Anatomy of an Illness: As Perceived by the Patient Twentieth Anniversary Edition

I just finished reading *Anatomy of an Illness: As Perceived by the Patient* by Norman Cousins. It's a book that I've long suggested OTHER people read because I'd heard it was amazing - but I'd never actually read it myself until now. Now that I've read it I am glad to see that I was right in recommending it to others.In the beginning of the book, Cousins tells us about the illness from which he was told by medical specialists he wouldn't be able to recover. He briefly describes how he declined to accept this medical verdict for himself, and with the support of his personal physician, set about putting into action a plan of treatment for himself which included plying himself with high doses of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and humor (Candid Camera episodes, and Marx Brothers movies).Cousins was able to recover from his illness and later wrote a story about his treatment and recovery for the New England Journal of Medicine.The remainder of the book shares communication from doctors and medical research that supports Cousins's belief that medical care is both a science and an art - and that positive human emotions play a big part in recovery from an illness. Cousins talks about the importance of a healthy doctor-patient partnership when treating disease, the part creativity and a "robust will to live" plays in longevity, and the power found in placebos. Cousins writes: "It is doubtful whether the placebo - or any drug, for that matter - would get very far without a patient's robust will to live... The placebo is only a tangible object made essential in an age that feels uncomfortable with intangibles... The placebo, then, is an emissary between the will to live and the body. But the emissary is expendable."Cousins talks about the need so many seem to have to see their doctor DOing something, and giving them something tangible to help them. But Cousins suggests there may come a time when these "tangibles" are no longer needed. As a Christian Scientist who's learned to turn immediately to the power of Love and Truth for healing, this thought really resonated with me.Near the end of the book, Cousins asks the question: "Is there a conflict at times between the treatment of disease and the treatment of human beings?" What a great question! If a doctor treats his patient as just a lump of flesh to be prodded, injected, weighed, measured, and tested then, I think, a really important part of the healing process is missing. The best doctors, to my way of thinking, are the ones who are able to listen to their patients, reassure them, provide confidence in their healing, and value them as partners in the process. In my life I have encountered several practitioners with these fine qualities. After reading Cousins's book, and the letters he included from doctors around the country, I am encouraged to believe that there is a growing number of medical physicians ready and willing to treat human beings, rather than just disease.Karen Molenaar Terrell, author of *Blessings: Adventures of a Madcap Christian Scientist*

Somewhere in the early 80s I heard Dr. Wayne dyer discuss “Anatomy of an Illness.” As an RN who was particularly in tune with the importance of “the psychological care of the patient,“ I have always valued the importance of the mind-body connection. I’m not sure why I took so long to read this wonderful book (all things in God’s time, I guess) but in all my previous and subsequent experience, both personal and professional, I have without exception found the precepts of this wonderful book to be truth. I am eager to provide a copy to my own wonderful physicians who, I am grateful to say, all “get it.” I am convinced that one of the main reasons I never needed back surgery following a significant injury was that my orthopedic surgeon stressed right off the bat: “Remember that your body wants very much to heal itself. The goal of our treatment is to respect and support that and keep you from interfering with it by doing something stupid.” Thank you, Norman Cousins - and I love you, Dr. Chuck Nalley!

Norman Cousins has written this book that will benefit any long-term patient. His observations on the benefits of keeping a positive attitude are very useful. His recommendations on taking large amounts of ascsorbic acid should be taken with a cautionary note.My used book arrived with a bent cover and several dog-eared pages, but was otherwise in good condition.

My career has been focused on helping folks after they have left the doctor’s office. I work with folks as they try to redefine their normal after getting some diagnosis to explain their maladies and discomfort.I’m well aware of the power of attitude and effort and how these supplement the best that medical technologies offer. Without this positive spirit, nothing can save you.Meanwhile, I’ve been taken with the field of positive psychology and its examination of exactly what makes life worth living.I highly recommend this as a required reading for healthcare professionals and anyone interested in positive psychology. It’s like a conversation between Oliver Sacks and Martin Seligman!!

Written before all the me-too visualization and create-your-own-reality books, this is the inspiring story of a courageous maverick who took full responsibility for his life and healing from the jaws of death and the deadly tactics of well-meaning but clueless doctors and methods of modern hospitals.The book is well-written and very informative. Surprisingly, there is a great deal of specific information about Vitamin C and the great value of massive doses. The author discovered this from his own research--which pre-dated the famous writings of Linus Pauling--and then successfully proved it on himself.Another delightful surprise was the beautiful chapter about his meetings with cellist Pablo Casals and with the famous doctor/organist Albert Schweitzer, and of the vitality they both derived from their love affair with the music of JS Bach and from living with purpose--something the author also does to the hilt.Inspiring and highly practical!

Nice, but a bit dated. I was hoping for detail on the course of his cure, but he disposed of it in a few pages and then went on to talk about healing more generally. A lot of time has passed since this was written and alternative methods are more accepted now.What remains interesting, though, is his proactive stance on his treatment and how he got the idea for using large doses of vitamin C. I wasn't even aware of this; I'd always thought he'd laughed his way back to health.