You do not currently have permission to view the full text for this document. Please sign in to an account with an active subscription or contact support.
The past two to three decades have seen a virtual revolution in American society's association between the mind and the body, particularly as it relates to illness, and the burgeoning literature on mind-body medicine reflects this. However, a cursory glance at the bookshelves of any local bookstore, or a search on Amazon.com, reveals that the majority of such books fall into the genre of “self-help,” with such titles as “How to Cope with Debilitating Illness.” While these may be of value to the individual, family members, and caregivers, rare is the book that specifically addresses the role of the physician in understanding the impact of medical illness on the psychosocial life of the patient.
So it was with great enthusiasm that I agreed to review Dr. Tamara McClintock Greenberg's recent book, The Psychological Impact of Acute and Chronic Medical Illness: A Practical Guide for Primary Care Physicians. Greenberg, a psychologist with substantial experience consulting on medical patients within an academic teaching hospital, as well as in a private practice focusing on the medical patient's needs, has much to offer in helping physicians understand the emotional reactions and needs of the medical patient with a serious acute or chronic debilitating illness.
My excitement in reading and reviewing Greenberg's book emanates from a personal place: as a Family Physician in practice for over 20 years, I have, from the onset of my career choice, been passionately interested in the biopsychosocial aspects of medicine and patient care. In addition, soon after completing my residency, I was diagnosed with a chronic autoimmune arthritis, which, over the years, has limited my personal and professional activities significantly. In fact, the progressive nature of the condition ultimately caused me to give up my private family practice a few years ago.