English translation: facing up to it / to grapple with
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German to English translations [PRO] Medical - Medical (general) / coping with illness
German term or phrase:Auseinandersetzung
From a manuscript on coping strategies in patients diagnosed with cancer:
"Der Umgang mit der Erkrankung erfolgt üblicherweise in vier Phasen der Krankheitsbewältigung: Schock, Auseinandersetzung, Reaktionen und Integration."
At the moment I have this as 'coming to terms', but it doesn't have the sense of 'struggle' that I think 'Auseinandersetzung' implies.
I have looked at the options in ProZ terms, but I think there may be something more appropriate. Grateful for your suggestions.
Ramey, you are making a very valid point, and I think your suggestion - along with mine:) - comes closest to what David is looking for. (i.e. with all the back and forth on this discussion, David has probably made his choice, is concerned with his deadline, while we are all making our comments here :) - please, just a light, humerous note!!)
is not only one of the literal translations of Auseinandersetzung, it is the emotional "face to face" with any conflict, change, growth or healing process. Just thought I'd add that here.
I regret that I have annoyed so many of you with my reference comment. Maybe I have misunderstod the fuction of a reference comment. My intention was merely to say that there are established patterns of coping with crisis and that it might be worth researching further in that direction, that is googling for stages of grief or the like to see if you come up with a suitable expression on an original English website.
Good morning, everyone. Thank you, Cilian, you understood precisely what I meant. Ellen, if I had wished to complain about you using a phrase similar to mine I would have written to you directly - I do so if I feel annoyed. But here this is not the case: I just wrote down a spontaneous idea as a discussion entry, I did not even post it as an answer. No 'copyright' for discussion entries (in my opinion).
I doubt Brigitte meant anything negative with "picked it up". I read it as "developed it further". (We can be so sensitive, can't we? Self included. Aber gut so!)
@ Brigitte. Just to make it clear: Ellen didn´t "pick up" anything. When I entered my suggestion, I had of course read those of my peers and some of the discussion entries to find that none of earlier entries was identical with mine. I don´t think we are expected to read all the additional comments, especially if they are numerous, but what we are expected to have is an attitude of fairness towards our colleagues.
Thank you Rosa. Cilian has virtually the same comment in a footnote and Ellen picked it up - I think there is a sufficient number of answers (11 in total) already. :-)
You first accept your fate and then figure out how you wish to continue with your life, i.e. how you best "react" to the situation and "integrate" the change in circumstances into your life.
shock, confrontation, strategy planning, acceptance/integration -
it really depends on which type of cancer, the chances for surviving it, treatment possibilities, etc.
that patients feel anger, but IMO that would be a consequence of 'Auseinandersetzen' and that's not what the German says. It's the opposite of 'denying' and when I look into the Wahrig, the following explanation: 'sich gründlich mit etwas befassen' comes closest to the meaning here.
It can't be "coming to terms with", because that would be the last phase, Integration. I think "anger" is the most likely, but then how do we translate 'Reaktionen"?
without having read your own suggestion: "coming to terms with". since you are not keen on that suggestion: "facing cancer" might be an alternative.
Automatic update in 00:
Answers
6 mins confidence:
Denial
Explanation: Would denial fit? This seems to be one of the stages mentioned in the acceptance process in quite a few of the websites I've found. Another option could be 'anger'.
JMcKechnie Local time: 09:51 Native speaker of: English
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 7 mins (2012-02-02 13:28:34 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
From the cited ref:
* Denial and Shock – "This can’t be true."
* Anger, Rage – "This isn’t fair." "Why wasn’t I protected from this?" "Why me?"
* Stress and Depression – "My life is already busy, I can’t stop to deal with this." "I feel so sad." "Why should I get treatment? I’ll die anyway."
* Grief and Fear – "I’m going to die, but I don’t want to." "I’m going to lose part of my body." [health, attractiveness] "I will never feel safe again."
* Acceptance, Adjustment – "Okay, it’s true. I’ve got breast cancer, but I don’t have to like it or let it define who I am."
* Fight and Hope – "I’m going to fight for my life! I’m getting all the help and support that’s out there for me."
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 20 mins (2012-02-02 13:41:08 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Please note that although anger may not be a direct translation of Auseinandersetzung it makes sense in the context. First comes the shock, then the anger, followed by reactions (incl. defence mechanisms) and lastly acceptance.
lirka Local time: 04:51 Specializes in field Native speaker of: English, Slovenian PRO pts in category: 512
The translation workplace 
