Doctoral Dissertations

Date of Award

5-1997

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Major

Psychology

Major Professor

Robert G. Wahler

Committee Members

Richard Gillespie, Michael Nash, Warren Jones

Abstract

Chronic illness has reached epidemic proportions in Western societies, and comorbidity of emotional and physical disorders is substantial. Despite the underlying unity of mind and body, a dualistic biomedical model of illness continues to prevail in the Western medical system, assuming that all disease is connected with a specific physical cause, and that physical treatment alone is adequate to provide a cure. Individuals and society at large are portrayed as engaging in a "war" or battle against illness, in which the goal is to control and defeat this dreaded enemy. Our predominantly action-oriented fighting mode is in contrast to the model of acceptance and understanding espoused by more "primitive" healing practitioners. This study examined the progression of a single individual's treatment for a chronic pain syndrome known as Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, as a dynamic process which includes biological, psychological, and social elements. Verbal transcripts of psychotherapy sessions were analyzed, along with physiological measures of peripheral vascular response and subjective ratings of pain-related intensity and affect. Quantitative analysis of outcome measures showed that by the end of her psychological treatment, the participant had developed a more complex and tolerant view of herself and her ecosystem. Both pain intensity and pain-related affect decreased, while peripheral finger temperature stabilized within a clearly defined modal range. The theoretical concept of "balance" was operationalized, and shown to be an element important in the individual's healthy functioning.

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