title: Illness in the therapist: the eye patch.
abstract: During the second year of my psychiatry residency I began to experience an illness (corneal dysplasia) which necessitated the wearing of an eye patch for unpredictable lengths of time. I will use this particular even in the life of a therapist to focus on the array of feelings, reactions and meanings such an event stimulates in therapists, patients and colleagues. In addition to describing transference, countertransference and personal reactions, I will link the concept of such an occurrence as "special event" with the therapist's belief in his own specialness, which magically immunizes him against illness and death.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003315:Cornea / Q000002:abnormalities; D003379:Countertransference; D003643:Death; D004194:Disease / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005391:Firesetting Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D008297:Male; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D012059:Rejection, Psychology; D014167:Transference, Psychology