I'm reading In Shock, an excellent non fiction novel by physician author Rana Awdish about what happens when a critical care physician becomes critically ill. I haven't finished the book yet, but one thing that stands out in what I've seen so far is how little we think to credit the patient for their role in healing, and how being a patient who shows resilience and grit can change the way a critical illness impacts your life.
In Shock is full of examples of how Awdish used her own "fiery, molten strength" to survive and recover from being critically ill. First in how she tries to communicate her own understanding of the depth of her illness to her care team, and then in her approach to the rehabilitation process after being discharged from the hospital. She pushes herself through pain, through boredom, through one set of tragic circumstances after another. At times, she feels sorry for herself, feels powerless, and feels a sense of hopelessness, but she doesn't let it take root and grow.
As an emergency physician, I very frequently encounter people who have a much less healthy response to being ill. Although often frustrating, it's hardly surprising, given that so many people in the communities where I work suffer from life circumstances that serve to seriously undermine any coping skills they might have had to begin with, like living in crushing poverty, enduring abuse in many forms, and suffering from mental health diagnoses and addictions - many of which are closely related to the traumas they experienced in the former situations.
One passage from In Shock particularly highlighted how a healthy mind can be so important in a healthy response to being sick or injured, or just in a challenging and tragic situation:
In Shock is full of examples of how Awdish used her own "fiery, molten strength" to survive and recover from being critically ill. First in how she tries to communicate her own understanding of the depth of her illness to her care team, and then in her approach to the rehabilitation process after being discharged from the hospital. She pushes herself through pain, through boredom, through one set of tragic circumstances after another. At times, she feels sorry for herself, feels powerless, and feels a sense of hopelessness, but she doesn't let it take root and grow.
As an emergency physician, I very frequently encounter people who have a much less healthy response to being ill. Although often frustrating, it's hardly surprising, given that so many people in the communities where I work suffer from life circumstances that serve to seriously undermine any coping skills they might have had to begin with, like living in crushing poverty, enduring abuse in many forms, and suffering from mental health diagnoses and addictions - many of which are closely related to the traumas they experienced in the former situations.
One passage from In Shock particularly highlighted how a healthy mind can be so important in a healthy response to being sick or injured, or just in a challenging and tragic situation:
"I learned that what was true of pain was true of most feelings. I didn't have to just submit to them, I was actually central to their construction. I could build a story of sadness and read it to myself, or I could choose not to...I could redefine my identity and claim my desired emotional state."I believe that often people do consider how a lack of resources or lack of psychiatric stability affects the ability to treat or heal disease. Imagine the potential health and cost benefits from cultivating resilience and grit in a population, regardless of their income level, social standing, lack or presence of mental health issues?
