Saudades at the edge of the self and the merits of 'portable families'.
The treatment of a Mexican American patient who was referred due to hallucinations reveals a world of 'magic realism' that is far from infrequent in elderly people with a small and dwindling social network--especially if they come from cultures where the boundaries between the inner and the outer world are fuzzy. Respecting these traits allows for the development of treatment approaches that can evolve satisfactorily without disrupting the patient's inscription in this dual world.
Sluzki
Carlos E
CE
Department of Global and Community Health, College of Health and Human Services, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA. csluzki@gmu.edu
D000368:Aged; D001601:Bereavement; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D004532:Ego; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006117:Grief; D006212:Hallucinations / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007092:Imagination; D008132:Loneliness / Q000523:psychology*; D008273:Magic; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000523:psychology*; D011613:Psychotherapy; D011936:Reality Testing; D012944:Social Support