Comments on: Richard Smith: Can poetry define health? http://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2009/01/05/richard-smith-can-poetry-define-health/ Just another blogs.bmj.com weblog Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:31:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Joel Akande http://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2009/01/05/richard-smith-can-poetry-define-health/#comment-4094 Joel Akande Wed, 01 Apr 2009 20:08:21 +0000 http://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/?p=549#comment-4094 As a poet, a writer as well as a being a medical doctor could at least qualify me to comment on this issue. 1. Poems and poetry are part of the spectrum of expressed words. We do know in psychiatry that "talking therapy" or professionally speaking, psychotherapy is a useful clinical healing tool. It happens either way. The patient talk and the therapist also do some talking during the sessions. 2. Word expression, by depressed patients / psychotic patients through their own writing, can be therapeutic. This is well proven clinically. 3. Apart from this, poems can be inspirational (or encouraging) to the hearer or reader. 4. Similarly and this is important, poets including the patients do "get the load off my chest" as the saying goes. In conclusion, our health is intrinsically tied to our words of which poem or poetry is a crucial way of achieving it. Thank God for freedom of expression and of speech. Were it not so, we may all be ill, one way or the other. Dr Joel Akande www.myeexpert.com As a poet, a writer as well as a being a medical doctor could at least qualify me to comment on this issue.

1. Poems and poetry are part of the spectrum of expressed words. We do know in psychiatry that “talking therapy” or professionally speaking, psychotherapy is a useful clinical healing tool. It happens either way. The patient talk and the therapist also do some talking during the sessions.

2. Word expression, by depressed patients / psychotic patients through their own writing, can be therapeutic. This is well proven clinically.

3. Apart from this, poems can be inspirational (or encouraging) to the hearer or reader.

4. Similarly and this is important, poets including the patients do “get the load off my chest” as the saying goes.
In conclusion, our health is intrinsically tied to our words of which poem or poetry is a crucial way of achieving it.

Thank God for freedom of expression and of speech. Were it not so, we may all be ill, one way or the other.

Dr Joel Akande
http://www.myeexpert.com

]]> By: Jyoti Singh Visvanath http://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2009/01/05/richard-smith-can-poetry-define-health/#comment-3582 Jyoti Singh Visvanath Fri, 16 Jan 2009 07:09:55 +0000 http://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/?p=549#comment-3582 The author's use of poetry as an analogy for defining health is a wonderful expression of how relating unlike concepts launches an entirely new line of thought. However, my two bit(literally!)as to why defining health is so difficult is: 1. Health, like happiness, is best defined in its absence. 2.The evolution of medicine into a specialist practice has made us view health in a segmented way, whereas it can only be truly defined using a holistic paradigm. The author’s use of poetry as an analogy for defining health is a wonderful expression of how relating unlike concepts launches an entirely new line of thought.
However, my two bit(literally!)as to why defining health is so difficult is:
1. Health, like happiness, is best defined in its absence.
2.The evolution of medicine into a specialist practice has made us view health in a segmented way, whereas it can only be truly defined using a holistic paradigm.

]]> By: Sue Spencer http://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2009/01/05/richard-smith-can-poetry-define-health/#comment-3500 Sue Spencer Wed, 07 Jan 2009 21:08:50 +0000 http://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/?p=549#comment-3500 I really believe poetry has osme of the answers and as a poem may have multiple readings so does "health". Realising one's potential and feeling well are two components of health. As a nurse I am sure that there are professional differences on what defines health and that we all carry different beliefs and values that impact on it all. As a nurse now developing her poetry with expert tuition I think poetry is one part of a jigsaw puzzle. I really believe poetry has osme of the answers and as a poem may have multiple readings so does “health”. Realising one’s potential and feeling well are two components of health. As a nurse I am sure that there are professional differences on what defines health and that we all carry different beliefs and values that impact on it all. As a nurse now developing her poetry with expert tuition I think poetry is one part of a jigsaw puzzle.

]]> By: Jen http://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2009/01/05/richard-smith-can-poetry-define-health/#comment-3492 Jen Wed, 07 Jan 2009 06:49:28 +0000 http://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/?p=549#comment-3492 I am a fourth-year medical student preparing to go to the Peruvian Amazon on a 2-month clinical clerkship. I started my mefloquine this week, and as you may guess by the time of night I am writing you, I am having trouble sleeping. This is the 4th night in a row where I fall asleep with ease, and then wake up totally alert at 2 am. No change with Zopiclone last night either. I eventually fall back asleep after 1 or 2 hours. No bad dreams, to my recollection. By the way, I chose the Larium over doxycycline because of a possible sensitivity. While researching mefloquine online, I saw some of your blog as editor of BMJ. Did you get those questions answered? Is there a strategy to deal with this insomnia? Does it improve? Any suggestions would be appreciated. I am a fourth-year medical student preparing to go to the Peruvian Amazon on a 2-month clinical clerkship. I started my mefloquine this week, and as you may guess by the time of night I am writing you, I am having trouble sleeping. This is the 4th night in a row where I fall asleep with ease, and then wake up totally alert at 2 am. No change with Zopiclone last night either. I eventually fall back asleep after 1 or 2 hours. No bad dreams, to my recollection.

By the way, I chose the Larium over doxycycline because of a possible sensitivity.

While researching mefloquine online, I saw some of your blog as editor of BMJ. Did you get those questions answered? Is there a strategy to deal with this insomnia? Does it improve? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

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