Living with a life-threatening illness A PROJECT DEMONSTRATING EXCELLENCE PDF
Preview Living with a life-threatening illness A PROJECT DEMONSTRATING EXCELLENCE
STORIES OF OUR LIVES Living with a life-threatening iliness A PROJECT DEMONSTRATING EXCELLENCE ‘SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNION INSTITUTE IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY RENATA ANITA ACKERMANN MARCH 19, 1594 TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements Abstract Chapter tntroduction CChepter Ii Towards an understanding of iness processes Chapter It Chapter 1v Chapter v: Towards a holise medicine Personal lness experiancas ness and creativity Philosophical and spiitue! aspects af ness On heating Living and aying Jiness and health within the context of culture’ socitey Summarizing statement of the research topic Methodology “Theoretical framawark Research design Selection of participants Set-up of the interview Interview questions Analysis ang interpretation ofthe interviews Pal, a warrior in 2 war zone Aftenhoughts Drive through eancer Afterthoughte Chapter Vi: Cancer. the long awaited crisis Aftenhougnts Chapter Vi: Finding trus love, a do-or-die sitiation Aftesthoughts Chapter VII. Lupus. a teacher in compassion Afedheughts Ghapter IX: General frcings Memones around the rinass onset Explanetons fora life-threatening ilress Lite changes tigyered ty the tinass Wat the survivors could teach society hapter X: Gonciusion Notes Bibiography ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: |1am very indebted to al the peonie | met who sherod their ness experioncos with me, F witnessed suffering ard pain, courage and pride. and often an ineredible Lave for it, people and nature. Iwas deeply touched by the dapsh of experience these people went through and how they seam to appreciate Ite and its wonders in 2 new way. By the end ofthis stucy, two people | interviewed had ded, From Wendy | teamed that death can be an exciting adventure, something te look forward to. | am thankful fo Renee that my interview with hor started a friendship ang that we could share some time together inthis world. Her beauty sand spilt stays with me, My doctoral committee - Rober MeAndreis, Wilson Willams, Jule Diamond, ‘Shamy Zomlick, Leste Heizer and Debbie Starke — has been crucial in my learning and writing process. Bob was always there for me in crucial moments ‘with Fis suppor, encouragement. snd incradtble wealth of knawedge. Mis input ‘opened up new avenues more than ence: he also gave me the courage to go further with some of my ideas. Jute was one of the people an whom | tried out ‘my budding iceas about following “wee” ideas regarding the ongin and meaning of @ body symptom. Her interest and excitement encouraged me ta fotow my inelinaton. Sherry's crtica thinking and her editing skils helped tum this project into a fine writen piece. Leslie's irendship, suppor. and beliefin me has been there through many rough tees. She has been 2 crucial source af wisdom practical netp and loving care not only for my academic pursuits but alse in matters of the heart. Debbie's encouragement and beliof n me made a difference in my academic studies, t want to give spacial thanks to Markus Merty, my very dear friend and housemate. He has been a patient listener and wonderful companion over this pest year. His struggle with AIDS has given me a close experience of what it means fora person to have a ifethrestening tiness and what the impications ere {or ihe people around. Many ideas presentad in this work reflect our discussions. There were many other people that fuanced and helped tnatize this work. Gall Reynolds hooked me to this topic with her awn story. She also dia some af the networking for me and provided me with interviewees. Max Schupbach urged me to pursue a doctoral degree long before I thought it passible. His persistence and Suppor aver the years has been very important to me. | am also very grteful to Amy Mindell. His pioneering thinking about people and the werk, and his positive ‘approach towards the most mpossibe situations, has tued my thinking upside down more than once and greatly influenced! my view af fife. PROJECT DEMONSTRATING EXCELLENCE (DISSERTATION) ABSTRACT STORIES OF OUR LIVES. Living with a life-threatening iliness This project demonstrating excellence, ented stories of aur lives: living with 4 Ife-threatening ilnoss, is a phenomenciagica! and ethnographic study of health end ilness. t mvestgates the meaning people attribute to their ness ‘experiences. The central hypotheses state that experiencing @ ife-threatening illness can be @ oatalyt for change and personal growth. The meaning of an ‘ness experience can be discovared by bringing awareness to ittational and seemingly weird fantasies connected tothe illness experience, Awareness ofthe body states aocompanying the lines as well 2s the memories and fantasies ‘round crucial moments conneciad tothe illness are clues to necessary Ke changes. In ten in-depth interviews with people who experienced @ ife-treatening ines. their rational thoughts and fantesies regarding memanes around the lines ‘onset. the reasons and explanations forthe ness, Ie changes téugered by the iness experience, and valuable lessons and teachings they gained from the illness experiences for temsalves as well as far society are elicted, The imerview questions are based on the philosophy and theoretical framework of process-oriented psychology, The study futher investigates cultural views on health and fness, ving and dying. It examines the implications the general atitude towards ness ns for ‘whomever gets seriously il liness rself is looked at as 2 potentially meaningful ‘experience not only forthe individual affected by i, but also for society. Seeing ithess and dasth as an integral panto ile ther than as disturbencas that need tobe eradicated. reflects 2 shift in attude towards unpredictable tif events which focuses on awareness rather than control People who had been affected by life-threstening illness found meaning in theit illness experience which was valuable for themselves ard the world eround them, linass took om different roles, I served as a reminder to listen, velue and ‘appreciate the body and inner experiences. lness was experienced as an irmporant change agent and push for personal growth, ness became a spirtval teacher where it made people become more aware of the interelateaness ant interdependence of hurnan beings and ‘he world To bell is an odd mixture of pathos and bathos, comedy and terror, ‘wth intervals of surprise: ~ Anatole Broyart, toxicated by My Itness vi
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