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We are going to talk about
the amazing case of where music therapy was
used on a patient in the last stages of cancer.
She described an amazing story
around an imaginary pregnancy.
The therapist believes that the psychiatric intervention
was successful thanks to music therapy
being used as part of her treatment.
The patient was diagnosed with ascites;
the accumulation of fluid in the abdomen.
The patient explained her symptoms
through an imaginary pregnancy.
She explained it as though she was pregnant with
the her therapist's child.
The patient would say, "I'm pregnant and suffering with nausea"
and "I am in the third month of pregnancy with my therapist's child".
This imaginary pregnancy progressed in line
with the changes of the symptoms of her illness.
This imaginary story played an important part of
the way of communication between the patient, her family and her doctor.
Through the use of this story the patient felt
she could express what she felt and thought.
The doctor and the hospital staff
did not opose this story, instead
they accepted it and used it to help her
express herself and open her mind.
The author has said in the article that
this method could be thought to be
a narrative way that has
recentely become popular.
This example shows, "the process of mourning",
and "the accepting death phase"
that is normal in a terminal state and
was expressed through this creation of a fantasy.
They say that this case highlights the important
role of communication between a patient and a doctor,
and the need for a sincere relationship
between both of them.
As was done in this case
through the use of music therapy.