It's All in Your Head cover art

It's All in Your Head

Stories from the Frontline of Psychosomatic Illness

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It's All in Your Head

By: Suzanne O'Sullivan
Narrated by: Maggie Ollerenshaw
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About this listen

Winner of the Wellcome Book Prize 2016

Pauline first became ill when she was 15. What seemed to be a urinary infection became joint pain, then life-threatening appendicitis. After a routine operation, Pauline lost all the strength in her legs. Shortly afterwards, convulsions started. But Pauline's tests are normal: her symptoms seem to have no physical cause whatsoever.

This may be an extreme case, but Pauline is not alone. As many as a third of people visiting their GPs have symptoms that are medically unexplained. In most an emotional root is suspected, which is often the last thing a patient wants to hear and a doctor to say.

We accept our hearts can flutter with excitement and our brows can sweat with nerves, but on this journey into the very real world of psychosomatic illness, Suzanne O'Sullivan finds the secrets we are all capable of keeping from ourselves.

©2016 Susan O'Sullivan (P)2016 Audible, Ltd Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Inspiring Mental Health Heartfelt

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Critic reviews

"Doctors' tales of their patients' weirder afflictions have been popular since Oliver Sacks.... Few of them, however, are as bizarre or unsettling, as those described in this extraordinary and extraordinarily compassionate book." (James McConnachie, Sunday Times)
"A fascinating glimpse into the human condition...a forceful call for society to be more open about such suffering." (Ian Birrell, Daily Mail)
All stars
Most relevant  
I found the narrator's tone a little patronising at times, but otherwise it is a book I would thoroughly recommend everyone listen to, to gain an understanding about psychosomatic illnesses.

Good if occasionally difficult to listen to

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I'm not in the medical profession but the subject of this I find to be very interesting ,although at times a bit confusing to the lay person. Well wrote and narrated!

a good read

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Beautifully written and perfect narration choice. This book will make a real difference to my clients. Thank you

A must read

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Excellent narrating. The stories are going to stick in my head long term. All explained at the perfect pace. I can use this in my GP clinics for patients who have psychosomatic illness. I'm going to be recommending this to all patients who I think may benefit.

As a GP, this is like gold dust

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A truly fascinating exploration of how psychology affects physical health.
Through intriguing case studies and Suzanne’s neurological expertise, she educates and provokes an alternative viewpoint to manifestations of stress or trauma.
Thoroughly enjoyed her work once again.
I listened to her book ‘The Sleeping Beauties’ and her own narration in her beautiful Irish accent made the book even more of a joy to listen to. I would have preferred her narration of this one too.

Suzanne should narrate her own amazing work

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Eloquently defends those so are so often looked down upon and judged by society. A must read for anybody working within the medical sector. I'm guilty myself of wanting to roll my eyes at patients at times. Suzanne discussed how everyone is fighting a battle of some sort, and even those with all the will in the world can't always outsmart their own minds.

Eyeopener

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Makes you really wonder what is going on with our complex and downright weird brain. As a medical student, I found this listen to be very interesting and challenging too. It led me to appreciate patients and (those around me) as a deeper whole, rather than a list of conditions, which seems to be a trend right now as work hours get longer and stress increases.

Definitely helped me to develop a deeper appreciation of the complexity of our brains, and our minds.

A very interesting listen

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Very interesting stories and on the side of progress regarding mental health but... riddled with outdated Cartesian dualism as it tries to navigate the mind-body system. It really shouldn't have to be so difficult to prove that the mind effects the body and this is a worthy cause indeed. However, it does not include any of the accepted data available on how psychological trauma creates chronic disease over time. The narrative still wrestles with the false dichotomy between mind and body, tying itself in knots, failing to acknowledge the multi-systemic, interconnectedness of the brain and body via the immune and endocrine system. It also skirts over the shocking statistics about women being repeatedly turned away by health professionals when suffering with life threatening illness, creating unnecessary delays and sometimes loss of life (all because of perceived hysteria). I'd recommend Gabor Matè's work 'When the Body Says No' for hard science and more up-to-date understanding of how our emotional worlds and environmental shapes our health.

A mixed bag

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This advocate for those with functional illness and call for the understanding of this spectrum of illness for healthcare professionals and all.

Such an amazing book! All Doctors should read.

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An excellent book brilliantly read. In a similar vein to Stephen Grosz's Examined Life. A sensitive, informative approach to psychosomatic illness which flips our understanding on its head. Its a rallying call to society to change the way we understand the issue.

Informative, sympathetic, campaigning

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