Abstract
The topic of trauma and coping is a complex one. In this chapter, we approach them starting from a broader context of symbolisms and patients’ narratives and then discuss them in light of current clinical evidence. Specifically, we start by analysing the myth of the Minotaur in the Labyrinth and the Beauty and the Beast as examples of diverse patient journeys. The first represents the patient’s approach to illness passing through the maze of healthcare, with its closed ends, tortuous paths and eventually its exit; the second represents the patient’s coping with the beast of illness.
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Marini, M.G. (2019). Trauma and Coping Activation of Patients and Curers: Learning from Humanities Mythology (Odysseus and the Minotaur) and Fairy Tales (the Beauty and the Beast), Suicides and Recovery Practice. In: Languages of Care in Narrative Medicine. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94727-3_8
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