Patografia jako zjawisko kulturowe i jako narzędzie nadawania znaczeń chorobie przez współczesnych pacjentów

In a modernistic society being ill stigmatized ailing individuals. Their prolonged passiveness was interpreter as demoralising and antisocial. Now, however, these issues have become less obvious – social isolation of the sick is coming to an end, the convictions that the disease is a sin committed against the society are collapsing and the sick are not stigmatized anymore. Democratisation of social life and the increasing awareness of social and health inequalities have contributed to the birth of patient movements and a new autobiography genre called patography. The concept of patography derives from two Greek words: pato – ill, disordered, pathological and grafia (graphy) – writing. More and more people feel the need and, perhaps, even the obligation of presenting their biography exactly in the context of a health loss experience. Being ill (with some diseases) becomes a factor that positively valorizes human being’s situation and also himself.