Hablar de la muerte para vivir mejor

Our modern Western society lives with its back to death. In just two generations, the rites and symbols with which it was previously accompanied have disappeared, turning death into a taboo. Although we believe that this way we are happier, this behavior causes added pain and suffering, because it distances people who live the experience of death and mourning from society, condemning them to solitude, preventing them from finding space, references or rituals. The author reviews how our relationship with death has changed over time through historical data, articles by psychologists, psychiatrists, bioethicists and philosophers, fragments of novels, songs and movies. From a medical perspective, but above all a human one, Montserrat Esquerda analyzes how we have lived with the awareness of finitude and brings up another uncomfortable topic: she points out that medicine has focused on healing, forgetting that one of its primary objectives should be attempt a peaceful death and alleviate the suffering that accompanies it. This book reminds us of the importance of keeping in mind our finitude, not only in our personal sphere but in our relationships with others. Because the absence of conversations on this topic in everyday life or when a serious illness appears in a family member, the disappearance of children in farewell rituals and wakes, and the lack of preparation cause us to live the inevitable experience with greater stress and chaos. of death. We are all going to die one day and, first, we are going to grieve for the loss of a loved one. Having social, cultural and family references will be of great help when the time comes. We must recover that familiarity with death for our own interest, and it is a collective task. Let's start reading this book and dare to break another taboo.