Acceptance of Illness and Death

Abstract

ntly difficult to grasp given the natural human tendency toward health and/or life. However, accepting reality as real appears to be a suitable strategy for navigating the processes of serious illness and end-of-life care. The models and paradigms that shape this approach are outlined, along with the perspectives on acceptance found in medical literature and within the palliative care setting. Through an attempt to delve deeper into the experience and concept of acceptance, its relationship to suffering is analyzed, and some ways to facilitate acceptance in these end-of-life processes are presented. Finally, the paper addresses the necessity and difficulty of accepting vulnerability, which is an intrinsic part of the human condition.