Product Overview

'Wise, timely and eloquent... A joy to read.' Guardian What does it mean to be
well? Is it something in our body? Or, is it rather something subjective -
something of the mind? In this profound collection of clinical stories,
eminent psychiatrist Dr Alastair Santhouse draws on his experience of treating
thousands of hospital patients to show how our emotions are inextricably
linked to our physical wellbeing. Our minds shape the way we understand and
react to symptoms that we develop, dictate the treatments we receive, and
influence whether they work. They even influence whether we develop symptoms
at all. Written with brutal honesty, deep compassion, and a wry sense of
humour, Head First examines difficult cases that illuminate some of our most
puzzling and controversial medical issues-from the tragedy of suicide, to the
stigma surrounding obesity, to the ongoing misery of chronic fatigue.
Ultimately he finds that our medical model has failed us by promoting
specialization and overlooking perhaps the single most important component of
our health: our state of mind. Read more