CHEST Guidelines-Worrywart

Worrywart_chest

Pdf Summary

The document is a blend of personal narrative and poetry accompanied by editorial notes. The main body is a poem titled "Worrywart" by Carol Baldwin, detailing the author's battle with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) from childhood to young adulthood. The poem highlights experiences such as checking appliances obsessively, counting to cope, and discovering distractions like collecting beer cans. It shares a pivotal moment at age nineteen when the author was hospitalized, leading to medication use for mental health relief. The poem reflects the author's journey with OCD and the coping mechanisms they employed.<br /><br />The Editor’s Note provides context about the author, mentioning how OCD has influenced their precision in a clerical job and their process in writing poetry. The note mentions the author's background in English, hinting at how their academic background may have influenced their writing.<br /><br />Additionally, there is a note from the Editor, Michael Zack, MD, FCCP, related to the submission guidelines for the Pectoriloquy section of the CHEST journal. It specifies that poems should not exceed 350 words, must be unpublished, and connected to medical or physician-related themes. Submissions need to be sent via email, and after acceptance, a final version should be submitted to CHEST Manuscript Central.<br /><br />The document showcases how personal mental health struggles can intersect with professional and creative endeavors, giving insight into coping with OCD while managing a job and pursuing literary activities.

Keywords

OCD

poetry

Carol Baldwin

mental health

coping mechanisms

obsessive-compulsive disorder

personal narrative

creative writing

medical themes

submission guidelines