PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS OF ILLNESS CONDITIONS AND PHYSICAL DISABILITIES, AND THEIR PLACE IN THE DISCOURSE--OR BETTER TO SAY: IN THE INTERACTION BETWEEN PHYSICIAN AND PATIENT.

This article is based on the idea that, in the dialogue between physician and patient, aside from determining "what kind of illness a person has", it is equally important to acknowledge "what kind of person stands behind the illness". This means that the psychological meaning denoted by the patient to the physician's explanations referring to his/her impaired medical condition, and nature of the disability, is most important in determining whether the patient will--in the psychological sense--perceive him/herself as handicapped. Basic concepts in the patient's coping process with the medical condition, and the proper adjustment to a possible disability are: adaptation to an adequate, new body image; awareness--as a cognitive procedure; acceptance--as an emotional entity.