Working with Meaning in Life in Chronic or Life-Threatening Disease: A Review of Its Relevance and the Effectiveness of
More than 30 % of the population lives with a chronic or life-threatening physical disease. Of these individuals, 40 % also experience mental health problems and stress which exacerbate physical problems and health-care costs. More specifically, one third
- PDF / 446,583 Bytes
- 30 Pages / 439.37 x 666.142 pts Page_size
- 16 Downloads / 196 Views
tion Two years ago, 36-year-old Emma received a diagnosis of breast cancer. Initially, the prognosis seemed positive after breast-conserving surgery, but recently doctors have brought her bad news. They have identified metastases and it is uncertain whether cure is possible this time. After the first operation, Emma had shown a brave face and seemed to deny the impact of cancer: ’’I needed to fight; I could not let my emotions overwhelm me.’’ For instance, as soon as her physical health allowed, she continued to work as a nurse and even started working longer night shifts. But after the diagnosis of the metastases ‘‘Something broke inside me: everything started to feel meaningless. Why would I work so many hours? Why work at all? Why fight? (…) I am too tired to see my daughter play football; I cannot be a good mother anymore. (…) It’s all relative isn’t it? One day you are a good employee and mother and the next day you are nothing anymore. One day going to your work seems important to you, but the next day it does not. Thus possibly, nothing in life is certain. (…) What do I do? In which direction should I go in life now?’’ (Anonymised case from private counselling practice)
Meaning seems to be at the heart of the experience of many those with a chronic or life-threatening disease. Emma’s story shows how a diagnosis can cast a totally different perspective on life and makes everything that was once meaningful suddenly feel relative. The illness may also hinder engaging in meaningful activities such as cheering at your daughter’s sports field, because you lack the energy or your mobility is restricted. It seems unavoidable that physically ill patients may start experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety, as staring at the sun blinds everyone (Yalom, 2008). This attention to the patient’s sense of meaning seems at odds with stereotypical medical care, putting a label of psychopathology on such existential questions and
J. Vos, Ph.D. (*) Department of Psychology, University of Roehampton, Holybourne Avenue, London SW15 4JD, UK e-mail: [email protected] © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016 P. Russo-Netzer et al. (eds.), Clinical Perspectives on Meaning, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-41397-6_9
171
172
J. Vos
referring patients to psychopharmacological treatment or a psychological therapy to change cognitive biases, behavioural avoidance or poor stress management. Consequently, too often patients feel that their voice is not heard in such a medical system as their experience that “the meaning of everything” has changed is not taken seriously (cf. Henoch & Danielson, 2009). For example, Emma told me about her previous cognitive therapist: “My fear of death is not the result of a bad cognition: It is the reality of my finitude that I am facing, and my struggles are about the almost impossible task of building a meaningful life while I am facing my death—a literally life-saving task!” After several sessions Emma realised that “Society tells you are crazy, doctors tell you are crazy, friends tell
Data Loading...
