Anyone who has experienced joy or grief knows the extreme reactions that our bodies can have to our emotional state. But the phenomenon goes much deeper than we’re prepared to admit. Many physical illnesses begin in the mind.
For twenty years consultant neurologist Dr Suzanne O’Sullivan has worked with patients with psychogenic disorders – an experience that inspired her controversial new book, It’s All in Your Head. In this event, O’Sullivan talks to writer Brian Dillon (author of The Hypochondriacs: Nine Tormented Lives) about her book, asking why we continue to insist on the separation of body and mind – even at the risk of our health.