Health and Spirituality Department Please remember, this column is designed to help the consumer seeking behavioral-health information, and not intended to be any form of psychotherapy or a replacement for professional, individualized services. The psychiatrist Viktor Frankl has called our attention to the type of anxiety which follows from the belief that one's life has lost its meaning. In other words, if I begin to believe that my life is without purpose, the result can be anxiety.
Some persons become anxious when they lose their spiritual focus.
For instance, during recent years, many practicing Catholics have found their faith shaken by the sexual abuse scandals among clergy. The resulting spiritual confusion can be a significant source of anxiety. Existential philosophers have long suggested that persons experience a fundamental anxiety relating to our awareness of our mortality. Ethical and moral decisions can be a source of anxiety, either before or after a decision is made. A clear example is the issue of abortion.