O corpo silencioso e a expressão da vida psíquica no sujeito acometido pela esclerose lateral amiotrófica

Abstract

This research aims to reflect on the expression of the psychic life of the subject affected by Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), understood the experience of his "body silenced." By this term to designate that peculiar condition of the subject, with the advancement of the disease, tends to lose as much as the articulation of speech movements, with a severeimpairment in their ability to communicate. We want to understand the psychic expression of this subject from the interaction of caregivers, family members and health professionals in contact with this guy at an advanced stage. The method of clinical-qualitative research (Turato, 2005), whose relevance to human health research is to seek to interpret psychological and sociocultural meanings brought by individuals affected by disease as well as the caregivers, families and professionals. The number of participants was determined by the criterion of saturation (Minayo, 1994), in which the researcher closed the group when a number of interviews already reaches the level of expected information. Free collect testimonies of eight participants, four health professionals with experience in caring for ALS patients: a neurologist and a psychologist, a therapist and a physiotherapist, and four caregivers and / or relatives of people affected by ALS: a daughter of patient, a hired caregiver, wife and widow of a patient. Participants were questioned from both aspects of their interaction with the subject affected by ALS, first, ask how, when living with the subject could perceive, interpret and understand their vicissitudes. Then we question what resources used to establish an intersubjective communication between the health professional, family or carer and the individual affected by ALS. Finally, we consider that the expressionunderstanding of the subject's psychic life with ALS encompasses a gradient ranging from the pragmatic elements relational positions by caregivers whose complement has the effect of the seizure of the subjective contents of the patients