BOOK 166: JUST CHECKING: SCENES
FROM THE LIFE OF AN OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE: EMILY COLAS
Just Checking by Emily Colas
is an account of her experience with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Divided into four sections,
Colas provides snapshots of her life in a journal like manner. The text conveys
her emotions regarding the disease throughout her entire life including her
childhood and her role as a mother herself.
NARRATIVE MEDICINE
Just Checking fits into the
literary genre of narrative medicine. Rita Charon describes Narrative Medicine
as "medicine practiced with the narrative competence to recognize, absorb,
interpret, and be moved by the stories of illness." The purpose of
narrative medicine is to add a more meaningful component to sickness and
disease. Emily Colas' literary work is an illness
narrative because Colas describes her disorder with emotion. She
covers all aspects of her life in regards to the disease through her narrative.
She acknowledges the illness and releases her feelings towards her
dysfunctional condition. Colas' narrative provides an outlet for her to discuss
her disorder and reflect on her journey to recovery.
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