It depends on how things are to you

Abstract

Tyreman's recent editorial in the International Journal of Osteopathic Medicine [1] was, like many of his papers [2-11], a spur for us as practitioners to reflect on the way we think and work with patients. However, this contribution was special. Tyreman drew on his own experience of serious illness to reflect on the role of narrative and ended the editorial by offering a description of the clinician's task: "The practitioner's task is not merely to explain and treat, but to provide support and insight into the meaning of illness experiences in order to enable a patient to develop a better, life-enhancing narrative and become a more whole person."