Tuesday, September 5, 2023

Learning how to heal

Plus more health news |

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No one knows how to truly recover from illness
By Rachel Sonis
Editor, Ideas

I broke my wrist this summer, and the road to recovery was tough in ways that really surprised me. Sure, it was physically painful, but what made my recovery the most challenging was the fact that it was anything but swift. The slowness of it has been the biggest hurdle to cross.

The truth is no one really knows how to recover from illness, and as Dr. Gavin Francis—author of Recovery: The Lost Art of Convalescencepoints out is his new piece for TIME, our productivity culture has overshadowed our bigger need to respect the healing process. Among his most intriguing points:

  • Guidance from medical professionals through the process of recovery is of the utmost importance to patients. Sometimes people need to be granted permission to take the time they need to recuperate.
  • A 2014 study by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that Europeans take two to three times more sick leave than Americans, pointing to signs of an ingrained pressure to be maximally productive in the U.S—even when sick.
  • Health is a balance, not a destination. For all of its annoyances, illness can actually teach us something valuable about self-compassion, expectations, and the pursuit of true wellness.

 

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What Else to Read
Mitch McConnell’s Health Episodes Show No Evidence of Strokes or Seizures
By LISA MASCARO and MARY CLARE JALONICK / AP
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell's health episodes show "no evidence" of being strokes or seizures, the Capitol physician said.
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Tens of Thousands of Ukrainians Scarred by Amputations and Trauma
By Evgeniy Maloletka / AP
Ukraine faces a future with upward of 20,000 amputees—many soldiers who are also suffering psychological trauma from their time at the front.
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How Menopause Affects Cholesterol—And How to Manage It
By Katherine Harmon Courage
Cholesterol rises for nearly everyone who goes through menopause.
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Is Honey Healthy? Here’s What Experts Say
By Cassie Shortsleeve 
It's good for a cough—but there's more to the story. (Originally published in 2019.)
Read More »
How to Find Small Moments of Joy in Dark Times
By Angela Haupt
Create a joy bucket list, have recess every day, and dance it out.
Read More »
ONE LAST READ
Prostate cancer screening comes too late for some men

When prostrate cancer tests were first introduced in the 1990s, there was a rash of over treatment, leading to damaging side effects, and doctors eventually corrected course. But now, as Brianna Abbott reports in the Wall Street Journal, doctors may not be testing early enough, as more patients are being diagnosed with late stage cancers, often too late to treat.

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Today's newsletter was written by Rachel Sonis and Oliver Staley, and edited by Oliver.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 

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