Tag: addiction

The tennis partner

Abraham Verghese is a bestselling novelist (Cutting for Stone; The Covenant of Water) and this memoir is written with elegance as deep as his medical expertise as an internist. The story of his close relationship with a medical student whose life unravels through addiction gives profound insight into physicians who struggle with addiction (like anyone else, but also quite differently). His role as a teacher and mentor for medical students gives an up close view of what medical education can be: sensitive and humane, without denying how much physicians must learn under often-stressful conditions. Pre-health professions students, medical students and graduate health humanities courses committed to reading the whole book would find much to discuss about both those issues. I used Chapter 11, an extended examination of and conversation with a patient, hospitalized for various complications of being both a heroin addict and unhoused, to talk through humanistic approaches to medical care with undergraduates.

“Rosario Tijeras” Jorge Franco

“Rosario Tijeras” by Jorge Franco is a Colombian novel that explores the world of drug trafficking and its impact on individuals. The story follows Rosario as she grapples with the trauma of sexual abuse, which has driven her into a life of crime within the violent drug trade. The novel also delves into Rosario’s mental health and the relationships she forms. Additionally, it sheds light on the effects of child sexual abuse and the physical toll of her criminal lifestyle as they lead to hospitalization. Undergraduates would be highly motivated by the storyline, dialect and characters. 160 pages, only available in print or electronic (paid) edition, but inexpensive ($10 used) and readily available.

Siete voces que cuentan cómo superaron sus adicciones

This article provides seven different stories from recovering drug addicts with the intention of reducing the stigma behind drug addiction. Each story provides a glimpse into the life of each person, past their addiction. They discuss how their addictions started, as well as how they have been recovering from their addictions and beginning to reclaim their lives. Intermediate level, 4 pages.

Jeraldine’s Story: There is Hope

This is one of several stories on the Patient & Family Storytelling website. The story begins with Jeraldine’s traumatic early childhood experiences and continues to describe her alcoholism and its impact on her life. Following treatment for cancer and liver disease, she reconnects with her culture. The story could prompt discussion of intergenerational trauma and its health impacts as well as the importance of providing culturally appropriate healthcare services that address trauma and holistic care.

Pain hustlers

There are many film narratives that relate to opioid addiction, some documentary and others, like this one, “based on true events.” Run time is just under 2 hours and there’s little sexual or violent content (though plenty of strong language), so it could be used in many undergrad classes: health communication, media studies, pre-health professions. The focus is on a mythical small pharmaceutical company that hits a goldmine when a bright young woman figures out how to market their brand of fentanyl to greedy, unscrupulous doctors. She tries to keep the men in charge of the company within ethical and legal bounds, without success, and the epidemic of addiction follows its well-known course. At the end there is footage of real pharma executives receiving real prison sentences, reminding the audience this isn’t just a fable. Advantage of a drama over documentary – or perhaps in tandem with one – is opening questions of sympathetic portrayals and power differences based on sex and class. Available on Netflix.

Columna de Adictos y adicciones: Mi experiencia en un grupo de doce pasos

This 5 page newspaper article (about a 15 minute read for advanced Spanish speakers; more for lower levels) is a transcript of an addict’s story as told to a Narcotics Anonymous group. Jose Antonio says that he was trapped by a “circle of death” and describes how addiction is a disease that isolates the addict from the world. NA teaches him the difference between religion and spirituality and he explains how this insight was important to his sobriety. Useful for insights into 12-step programs and their approach to addiction, perhaps best for a community group discussion.

Familia conoce a mujer que recibió corazón de hija con VIH

Shaffrey describes the life of a woman, Brittany Newton, who suffered from a heroin addiction and died when she was 30 years old. She was also HIV-positive–for many years, doctors have transplanted organs from one HIV-positive person to another. This happened in the case of Brittany’s donated heart, and Brittany’s family was able to hear her heart beating in Maria’s, the transplant recipient’s, chest. 5 minute read, appropriate for upper intermediate Spanish learners.

El miedo de engordar en cuarentena

This narrative is from a woman whose struggle with bulimia worsened during the Covid lockdowns. Maria describes the impact of the isolation and forced inactivity that came from lockdown, and the physical and mental damage she has suffered from her bulimia during the quarantine. Contextualizes her personal struggle in social and cultural frameworks of beauty and control, making this useful for advanced intermediate and above students – and educated lay adults – to discuss eating disorders.

René (Video Oficial)

This 7-minute music video tells Rene’s (Residente) story of growing up “lower middle class” but secure in Puerto Rico. Describes happiness, sadness and the fragility of being a famous rapper and how he uses alcohol to deal with powerful feelings: loneliness, fear, grief – but music and baseball are more stable healing forces. The video has accurate subtitles in both Spanish and English and moves quite slowly (and can be slowed even further). Many scenes and details of Puerto Rican culture, excellent illustration of dialect features. Could be used to discuss alcoholism, addiction, grief in an upper intermediate or higher Spanish course.

Syllabus Spanish Health Narratives

This 3000-level course is of particular interest to Spanish majors and minors with health professions interests, although readings and assignments are aimed at any Spanish student with intermediate level proficiency. Creative writing majors from English, students interested in editing and publishing, International Studies and Global Health Studies majors, Communication Studies majors with general interests in health, all have succeeded. Readings are from Latinx and Latin American authors; some in English, many in Spanish. Assignments are four creative writing projects, one that becomes a digital video.