is not a replacement for crisis services, and those currently experiencing acute symptoms may need to seek in-person care.

Takeaway

Spiritual crises can be defined as serious mental health episodes involving delusions and thought patterns focused on spiritual and religious themes. These episodes can be emergencies, so you may need to contact a hotline or utilize crisis resources during an episode. For more information about preventing an episode or coping after one has occurred, reaching out to a licensed clinical social worker through ReachLink’s telehealth platform may be helpful.