Medical illness and the acceptance of suffering

Abstract

This article challenges the belief that depression and anxiety are the inevitable consequences of medical illness. The authors describe how cognitive behavioral therapy can help individuals accept their disabilities and modify the distorted thinking patterns which may compound their suffering. Three case studies demonstrate the successful application of cognitive techniques to feelings of depression and anxiety in two patients with Stage III ovarian carcinoma and one patient with multiple sclerosis.

Neurotransmitters

• Serotonin (5-HT)

Related

• Depression