Working Definition of Humanistic Medicine
The person cannot be seen simply as his disease nor can the health professional limit his expertise to medical technology. The full healing potential of their relationship often depends on their interaction as whole human beings and far exceeds the treatment of disease.
Every person achieves a unique interdependent relationship of body, mind, emotions, and spirit, inseparable from other individuals and society. Illness can best be understood as a disturbance within the dynamic balance of these relationships. Health may be defined as the harmony of the whole and the work of the health professional as aiding in the re-establishment of a more fully conscious equilibrium within the whole.
The person and the health professional are colleagues. Their collaboration activates the latent human and biological resources within the patient for healing. The patient is encouraged to be aware of his choices and become increasingly responsible for his own health, growth, and fulfillment.
Illness may provide an opportunity for personal growth. The experience of disease may be used creatively to re-evaluate life goals and values, provide clarity in setting priorities and mobilize previously untapped strengths. The health professional enables the patient to evolve a positive value from the experience of disease, to maintain identity and reaffirm dignity as a person.
Illness must be seen in the context of the life span of the individual. Indeed, it may have a unique meaning when seen in reference to the total life of the patient. Physical disease and emotional suffering have an individual message for each patient, yielding information about such personal issues as lifestyle, self-worth, and the value of time. The knowledge gained through the understanding of this individual meaning may enable the patient to enrich the quality of his or her life.
*Of course Julie found it at Goodwill, she's got an amazing eye for bargains!
