Elizabeth Ross (* 8. July 1926 in Zurich; "† 24 August 2004 in Scottsdale, Arizona) was an Swiss-US-American Psychiaterin. It was concerned with death and handling with dying, with mourning and mourning work.

Life

Elizabeth Ross was born as one of triplet sisters and buyer daughter 1926 in Zurich. It locked 1957 their medicine study with the graduation at the University of Zurich. With its married man Emanuel "“Manny"” Ross moved it 1958 into the USA. It was active in several positions as Psychiaterin in important American hospitals and became 1985 Professorin at the university of Virginia. Ross for their achievements between 1974 and 1996 23 honour doctorates at different universities and colleges lent, beyond that received it over 70 national and international honors. 1995 suffered it an impact accumulation on 2 further followed and it to the wheelchair bound. The news magazine TIME ranked it 1999 among "„the 100 largest scientists and philosophers "“20. Century.

The observations of Elizabeth Ross represent the foundation-stone of the today's realizations over the situation of dying.

Their goal was it to learn from the dying to how one deals with dying and which they expect for assistance. For this purpose it led interviews with incurably patients. During the discussions the concerning were responded directly to their feelings and thoughts on death and dying. Above all the physicians excited themselves at first about this method. Despite violent criticism the feedback of the patients was predominantly positive: From 200 patients 198 accepted this possibility for the discussion thanking.

By countless Workshops and lectures, which she held approximately around the globe, it gave in particular crucial impulses to physicians, care forces, social workers, Seelsorgern, to handling dying and mourning humans. Their core message participated that the helping first their own fears and life problems ("“incomplete business"”) as far as possible to clarify to have, before they can turn to humans at the end of life helpfully.

Later in their life it failed with its plan a Hospiz for AIDS patient of children after the model of the English lady doctor Cicely Saunders to establish.

In an interview Ross looked on its life back: "“In Switzerland I was educated after the principle: work, work, work. You are only valuable humans, if you work. This is basicwrong. Half work, half dance. That is the correct mixture! I danced too little and too few played."”

In the cinematic documentation of the life of Elizabeth Ross with the title from 2002 said they see "“to death in face"”: "“Today I am sure that there is a life after death. And that death, our physical death, is simple the death of the Kokons. Consciousness and soul live on on another level. Without any doubt."”

The five phases of dying

Ross defined the five phases of dying recognized today. There is more exact not phases of the physical procedure dying separates the mental processing of the obligation to the parting from the life with persons, who experience consciously that they go through substantial health degradations. These "“phases"” are defense mechanisms in the psychiatric sense and serve the accomplishment of extremely difficult situations, which can be present next to each other and persist differently long. There is also no fixed order and no exclusion of the repetition of individual phases after their first accomplishment.

Nichtwahrhabenwollen and isolation

The illness is denied first by the patient. It states that the radiograph was exchanged or the physician placed a wrong diagnosis. If the family does not want to argue with death, it cannot help the member in this phase. The consequence means for the members that they here-long the death of the dying ("„die as fast as possible "“). As outstanding one one can help the patient, by offering confidence to him and the patients possibly also in its Nichtwahrhabenwollen supported.

Anger

The patient feels envy on the living on. That e.g. leads to uncontrollable rage outbreaks on all, which do not suffer from its illness, like sisters, physicians and member. These can earn far their money, spend it in vacation and realize their plans. The fear of troubles the dying besides, it feels its suffering before the background of the disasters on the television as unimportant. Assistance for the patient can be attention for not going to the patient out of the way and if necessary also for provoking its anger, so that it comes to the discussion. With the fact it remains important that the care are to take the anger of the patient not personally, since the anger provokes otherwise Gegenzorn, which draws an incorrect circle (spiral of the controversy).

Negotiate

This phase represents a short volatile phase, in which childlike behaviors come to day, like a only zornigen, then negotiating child, who wants itself with domestic activities a reward erhandeln. The patient hopes by co-operation for reward like a longer life-span and liberty of pain. Usually the trade is closed top secret with God, by dedicating its life to the church or putting its body of the science at the disposal. In order to assist the patient in this phase, it helps, to recognize its debt feelings in relation to for example the church and to free it from its irrational fears to.

Depression

The solidification, the anger and rage are replaced in two forms from despair and loss. The first form is reactive. It refers to a loss, i.e. the chest after a OI, already happened, the money for the hospital, the responsibility in relation to the family. By fight of these concerns with for example a chest prosthesis or the necessary conversion of the family supply, can be helped to the suffering. The second form is preparing nature and worries about a threatening loss like death or the absence in the life of the relatives. Also here intervention of the surrounding field can procure Linderung for the patient in its suffering, e.g. by reports from the members the fact that children of far write good notes and play much i.e. that it despite absence of the patient continues the used life. Too much attendance disturbs however a mourning, which must be always permitted to the patient. Without subjective knowing of the fear and the despair no reaching the next phase is in view.

Agreement

After envy and anger on all recovering and living person the patient expects death and expands its sleep. The phase is of feelings, the fight is free, the pain to pass past and the patient wants by the problems of the external world in peace be left. Thus this is the most difficult phase for the persons in the surrounding field of the dying, since they must experience also rejections. Old patients reach this agreement phase more easily, there them on their life, their children and thus a sense to look back can. Difficulty during this process makes the distinction of this phase in relation to early giving up. As a member one helps best by mute listening, by showing by the fact that one remains up to death thereby.

It remains recapitulatory saying that all phases are occupied together with "“hope"” and that it would be an error to take to the dying hope. It is thus the task of the physician to pass hope on ("„I did my best to help over you and I will continue, around its situation after forces to facilitate "“). Thus the physician becomes the friend, who goes with up to death.

Criticism

While their early work finds broad acknowledgment, expressed at the late work of Elizabeth Ross increases criticism, in particular that it became increasingly more esoterischer and unscientific: Thus it developed a pseudoscientific stage model on its anekdotischen dying reports, and later even it states that a life after death and the Reinkarnation are "“scientifically proven"”; altogether it played down a dying and death and varnished. In their examination center in Escondido, California (Shanti Nilaya, Sanskrit for home of the peace) held it spiritistische meetings and departed from the science.

In English one summarizes itself on Elizabeth Ross appointing, eulogisierende viewpoint of death after its relevant book on Death and Dying under the key word Death & Dying or Death "“n"” Dying.

Quotations

• A "“dying - which is, as if one would drive soon into holidays. I am pleased already terribly."”

See also

• Coping
• Palliation
• Thanatologie

Literature

• Elizabeth Ross: "“Interviews with dying"”, cross publishing house 1974/new edition Droemer Knaur 2001, ISBN 3426870711
• Elizabeth Ross: "“Over death and the life thereafter"”, silver cord publishing house 2002, ISBN 3923781024
• Elizabeth Ross, David Kessler: "“Saved in the life"”, Droemer Knaur 2003, ISBN 342677593X
• Ross, E. (Hrsg.): Become ripe death. Cross publishing house 1983
• Ross, E.: AIDS - Challenge to the humanity. Cross publishing house, Stuttgart 1988
• Ross, E.: Release from the fear. Cross publishing house, Stuttgart 1983
• Ross, E.: The invisible friends. Oesch publishing house, Glattbrugg Zurich 1985
• Ross, E.: Children and death. Cross publishing house, Stuttgart 1984
• Ross, E.: Lives to we parting take. Cross publishing house, Stuttgart 1979

Articles in category "Elizabeth Kr Ross"

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