Narrative Medicine: The Use of History and Story in the Healing Process Paperback

Modern medicine, with its advanced technology and approach to managed care, has eliminated much of what constitutes the art of treatment: those elements that go beyond prescribed medication. The usually brief office visit leaves doctors little time to listen to their patients. Citing numerous case histories that demonstrate the profound power of narrative in treatment, the author shows how we learn to dialogue with illness, and begin to understand the power of the 'story' we tell about our illness and our ability to improve our health. She shows how this approach also includes exploring our relationship with our extended community to find hidden disharmony that may need to be treated.