Experiencing 'Health' despite 'Illness'
Public Note is een onafhankelijk podium voor studenten en jonge onderzoekers die zich bezig houden met maatschappelijke vraagstukken en de publieke zaak. Dit podium draagt eraan bij dat interessante en waardevolle papers niet in de la belanden. In het najaar van 2021 mocht ik een artikel voor hen schrijven. over de relatie tussen je levensverhaal en vragen rondom zingeving wanneer dit levensverhaal wordt verstoord.
Samenvatting
Based on a personal story, I explain three reasons why it is important that caregivers pay attention to the life-story and search for meaning of a person with a chronic disease in the middle of his/her life, during the diagnosis and treatment process. 1) Being chronically ill can disrupt the chronology of a life-story, whereas seeing cause and effect in a life-story can give people a sense of meaning. 2) This sense of meaning can result in an experience of health, despite illness. 3) However, during the diagnosis and treatment process there may be power tension between the caregiver and the care-receiver. Giving attention to these things and what it means to be sick, can overcome this.
Therefore, I also explain the possible contribution of reflexive spaces against power tension and towards the attention of the life-story and search for meaning of a person with a chronic disease in the middle of his/her life.
Lessons for practice
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More attention should be given by caregivers to the life-story and search for meaning of a person with a chronic disease in the middle of his/her life.
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Caregivers should be more aware of potential power tension between their professional opinion and the needs of a care-receiver given his/her life-story.
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Reflexive spaces could help to emphasize the life-story of the care-receiver and can help to reduce possible power tension.