Posted: August 10th, 2022
Life review versus ordinary remembering
Life review versus ordinary remembering
Taking a look back at your life vs. just remembering
There are many reasons why someone should think about their past and maybe talk about it with their partner, close friends, and loved ones. A life review is not the same as just remembering something from the past. Everyday memory is when a person remembers certain times or events from their past (Nall, 2018).
Life review is when a person looks at many memories to see how they fit together over the course of their life. A life review can help a person in many different ways. Life reviews can help older people who may be nearing the end of their lives find hope, value, and meaning in their lives. Life reviews could be one way to help an older person with anxiety or depression. Life review can also boost a person’s self-esteem by making them realize how important their accomplishments were (Nall, 2018).
People with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, anxiety or depression, a terminal illness, or who have lost a loved one may benefit from a life review. Therapists will look at a person’s life through the lens of a theme or a certain time in their life. The therapist may also suggest that the patient bring a memento, such as music, photos, letters, or a family tree, to make their time together more meaningful (Nall, 2018).
Life review therapy often uses themes like education, schooling, growing older, health, literature, milestones (like getting married, buying a first home, joining the military, getting a first job, going on a first date, or buying a first car), important historical events, major turning points, music, purpose, and values. Life review therapy lets older people think about their lives and makes them feel happy. This therapy can help a person see how their life fits together (Nall, 2018).
There have been times when I’ve been sitting with my mom and we’ve talked about things from her past, but I never really gave much thought to the difference between a life review and just remembering. I will now make plans to sit down with her and find out more about how her many memories make her who she is. I only wish I had known about this sooner, before my father died, so I could have had more time to learn about his life.
Reference
Nall, R. (2018, May 30). Healthline, https://www.healthline.com/health/life-review-therapy
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Life review versus ordinary remembering