Ms. Di
educational play about hypochondria
a g n o s e d
Harvard Medical School
visual reality
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the results
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types of hypochondria
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LETTER
OF
INTENT Fellow Medical Graduate School Programs,
Ms. Diagnosed, and educational play, is designed to open awareness of medical graduate students about hypochondria. Recently, doctors have become aware that the annoying patients that claim they have illnesses have deeper psychological problems,
connecting the dots
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such as depression. This press kit records the successful findings of Ms. Diagnosed in the hopes to bring it to other schools across the country.
Harvard Medical School
meet some of the cast
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CONN ECTIN “
“
At once crippled and cosseted by fear, the hypochondriac suffered in order to work, to write or to discover in solitude.
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NG
THE
DOTS Ms. Diagnosed , an educational play about hypochondria, was written by playwright Douglas Charles. Douglas grew up with the constant fear of being sick. In college, he almost didn’t graduate because he was consistently in the doctor’s office. It wasn’t until Douglas was 26 and close to being on the streets when he realized his hypochondria mannerisms that he suffered from were really Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
He soon realized that hypochondria wasn’t an area of study in Medical Schools. He wrote the play,
Ms. Diagnosed, in the hopes to educate future doctors about hypochondria. The Araca Group picked the play up in 2012 and approached Harvard University to sponsor it. The Araca Group and Douglas hope that the positive results in the play’s teachings will continue to other medical schools across the country.
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types of hypochondriacs
“
i have a
P ro b
TYPES of
HYPO CHONDRIA obsessive compulsive disorder Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder characterized by intrusive thoughts that produce uneasiness, apprehension, fear, or worry; by repetitive behaviors aimed at reducing the associated anxiety; or by a combination of such obsessions and compulsions.
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LE M
depression Depression is a
state of low mood and aversion to activity that can have a negative effect on a person’s thoughts, behavior, feelings, world view, and physical wellbeing. Depressed people may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, worried, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, hurt, or restless.
somatization
Somatization disorder (also Briquet’s syndrome or hysteria) is a somatoform disorder characterized by recurring, multiple, clinically significant complaints about pain, gastrointestinal, sexual and pseudoneurological symptoms.
“hypochondria” will be replaced with
“Complex Somatic Symptom Disorder” 6
MEET SOME OF THE
C A martin charles
jessica mang
Martin Charles, a 25 year old
Just barely five foot, Jessica Mang
man, believes he has fibromyalgia
is definitely not the girl next door.
because of how tired he is.
Her short stature gives her reason to
see a therapist to get to the root of
cope and prevent anything from
his problems to reduce his lathargy.
ever happening, Jessica walks
In reality, he suffers believe that she may have a from depression higher chance at that causes him to suffereing from sleep days on end. heart disease He was prescribed by his doctor to comparitively to other people. To Martin is depressed.
around her block 3 times every morning before she starts her day.
Jessica has OCD.
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ST
brian mast Bella Mast, 22 years old and and in his second year of medical school, knows of his mom’s stomach cancer. Because of his mom’s complaining of a stomach ache,
Brian feels pain in his lower abdomin all day. Brian’s pain makes her believe that he caught the stomach cancer his mom has developed.
Brian somatizes.
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R
sults
the
%70
MEDICAL STUDENTS THAT CHANGED THEIR PERSPECTIVE AFTER SEEING MS. DIAGNOSED
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“
u are
depressed
Ms. Diagnosed surpassed expected
The success of Ms. Diagnosed at
reults in tremendous amounts. Not
Harvard University not only opened
only did the play make $10,000 in
awareness about hypochondria
the first opening weekend
being miss diagnosed, but it
the medical students learned the differences in types of hypochondriacs. They realized that sensitivity was needed in helping each of their patients.
“
o y
provided entertainment for the educational institution. It’s revenue gave the school positive public relations and it will remain as the top Medical School in the country.
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VISUAL
R
e
The set of Ms. Diagnosed was designed by set designer, Al Knobbs. Knobbs has designed sets for multiple plays as well as feature films. He was approached to design the set by The Araca
Group and Douglas Charles because they knew that his designs would transcend and help communicate the feelings of hypochondriacs. It’s simplistic, yet powerful, design reiterates the monologue’s powerful words.
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Harvard University 25 Shattuck St Boston, MA 02115 (617) 495-1000
The Araca Group NY 545 West 45th St. New York, NY 10036 (212) 869-0070