Comments on: The ‘Tyranny of Positive Thinking’ and Cancer Patients — A Physician-Author Says That It’s Not Always Best to Tell People to ‘Be Optimistic’ http://oneminutebookreviews.wordpress.com/2007/11/13/the-%e2%80%98tyranny-of-positive-thinking%e2%80%99-and-cancer-patients-a-physician-author-says-that-its-not-always-best-to-tell-people-to-be-optimistic/ Janice Harayda Reviews Fiction, Nonfiction and Poetry for Adults and Children Mon, 20 May 2013 13:35:15 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: 1minutebookreviewswordpresscom http://oneminutebookreviews.wordpress.com/2007/11/13/the-%e2%80%98tyranny-of-positive-thinking%e2%80%99-and-cancer-patients-a-physician-author-says-that-its-not-always-best-to-tell-people-to-be-optimistic/#comment-5070 Mon, 17 Dec 2007 01:09:48 +0000 http://oneminutebookreviews.wordpress.com/2007/11/13/the-%e2%80%98tyranny-of-positive-thinking%e2%80%99-and-cancer-patients-a-physician-author-says-that-its-not-always-best-to-tell-people-to-be-optimistic/#comment-5070 Samantha — It is so helpful to have comments like yours (from someone who has “been there”). In my experience as a critic, there are many more books by “experts” (doctors, therapists etc.) on what THEY think cancer survivors need than there are books by the cancer survivors themselves.

We need to hear more from survivors. And maybe, as we do hear more, people will become more sensitive. Thanks so much for your openness (which I hope will encourage others to share their experiences here or elsewhere).
Jan

]]> By: iamsamiam http://oneminutebookreviews.wordpress.com/2007/11/13/the-%e2%80%98tyranny-of-positive-thinking%e2%80%99-and-cancer-patients-a-physician-author-says-that-its-not-always-best-to-tell-people-to-be-optimistic/#comment-5067 Sun, 16 Dec 2007 23:53:10 +0000 http://oneminutebookreviews.wordpress.com/2007/11/13/the-%e2%80%98tyranny-of-positive-thinking%e2%80%99-and-cancer-patients-a-physician-author-says-that-its-not-always-best-to-tell-people-to-be-optimistic/#comment-5067 I recently survived NHL and received many “stay positive” and “God has a plan” comments. Sometimes I felt like it was just something people said to offer something of hope. I know the people who say such things don’t really think about what it’s like to have cancer, or to be battling cancer while the drugs you are taking are doing their best to kill you. At times it’s _impossible_ to feel possible because the drugs themselves cause you to feel dread or terribly ill. It’s just one of those things – you’ll rarely hear another survivor utter such a flippant comment.

Thank-you for addressing this topic! Kindly, Samantha Tengelitsch, NHL-survivor 6-months and counting!

]]> By: 1minutebookreviewswordpresscom http://oneminutebookreviews.wordpress.com/2007/11/13/the-%e2%80%98tyranny-of-positive-thinking%e2%80%99-and-cancer-patients-a-physician-author-says-that-its-not-always-best-to-tell-people-to-be-optimistic/#comment-4645 Tue, 13 Nov 2007 15:48:29 +0000 http://oneminutebookreviews.wordpress.com/2007/11/13/the-%e2%80%98tyranny-of-positive-thinking%e2%80%99-and-cancer-patients-a-physician-author-says-that-its-not-always-best-to-tell-people-to-be-optimistic/#comment-4645 Based on my experience of having lost relatives to cancer, you expressed the dilemma well. I suspect I’m the one who wasn’t specific enough, not Holland.

The National Book Awards are being announced tomorrow night, and I’m trying to get through some of the finalists. So I didn’t say as much about Holland’s ideas as I might have at another time. But there are enough books coming out about cancer and other illnesses that I’ll probably return to the subject before long. Maybe I can go into more detail then. Thanks so much for your comment in the meantime.

]]> By: kevmoore http://oneminutebookreviews.wordpress.com/2007/11/13/the-%e2%80%98tyranny-of-positive-thinking%e2%80%99-and-cancer-patients-a-physician-author-says-that-its-not-always-best-to-tell-people-to-be-optimistic/#comment-4644 Tue, 13 Nov 2007 12:06:24 +0000 http://oneminutebookreviews.wordpress.com/2007/11/13/the-%e2%80%98tyranny-of-positive-thinking%e2%80%99-and-cancer-patients-a-physician-author-says-that-its-not-always-best-to-tell-people-to-be-optimistic/#comment-4644 Having experienced bereavement first hand through cancer- I lost my mother aged 52 – I’m not sure if Holland is being specific enough. True, its unhelpful to tell the patient to smile away inanely, when they’ll clearly be dead by the end of the week, but perhaps encouragement to enjoy their last days. This is the mental hurdle that has to be leapt, to transcend the essential sadness of time on earth drawing to a close, and attempt to fill the tiny remainder with some joy. My mother, bless her, spent some of her last moments trying to convince my Dad not to sell their caravan!

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