Swapping Stories for Medicine

The art of storytelling is central to human history, art, and literature. We take storytelling seriously here at Youth Venture as a vehicle for sharing our passions and inspirations, and doctors now recognize it as a key to patient health. A recent article in the New York Times explains that patients in a recent study who listened to personal narratives were able to control high blood pressure as effectively as patients who merely received more medication. Stories foster a sense of connectedness and understanding. They create frameworks for understanding our lives and the challenges we face. As YV-ers, you each have a powerful story of how you got to where you are today, and how your past experience inform your future goals. Follow what people are saying about storytelling on the NYT blog on the subject, and share parts of your own changemaker story with the YV team!