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Coyote Wisdom
Lewis Mehl-Madrona, MD, PhD
Mehl-Madrona (M.D., Ph.D.) outlines what he calls "narrative medicine," or a
"storied" approach to disease and recovery that can be used in conjunction with
standard medical treatment. Believing that answers to illness lie within each
patient, he draws on such diverse sources as traditional Native American tales,
pop-culture figures, and fictional characters to encourage patients to perceive
how their illnesses have allowed them to accomplish a goal, and how to retain or
transfer that goal while releasing the illness. One anorexia patient, for
instance, attained a level of "perfection" with her extreme dieting that she
couldn't bring about in other areas of her life. Working together, doctor and
patient construct stories that externalize illness, rather than making it part
of one's character. Case studies cover eating disorders, depression, battering,
lupus, and various cancers, and Mehl-Madrona explains how, in extreme cases, the
narratives are used to control pain or allow a patient to die more peacefully. A
fascinating look at a branch of alternative medicine. Rebecca Maksel
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