Theory of unpleasant symptoms

by | Mar 11, 2025 | Analysis

Using the theory of unpleasant symptoms as a guide, what would you look for in an assessment tool for patient symptoms?

 

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Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell. 

In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.


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God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.

Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.

To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.

 

References

Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.

Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.

Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.

The Theory of Unpleasant Symptoms (TOUS) provides a valuable framework for understanding and assessing patient symptoms. Rooted in the idea that symptoms are complex and multidimensional, it emphasizes the interconnectedness of physiological, psychological, and situational factors. When designing or evaluating an assessment tool based on TOUS, I would look for the following key components:

1. Multidimensional Symptom Assessment:

  • Intensity: How severe is the symptom?
  • Frequency: How often does the symptom occur?
  • Duration: How long does the symptom last?

The Theory of Unpleasant Symptoms (TOUS) provides a valuable framework for understanding and assessing patient symptoms. Rooted in the idea that symptoms are complex and multidimensional, it emphasizes the interconnectedness of physiological, psychological, and situational factors. When designing or evaluating an assessment tool based on TOUS, I would look for the following key components:

1. Multidimensional Symptom Assessment:

  • Intensity: How severe is the symptom?
  • Frequency: How often does the symptom occur?
  • Duration: How long does the symptom last?
  • Distress: How bothersome is the symptom to the patient?
  • Quality: What does the symptom feel like (e.g., sharp, dull, throbbing)?

2. Interrelatedness of Symptoms:

  • The tool should explore how different symptoms interact and influence each other. For example, how does pain affect sleep, or how does anxiety exacerbate nausea?
  • Assessment of clusters of symptoms, rather than isolated symptoms.

3. Physiological Factors:

  • The assessment should include questions about relevant physiological parameters, such as vital signs, lab values, and physical exam findings.
  • Consideration of underlying medical conditions and treatments.
  • Questions regarding the patients current medications, and their side effects.

4. Psychological Factors:

  • The tool should assess the patient’s emotional state, including anxiety, depression, and stress levels.
  • Exploration of coping mechanisms and psychological resources.
  • Assessment of cognitive function and perceptions of the symptom.

5. Situational Factors:

  • The assessment should consider the patient’s environment, social support, and cultural background.
  • Questions about the impact of the symptom on daily activities, relationships, and work.
  • Assessment of socioeconomic factors that may influence symptom experience.

6. Patient-Centered Approach:

  • The tool should prioritize the patient’s subjective experience of the symptom.
  • Open-ended questions to allow the patient to describe their symptom in their own words.
  • Use of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs).

7. Comprehensive Symptom Profile:

  • The tool should generate a comprehensive symptom profile that integrates physiological, psychological, and situational data.
  • Visual representations of symptom data to facilitate interpretation.

8. Dynamic Assessment:

  • TOUS recognizes that symptoms can change over time.
  • The tool should allow for repeated assessments to track symptom changes and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions.

Example Assessment Tool Considerations:

  • Utilize validated symptom scales that align with TOUS principles.
  • Incorporate qualitative data collection methods, such as interviews or focus groups, to capture the patient’s lived experience.
  • Develop electronic tools that integrate physiological data from wearable devices with patient-reported symptom data.

By incorporating these elements, an assessment tool based on TOUS can provide a more holistic and nuanced understanding of patient symptoms, leading to more effective and patient-centered care.

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