TY - JOUR
T1 - The shared emotional themes of illness
AU - McDaniel, Susan H.
AU - Hepworth, Jeri
AU - Doherty, William J.
PY - 2000
Y1 - 2000
N2 - Illness is both an individual and a relational issue. This paper describes the emotional impact of physical illness on families. We describe 10 themes that represent common affective responses to the challenge of a biological problem. They are: denial vs. acceptance, despair vs. hope, secrecy vs. sharing, guilt vs. forgiveness, burden vs. relief, isolation vs. connection, passivity vs. taking charge, fear vs. courage, loss vs. renewal, and senselessness vs. meaning. Treatment can be targeted to one or more of these themes as they emerge in medical family therapy. Therapists' own experience with illness also may play a role in facilitating, or impeding, interventions with patients and families.
AB - Illness is both an individual and a relational issue. This paper describes the emotional impact of physical illness on families. We describe 10 themes that represent common affective responses to the challenge of a biological problem. They are: denial vs. acceptance, despair vs. hope, secrecy vs. sharing, guilt vs. forgiveness, burden vs. relief, isolation vs. connection, passivity vs. taking charge, fear vs. courage, loss vs. renewal, and senselessness vs. meaning. Treatment can be targeted to one or more of these themes as they emerge in medical family therapy. Therapists' own experience with illness also may play a role in facilitating, or impeding, interventions with patients and families.
KW - Emotions
KW - Family therapy
KW - Illness
KW - Medical family therapy
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U2 - 10.1300/J085v10n04_01
DO - 10.1300/J085v10n04_01
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0033360845
SN - 0897-5353
VL - 10
SP - 1
EP - 8
JO - Journal of Family Psychotherapy
JF - Journal of Family Psychotherapy
IS - 4
ER -