Head First: A convincing argument in favour of treating the mind before medical matters

Leading British psychiatrist Alastair Santhouse argues that doctors need to learn to listen more closely to what their patients are telling them before diagnosing a physical illness

alistair Santhouse originally trained as a physician and worked in internal medicine. However, he slowly realised that many patients’ medical treatments actually worsened their physical health.

HEALTH

Head First: A Psychiatrist’s Stories of Mind and Body

By Alastair Santhouse

Atlantic Books, €20.25

When Alastair Santhouse was 12 years, he would discreetly borrow his sister’s copy of the teen magazine Jackie and flick to its problem page. As he read letters about the betrayals of fickle boyfriends, he covered up the agony aunts’ responses. Hinting at his later career, he wrote down his own answers in a notebook and then compared his ...