Summary Of Norman Cousins Anatomy Of Illness

Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived by the Patient is a personal narrative written by Norman Cousins. He shares his experience of crippling arthritis and his hospitalization. He quickly realizes that the hospital environment doesn’t suit him well so he begins to self-medicate with laughter and vitamins. He argues that one’s mental health can positively or negatively affect one’s physical health through a personal experience littered with detail and emotion. The first paragraph were Cousins begins to enter into his message is paragraph 14. He recalls when he began to think that him emotions could affect his physical health. First, Cousins explains his thought process about negative emotions and physical health. Next Cousins introduces his thesis.