Chronic Illnesses as a personal identification, as a way of life or as a message for “anamorphosis” of the self- Case study (The essential contribution of Music Medicine and Music Therapy.)

Music Medicine focuses mainly on the laboratory results of the precomposed music effects on human physiology. Music Therapy, which is being practiced inside and outside hospitals, focuses on the healthy part of the human being, deals with what is happening at the deeper levels of the human self as a whole, encourages “anamorphosis” of the self and promises long-term inner changes.People, who suffer from chronic illnesses, regardless their age or their pathologies, experience some kind of a handicap, which inhibits functions of vital importance for their self actualization process and seriously affects their way of life. Unfortunately the patient often connects and identifies his/her image of the whole self with the chronic illness.At the present paper, through the clinical case of Kalliroy, HIV positive, is being illustrated how music psychotherapy helped her experience the acceptance of the other, at a verbal and non verbal level, move on to the self actualization path, gain a deep sense and awareness of self and finally change her way of life.