From today’s Grauniad.

Illness – even cancer – is the body’s way of communicating, but doctors don’t have time to listen. Psychoanalysis may take years to make you better, but it beats quick-fix therapies.

My GP in Canada was fond of saying that he treated people, not just symptoms, and it’s true that I’ve never met another doctor like him. He was well-known for being an excellent diagnostician and I think the main reason for that was that he took time to listen to what his patients were actually saying to him.

I think the article raises some good points about how health care systems tend to pigeon-hole patients far too much, though I’m not sure that everyone would benefit from psychoanalysis. Still, sometimes just being able to talk and feel like someone is really listening can make a world of difference in how we feel both physically and emotionally. It’s odd how in most western societies we often ignore the obvious connection between physical and mental well-being.