Abstract
Perceptions of Death, Belief Systems and the Process of Coping With Chronic Pain
Kotarba J A
A sociologist looks at the ongoing experience of chronic pain with its attendant coping process of searching for both relief & meaning for the intractable suffering. Religious, philosophical & mystical belief systems are explored along with their empirical use as resources to provide meaning for suffering. Suicide can result when the sense of meaning is lost.(LN)