The Journey Inward: A Biopsychosocial and Spiritual Approach to Mental Health and Addiction

Join me as we delve into another enlightening conversation with the esteemed Raju Hajela on the EZ Conversations podcast. This thought-provoking episode unravels the intricate relationship between mental health and spirituality, uncovering pathways to a deeper connection with ourselves. Raju Hajela, a pioneer in holistic healing, shares profound insights into the complexities of the human mind and the significance of spiritual nourishment in our mental well-being. Together, we explore the pitfalls of solely relying on medications to address mental disorders, advocating for a more holistic approach that encompasses the spiritual dimension of healing. Throughout our conversation, Raju challenges conventional perspectives, urging listeners to embark on a journey inward to discover the root causes of their struggles. We navigate through the terrain of self-discovery, highlighting the transformative power of mindfulness practices and introspection in cultivating resilience and inner peace. Drawing upon his wealth of experience, Raju offers invaluable wisdom on navigating the intersections of mental health and spirituality, emphasizing the importance of embracing vulnerability and self-compassion along the way. As we delve deeper into the conversation, listeners are invited to reevaluate their perceptions of mental health and embark on a journey of self-exploration and growth. Please tune in to this enlightening episode of EZ Conversations as we embark on a profound exploration of mental health and spirituality, paving the way for a holistic approach to healing and self-discovery. Dr. Raju Hajela obtained his MD from Dalhousie University (Canada) in 1982 and his Master of Public Health (MPH) from the Harvard School of Public Health (USA) in 1988. He is a primary care physician who was in the Canadian Forces (CF) from 1979 to 1995. He participated in the military Drug and Alcohol Prevention Program and the Alcoholism Rehabilitation Program throughout his CF career until his last post as the Director of the residential treatment program in Kingston (Ontario, Canada). Dr. Hajela is founding member (1989), Past President (1997-2000), Certificant (2000) and Honourary Life Member (2007) of the Canadian Society of Addiction Medicine. He led the definition project with the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) during 2004-2013. He is a Certificant and Distinguished Fellow of ASAM and an inaugral Diplomate of the American Board of Addiction Medicine (ABAM). He is a founding member, certificant and Distinguished Fellow of ISAM. Dr. Hajela has published, taught and spoken widely, having held faculty positions at Queen's University (Kingston, Ontario, Canada) and University of Calgary (Canada). He is the President and Medical Director of Health Upwardly Mobile (www.healthupwardlymobile.net) in Calgary and the Medical Advisor to the Foundation for Addiction and Mental Health (www.famh.ca)Dr. Hajela grew up in Lucknow, India, and migrated to Canada in 1974. He is married with 3 children and 2 grandchildren. His interests include Physics, Philosophy, Mathematics, History, Travel, Golf, Hiking and cross-country skiing. He is a Rotary Club International/Calgary West member and a Rotary Action Group - Addiction Prevention board member. Sponsors of the Podcast: BetterHelp: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://betterhelp.com/ez10⁠⁠⁠⁠ for 10% off your first month of therapy We Are Wild for 25% off your first order: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://zen.ai/EZ23⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Four Sigmatic: Use code "EZCONVERSATIONS" for 10% off your order. If you would like to support EZ Conversations, here are all the ways you can do that: ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠:⁠https://www.instagram.com/eunoiazen⁠ ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠: ⁠https://m.facebook.com/eunoiazen⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrqBp_zdRiIfBRV4wURSZ2A⁠ Subscribe to the EZ Reflections Newsletter: ⁠https://ez-reflections-newsletter.beehiiv.com/⁠ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/furkhan-dandia/support