Coyote Wisdom

May 1, 2005
Mehl-Madrona (M.D., Ph.D.) outlines what he calls "narrative medicine," or a "storied" approach to disease and recovery that can be used in conjunction with standard medical treatment. Believing that answers to illness lie within each patient, he draws on such diverse sources as traditional Native American tales, pop-culture figures, and fictional characters to encourage patients to perceive how their illnesses have allowed them to accomplish a goal, and how to retain or transfer that goal while releasing the illness. One anorexia patient, for instance, attained a level of "perfection" with her extreme dieting that she couldn't bring about in other areas of her life. Working together, doctor and patient construct stories that externalize illness, rather than making it part of one's character. Case studies cover eating disorders, depression, battering, lupus, and various cancers, and Mehl-Madrona explains how, in extreme cases, the narratives are used to control pain or allow a patient to die more peacefully. A fascinating look at a branch of alternative medicine.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2005, American Library Association.)