Thanatology
Thanatology is a scientific discipline that is responsible for finding the meaning of the process of death, its rites and meaning conceived as a professional discipline, which integrates the person as a biological, psychological, social and spiritual being to live in fullness and seek their transcendence. It also deals with grief derived from significant losses that do not have to do with physical death or terminal illness. A more concrete definition is to consider it as "the study of life that includes death". From the Greek origin thanatos (death) and logos (study or treatise); therefore, the objective of thanatology is to provide professional help to the patient with a terminal illness and their families, or to a person who is experiencing some kind of loss.
The study of thanatology includes aspects such as:
- Helping to create in people their own belief systems about life and death, not as a fantasy or punishment but as the acceptance of death as a natural process.
- Preparing people to deal with any kind of loss.
- Educate people to deal humanely and intelligently with those who are close to death.
- To understand the dynamics of grief from a human point of view, where the importance of emotions is emphasized.
- One of the the most important points in thanatology is the principle of autonomy, which allows the individual to make his or her own decisions related to the process of dying or his or her own life. The dignity of the person is understood only through respect for freedom.
When is Thanatology necessary?
- In the face of the pain and despair of losing a loved one.
- When a job is lost.
- When a relationship ends.
- Ante el dolor de sufrir la pérdida de un miembro físico (amputación) ya sea por accidente o enfermedad.
- When suffering a material loss.
- The pain of suffering the loss of a physical limb (amputation) either by accident or illness.
- any other any other circumstance that generates a loss, whether physical, emotional or material. all these are losses that motivate a situation of mourning and a specialist in Thanatology can intervene to intervene a specialist in Thanatology can intervene to support the person in the handling of these situations.
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