AnatomyofanIllness:TheMindandtheBody

KellynEdraney

AnatomyofanIllness(asperceivedbythePatient)
byNormanCousinsisanintimate
andintelligentviewintonotonlytheallopathicsystemofhealthcarethatprevailsinourculture
anditsoftensymptomreliefcenteredtreatmentparadigm,butthepathtopersonalhealingthat
theauthorhimselfembarkeduponinpartnershipwithhisprimarycarephysician.Throughout
thenovel,Cousinsmakesthecasethattheallopathicmodelofcarethatexistsinourculture,
oftenworksagainstthewellbeingoftheclient.Assomeonewhohashealthissuesthatwill
likelybepresentfortheremainderofmylife,Ihavehadexperiencewithadiversearrayof
healthcare,andhavefoundhisobservationstobeaccurate.Fromsanitation,tonutrition,to
mindset,therearemanyvehiclestohealththatremainunacknowledgedbymanypractitioners.
AnatomyofanIllness
makesthecaseforareclamationofthesemodesofhealing,andofthe
empowermentofthepatientthemself,tonotonlyletgoofafearofpain,buttomakethechoices
thatleadtowellness.

Afterbeingdiagnosedwitharapidonsetailmentinvolvingthedegenerationofthe
collageninhisbody,Cousinswastoldtoplanfortheworst.Ifhehadheededthisadvice,
perhapsthisnovelwouldneverhavebeenwritten,theauthortooilltocarryon.However,from
theverystartitisapparentthroughhiswritingthatCousinswasnotonetotakehisdoctor's
deathsentenceasthefinalwordInfact,Cousinsseemedtopossessanimmediatehesitance
towardsevenreceivingtreatmentinastandardhospitalsetting:

Ihadafastgrowingconvictionthatahospitalisnoplaceforapersonwhoisseriously
ill.(31)

Thisbelief,amongotherfactors,contributedtohisdecisiontoapproachhishealingas
notonlyapossibility,butaproject:thebookgoesontotelloftheauthorembarkinguponhis

ownresearch,aswellasembracingholistichealingparadigmssuchasutilizingthemindbody
connectionthroughlaughtertherapy,functional(nutritional)medicine,andanoverallpositive
outlook.Theanaestheticeffectsoflaughterarewelldocumented,evenbyCousinshimself,who
writes:
Agoodplacetobegin,Ithought,waswithamusingmovies...Wewereeven
abletogetourhandsonsomeoldMarxBrothersfilms.Itworked.Imadethejoyousdiscovery
thattenminutesofgenuinebellylaughterhadananaestheticeffectandwouldgivemeatleast
twohoursofpainfreesleep.(43)

WhenIbeganhavingunexplainableinflammatoryandneurologicalsymptoms3years
ago,Ivisitedmyprimarycarephysician.Myvisualdisturbances,mentalconfusion,fatigue,
vertigoandheadpainwerewrittenoffasaChronicMigraineDisorder,atwhichpointIwas
prescribedawhoppingdoseof9Ibuprofenaday.HadIbeensatisfiedwiththisoutcome,I
wouldhavesimplytakenmymedicine,heededtheadviceofmyphysicianandgotten
accustomedtoanewdiagnosis.However,Itoofeltthepulltoalargerpossibilityofhealingthat
Cousinsidentifiedinthemidstofhisdiagnosis,andcontinuedlookingforanswers.
Theexplorationforanswersthatoneundergoesinmedicine,oftenleadsoffthebeaten
pathandintomanyholisticandalternativeparadigms.3years,manydoctors,anutritional
analysisandanemotionalshiftlater,Ifindmyselfhavingmoreautonomyovermysymptoms
thaneverbefore.Laughterandpositiveemotionalstatesasanaesthetictreatmentshaveprovento
beasfruitfulformeasthebookwouldindicate.Tohavechronicillness,isnotalifelongpain
sentence.Simpleshiftsintheperceptionofpainitself,inhoursspenthyperoxygenatingthe
brainthroughsustainedlaughter,insynergeticphysicalmovement,areamedicationinthesame
waythatIbuprofenisamedicationTheybothcreatephysiologicalchangeswithinthe
environmentofthehumanbody.

Whenconsideringprescriptionmedication,itisimportanttofirstunderstandtheimpact
ofpharmaceuticalmedicationonthemetabolicprocessesoftheliver.Agoodexampleofthisis
Tylenol(acetaminophen).TylenoliscurrentlythemostpopularpainkillerintheUnitedStates

AccordingtotheFDA,in2005Americansbought28billiondosesofproductscontaining
Tylenol.Tylenolcanalsocauseextremeliverdamage.Acetaminophenaccountsformorethan
60,000emergencyroomvisitsyearly,nottomentionhundredsofdeathseachyearintheUS
alone.
TheFDAhasevenconfirmedthelinkbetweenTylenolandLiverdamage,adding
mandatoryoverdoseinformationtopackaging,
makingthispainmanagingdrugmoreharmful
thanthepaincausingconditionsitisbeingusedtotreat.
PharmaceuticalrepresentativesandPhysiciansoftenworkhandinhand,andwhilethis
partnershiphasindeedhelpedprovidemorewidespreadaccesstoentirelynecessarymedications,
itraisesthequestionofoverprescription.Onewouldbehardpressedtofindaprescriptiondrug
onthemarket,thathas
no
impactonliverfunction,asprescriptionmedicationisfilteredbythe
liver.When,then,doesthismedicinebecomepoison?Thereasonableanswerwouldbewhenthe
risksoutweighthebenefits.Ifthisstandardofjudgementwereactuallyusedwidely,however,
wouldTylenol,apotentiallylethaldrugusedtotreatnonlethaldiscomfort,beoneofthemost
popularsubstancesonthemarket?Itseemswearerunningnottowardshealthandwellness,but
awayfrompain.
Cousinsremarksonthedangersofrunningfrompainatlength,praisingpainasa
necessaryandincrediblyimportantfunctionofthebody.HediscussestheworkofPaulBrand,a
doctorlegendaryforhisworkwithLepersandrestorativesurgery:

...oneaspectofhisworkmaybemoreevocativeandcompellingthanalloftheothers.
Heisadoctorwho,ifhecould,wouldmoveheavenandearthjusttoreturnthegiftofpainto
peoplewhodonothaveit.Forpainisboththewarningsystemandtheprotectivemechanism
thatenablesanindividualtoprotecttheintegrityofhisbody.Itssignalsmaynotalwaysbe
readilyintelligiblebutatleasttheyarethere.(120)

PaincanbedifficulttoacceptWearehardwiredtoviewitasasignofdanger.Once
painisnolongerregardedastheproblem,butrathercrucialinformationforthehealingofour
bodies,ourdecisionsregardingwhetherornotpharmaceuticalmedicationisnecessarywillnot
bemadeunderthepremiseoffear.


Weliveinacountryinwhichbeingillisseenasaplaceoflimitation.Itisonlywhen
oneexperiencesthisstatefirsthand,thattheydiscovertheretrulyismorefreedominillness
thancanbesharedthroughwords.Fromdiet,tomedication,tohealingmodality,Itispossibleto
choosewellness.Cousinsmakesthecaseforsimplyutilizingourbodiesowninnerresources,the
powerofthemindandpositiveaction,asameansofempoweringself,overhandingthepower
awaytoalittlewhitepill.Inthewordsoftheauthor,whenaskedbyhisformerdoctorwhat
beganhispathtohealingfromtheunhealable:

Itallbegan,Isaid,whenIdecidedthatsomeexpertsdontreallyknowenoughtomake
apronouncementofdoomonahumanbeing.