The Sleeping Beauties: And Other Stories of Mystery Illness
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- Author：Suzanne O'Sullivan
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Summary
A riveting exploration of the phenomenon of psychosomatic disorders， mass hysteria， and other culture-bound syndromes occurring around the world。
In Sweden， hundreds of refugee children fall asleep for months and years at a time。 In upstate New York， teenage girls develop involuntary twitches and seizures that spread like a contagion。 In the US Embassy in Cuba， employees experience headaches and memory loss after hearing strange noises in the night。 There are more than 200 officially listed culture-bound syndromes--specific sets of symptoms that exist in a particular culture--affecting people around the world。 In The Sleeping Beauties， Dr。 Suzanne O'Sullivan--a prize winning British neurologist--investigates psychosomatic disorders and mass hysteria， traveling the world to visit communities suffering from these so-called mystery illnesses。 From a derelict post-Soviet mining town in Kazakhstan， to the Mosquito Coast of Nicaragua， to the heart of the Maria Mountains in Colombia， O'Sullivan records the remarkable stories of culture-bound syndromes related by an array of people from all walks of life。 She presents these curious and often distressing case studies of seeming mass hysteria with compassion and humanity， persuasively arguing that psychological suffering demands much greater respect and discussion than it's given at present。
In attempting to understand the complexity of psychogenic illness， O'Sullivan has given us a book of both fascination and serious concern as these syndromes continue to proliferate around the globe。
In Sweden， hundreds of refugee children fall asleep for months and years at a time。 In upstate New York， teenage girls develop involuntary twitches and seizures that spread like a contagion。 In the US Embassy in Cuba， employees experience headaches and memory loss after hearing strange noises in the night。 There are more than 200 officially listed culture-bound syndromes--specific sets of symptoms that exist in a particular culture--affecting people around the world。 In The Sleeping Beauties， Dr。 Suzanne O'Sullivan--a prize winning British neurologist--investigates psychosomatic disorders and mass hysteria， traveling the world to visit communities suffering from these so-called mystery illnesses。 From a derelict post-Soviet mining town in Kazakhstan， to the Mosquito Coast of Nicaragua， to the heart of the Maria Mountains in Colombia， O'Sullivan records the remarkable stories of culture-bound syndromes related by an array of people from all walks of life。 She presents these curious and often distressing case studies of seeming mass hysteria with compassion and humanity， persuasively arguing that psychological suffering demands much greater respect and discussion than it's given at present。
In attempting to understand the complexity of psychogenic illness， O'Sullivan has given us a book of both fascination and serious concern as these syndromes continue to proliferate around the globe。
Reviews
Kendra
，
This book， which examines the effects or mental trauma on the body， and calls for an end to the body-mind division， is provocative。 Scientific research into somatic manifestations of trauma is still relatively new in Western mainstream medical culture。 I appreciated the author's consideration of indigenous and/or ethnic explanations and treatments of the episodes she describes。 However， while a lot of the case studies presented here are argued well and with corroborating support， others are not。 This book， which examines the effects or mental trauma on the body， and calls for an end to the body-mind division， is provocative。 Scientific research into somatic manifestations of trauma is still relatively new in Western mainstream medical culture。 I appreciated the author's consideration of indigenous and/or ethnic explanations and treatments of the episodes she describes。 However， while a lot of the case studies presented here are argued well and with corroborating support， others are not。 In the example of "Havana Syndrome，" for one， the author ignores the large amount of scholarship on music and sound as a weapon。 This book has me thinking， and I'll be interested to talk about it with other readers。 。。。more
Pooja
，
Dr O'Sullivan discusses a plethora of mass functional illnesses， including resignation syndrome from Sweden， Havana syndrome， and several more individual cases。This was a really interesting read about a subject I did not know too much about。 The author did a good job of scouting interesting cases， some more well-known than others。 She discusses the background， the disease itself， and what social factors may have caused them。 She also talks about the field of functional illnesses more generally i Dr O'Sullivan discusses a plethora of mass functional illnesses， including resignation syndrome from Sweden， Havana syndrome， and several more individual cases。This was a really interesting read about a subject I did not know too much about。 The author did a good job of scouting interesting cases， some more well-known than others。 She discusses the background， the disease itself， and what social factors may have caused them。 She also talks about the field of functional illnesses more generally in a clear and engaging manner。 I appreciated that we got to go along on her investigation beside her， sharing in her changing thoughts and opinions as she learned more about the illnesses。I did sometimes find her tone slightly unsympathetic toward the patients， which bothered me， but I think this added veracity to the account。 Ultimately I found this an informative， interesting read。Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley。 This is my honest and voluntary review。 。。。more
Whitney Pergram
，
A BIG THANK YOU to Pantheon Books and NetGalley for the ARC of The Sleeping Beauties: And Other Stories of Mystery Illness by Dr。 Suzanne O'Sullivan。 In The Sleeping Beauties， Dr。 O'Sullivan invites the reader to investigate the invisible inner workings of the mind。 Case by case， the complex nature of the mind-body connection is revealed。 ★★★★★From the publisher: A riveting exploration of the phenomenon of psychosomatic disorders， mass hysteria， and other culture-bound syndromes occurring around A BIG THANK YOU to Pantheon Books and NetGalley for the ARC of The Sleeping Beauties: And Other Stories of Mystery Illness by Dr。 Suzanne O'Sullivan。 In The Sleeping Beauties， Dr。 O'Sullivan invites the reader to investigate the invisible inner workings of the mind。 Case by case， the complex nature of the mind-body connection is revealed。 ★★★★★From the publisher: A riveting exploration of the phenomenon of psychosomatic disorders， mass hysteria， and other culture-bound syndromes occurring around the world。 In Sweden， hundreds of refugee children fall asleep for months and years at a time。 In upstate New York， teenage girls develop involuntary twitches and seizures that spread like a contagion。 In the US Embassy in Cuba， employees experience headaches and memory loss after hearing strange noises in the night。 There are more than 200 officially listed culture-bound syndromes—specific sets of symptoms that exist in a particular culture—affecting people around the world。 In The Sleeping Beauties， Dr。 Suzanne O'Sullivan—a prize winning British neurologist—investigates psychosomatic disorders and mass hysteria， traveling the world to visit communities suffering from these so-called mystery illnesses。 From a derelict post-Soviet mining town in Kazakhstan， to the Mosquito Coast of Nicaragua， to the heart of the Maria Mountains in Colombia， O'Sullivan records the remarkable stories of culture-bound syndromes related by an array of people from all walks of life。 She presents these curious and often distressing case studies of seeming mass hysteria with compassion and humanity， persuasively arguing that psychological suffering demands much greater respect and discussion than it's given at present。 In attempting to understand the complexity of psychogenic illness， O'Sullivan has given us a book of both fascination and serious concern as these syndromes continue to proliferate around the globe。I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。5 of 5 StarsPub Date 21 September 2021#TheSleepingBeauties #NetGalley 。。。more
Laura
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rtc
MarmottanReads
，
Really interesting look at more collective examples of illness。 I possibly enjoyed Sullivan’s first book more， but this is still great。
Sue
，
A fascinating book by a neurologist who specialises in （among other things） psychogenic illness。 I heard about Sleeping Beauties in a Sunday Times list of summer reading - I normally prefer fiction but the topic caught my attention。 Two years ago while working with a small charity in Nepal I was talking to some teachers about causes of school absence and they shared a recent phenomenon of “mass hysteria” （their words） among young girls。 I saw for myself a girl showing the symptoms， trance like a A fascinating book by a neurologist who specialises in （among other things） psychogenic illness。 I heard about Sleeping Beauties in a Sunday Times list of summer reading - I normally prefer fiction but the topic caught my attention。 Two years ago while working with a small charity in Nepal I was talking to some teachers about causes of school absence and they shared a recent phenomenon of “mass hysteria” （their words） among young girls。 I saw for myself a girl showing the symptoms， trance like and shaking。 Although I had read about some of the better known cases of mass hysteria， I hadn’t expected to see such a thing in a small rural community in the Himalayas。 Only now that I have read this book do I begin to understand some of the complex issues that underlie such cases。 Suzanne O’Sullivan explores the interaction between the medical， the psychological and the sociological factors that can lead to sometimes quite dramatic psychogenic behaviours。 She explores culturally diverse circumstances and situations with respect but doesn’t pander to what people want to hear。 I particularly enjoyed the chapters about the refugee children of Sweden， the Kazakh community from the once glorious industrial town， and the US Cuban diplomats who were convinced they were being attacked by sound waves。 The case studies are compelling and varied。 She also talks about conditions commonly diagnosed in our own society ranging including mild ADHD， depression， joint hyper-flexibility etc。 There is way too much in here for me to do it justice in a short review， but I am left with some really interesting insights into the western societies / Big Pharm’s tendency to label behaviours and to medicalise what may be more helpfully understood through a psychological lens， influenced by social and situational events。 I highlighted heaps of content on my kindle - it’s a rich and fascinating read， but quite full on。 I’d need to read it twice to do it justice。 Mainly recommended for those with an interest in psychology and sociology。 。。。more
Sadhbh O'Sullivan
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 3。5 rounded up。 I liked a lot about this book - calling it a story of ‘mystery illness’ is a bit of a disservice because it offers compelling argument that what is a ‘mystery’ illness is in fact a combination of social， psychological AND biological factors。 In fact， all illness is。 But in western medicine we rely primarily on biological indicators and then psychological when that falls short。 I liked how she was keen to emphasise that this is not to dismiss the scale of suffering， though there i 3。5 rounded up。 I liked a lot about this book - calling it a story of ‘mystery illness’ is a bit of a disservice because it offers compelling argument that what is a ‘mystery’ illness is in fact a combination of social， psychological AND biological factors。 In fact， all illness is。 But in western medicine we rely primarily on biological indicators and then psychological when that falls short。 I liked how she was keen to emphasise that this is not to dismiss the scale of suffering， though there is something jarring about her travelling across the world to see the aftermath of functional disorders when they are onset。 If she feels helpless that doesn’t come through as much as a slight know-it-all-ness over the people she visits。 That， and the fact she often can’t help them， helps to illustrate her argument of how ‘psychosomatic’ disorders manifest but doesn’t actually alleviate a lot of the distress。 This is most apparent in the last case study of Sienna - I think her point is that early intervention （which here means NOT medicalising what is normal within the mild range of behaviour for certain conditions） is the solution， so she can’t help her。 But her delivery makes me just feel exceptionally sad for Sienna。Her points about how the brain works - picking up on signals in the body’s white noise and how it recircuits in response to distress - resonated with me。 I developed an undiagnosed form of OCD in recent years which follows this pattern acutely and my work to manage it has been helped by understanding this。 I think it could help many people before they reach the level of distress I know it can cause。 However I can imagine that those with physical manifestations may not have the same reading as it could be dismissive。 Her argument of course is that it should not be seen as dismissive - I agree with her but I think it’s an uphill battle to make that shift。 Interesting， a bit patronising at times but altogether an enjoyable read。 。。。more
Lynette
，
This book was good but for me fell far short of her first book and I’ve been struggling to try and work out why。 The subject matter is very similar although in this book as she is looking at the cultural setting in which functional neurological disorders arise and I think it could’ve been a little bit more concise in the areas where the setting changes。 With her first Book I really enjoyed the individual stories and the depths to which these were covered and I thought that was probably lacking h This book was good but for me fell far short of her first book and I’ve been struggling to try and work out why。 The subject matter is very similar although in this book as she is looking at the cultural setting in which functional neurological disorders arise and I think it could’ve been a little bit more concise in the areas where the setting changes。 With her first Book I really enjoyed the individual stories and the depths to which these were covered and I thought that was probably lacking here which is why I didn’t engage with it to quite the same extent。 That said， it would be a joy to do my job as a GP with a local neurologist like this close by I think all doctors could learn a lot from her and her approach to the whole person。 。。。more
Frances Burnett
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I find the author's work fascinating and her previous 2 books were excellent。 This one is also thorough and insightful， but I found it much more repetitive and less enjoyable to read。 It has a point to make and makes it， but it does so in quite a laboured way。 I find the author's work fascinating and her previous 2 books were excellent。 This one is also thorough and insightful， but I found it much more repetitive and less enjoyable to read。 It has a point to make and makes it， but it does so in quite a laboured way。 。。。more
Justine
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Author is exactly what is wrong in this world。。。Argument from ignorance。
Alex L
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If you think psychosomatic disease is not real or intentional play acting， you need to read this。 If you do think it's real， read it to start learning how psychosomatic illness is probably a component of most illness， not just the more bizarre ones。 If you think psychosomatic disease is not real or intentional play acting， you need to read this。 If you do think it's real， read it to start learning how psychosomatic illness is probably a component of most illness， not just the more bizarre ones。 。。。more
Tanja
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„…functional disorders （or psychosomatic disorders） are held to higher standards than any other type of diagnosis。 If a person is being treated for migraine or epilepsy or diabetes and they don’t get better， they usually as for a different treatment， whereas the failure of treatment for functional disorders causes people to ask for a different diagnosis”I couldn’t agree more with this point of view by the author！ While psychological and/or psychosomatic issues are dismissed as “faking” or indivi „…functional disorders （or psychosomatic disorders） are held to higher standards than any other type of diagnosis。 If a person is being treated for migraine or epilepsy or diabetes and they don’t get better， they usually as for a different treatment， whereas the failure of treatment for functional disorders causes people to ask for a different diagnosis”I couldn’t agree more with this point of view by the author！ While psychological and/or psychosomatic issues are dismissed as “faking” or individual failure， we medicalise society into patients who won’t give up until they have a diagnosis （or one that suits them）。Although I would have loved a little more scientific background and backup， I really liked the insight and somewhat unpopular point of view in this book。 It features insight in functional illness， mass hysteria and personal stories by the author！ I wouldn’t describe it as highly scientific， but nevertheless very insightful！ And it changed the way I listen to the white noise of my body - let’s keep it white noise instead of filtering it all too much！Have fun reading it and traveling from Sweden to Kazakhstan to Colombia to Cuba and the US！ 。。。more
Katedurie50
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As this book went on， it became richer - as the complexity of functional neurological disorder became clearer。 If that doesn't sound fascinating， try the examples 。 I had assumed that these would largely involve children and young people， mostly female and probably underprivileged and undereducated。That isn't entirely untrue but the picture is much more varied。Yes， there are migrants， refugee children in Sweden，whose families are under threat of deportation; but there is also most bizarre outbre As this book went on， it became richer - as the complexity of functional neurological disorder became clearer。 If that doesn't sound fascinating， try the examples 。 I had assumed that these would largely involve children and young people， mostly female and probably underprivileged and undereducated。That isn't entirely untrue but the picture is much more varied。Yes， there are migrants， refugee children in Sweden，whose families are under threat of deportation; but there is also most bizarre outbreak in the US Embassy in Havana in 2017。 The most significant thing to emerge from this is that human beings crave explanation and will always reject one that involves the psychosomatic， like conversion disorder， and favour one that is physical， however impossible。 The communities that cope best with all of this have a profound spirituality that allows ritual to treat such outbreaks and hence cure them。 O’ Sullivan understands that the major frame of all these things is sociocultural and that such illnesses are always a metaphor for something that cannot be spoken。 。。。more
Diana
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A wonderfully written text about an unfortunately heavily consequential but also taboo set of disorders。 I had heard of passing references to mass hysteria and resignation syndrome before reading The Sleeping Beauties， and unfortunately due to the inflammatory nature in which I had heard of these things， had a little knowledge and the knowledge that I was very prejudiced。In this book， Suzanne O’Sullivan does a magnificent job of presenting various sets of disorders located to specific cultures a A wonderfully written text about an unfortunately heavily consequential but also taboo set of disorders。 I had heard of passing references to mass hysteria and resignation syndrome before reading The Sleeping Beauties， and unfortunately due to the inflammatory nature in which I had heard of these things， had a little knowledge and the knowledge that I was very prejudiced。In this book， Suzanne O’Sullivan does a magnificent job of presenting various sets of disorders located to specific cultures and socioeconomic condition， presenting them as factually and faithfully as possible but with admirable sympathy too for the sufferers whilst also banishing harmful stereotypes。 Although this isn’t a degree level medical text， it does reference a lot of medical disorders but because of the fantastic way O’Sullivan presents everything at no point was it ever overwhelming， confusing or boring。 Some of the cases are so astonishing and emotion-provoking， it’s difficult to remember that it is based on real incidences。 While something like these cases is down to sheer luck， it is a testament to O’Sullivan’s authorial skills that she uses their incredulity， makes the most of it and presents it in a magnificent way that results in a brilliant text and reading experience for the reader。I didn’t always agree with her predictions/conclusions （although as a non-medical person， what do I know） especially in areas where her evident lack of familiarity with the culture impedes her ability to arrive at a ‘correct’ conclusion - HOWEVER I was quite impressed that not only did she fully acknowledge that this was the case sometimes， but also put in incredible effort & respect into her work and understanding the environments/cultural cases that she investigates。O’Sullivan， is clearly a brilliant physician， unbiased investigator and also a talented writer too and I’m so happy that she is putting all these skills together to write fantastic texts， with The Sleeping Beauties being her latest one。 。。。more
Felicia Steele
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Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reading copy of this compassionate book that treats patients suffering from functional neurological disorders with respect。 Dr。 O'Sullivan emphasizes from the opening pages that the symptoms and suffering of people （frequently young women） with what have been called psychosomatic disorders are real， even if they are not pathological。 Through a set of case studies of her own patients and patients and families from Sweden， Kazakhstan， Nicara Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reading copy of this compassionate book that treats patients suffering from functional neurological disorders with respect。 Dr。 O'Sullivan emphasizes from the opening pages that the symptoms and suffering of people （frequently young women） with what have been called psychosomatic disorders are real， even if they are not pathological。 Through a set of case studies of her own patients and patients and families from Sweden， Kazakhstan， Nicaragua， Colombia， and the United States， O'Sullivan describes how mass psychogenic illnesses--mass hysteria--have complex causes。 These patients are not "fakers" buttheir maladies can't be understood through a search for pathogens and pathology， but through complex socio-cultural examination。 。。。more
Tamsin Blain
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Suzanne o Sullivan writes in a way that takes you with her。 You see these patients for yourself， you see their maladies without answers and you realise the impact upon each individual life。 Her descriptions and diagnosis are brutally honest but never without compassion Fascinating non fiction
Sally
，
This was such an interesting read！ A wonderful book written by a woman who is an expert in her field but is searching for further and better ways to help her patients and the medical field at large。This book looks at several 'mystery' illnesses with a particular focus on the cultural and social context in which they occur。 O'Sullivan is intent on trying to understand and get others to even consider that illness as we in the West understand it is not as cut and dried as we think it is。 O'Sullivan This was such an interesting read！ A wonderful book written by a woman who is an expert in her field but is searching for further and better ways to help her patients and the medical field at large。This book looks at several 'mystery' illnesses with a particular focus on the cultural and social context in which they occur。 O'Sullivan is intent on trying to understand and get others to even consider that illness as we in the West understand it is not as cut and dried as we think it is。 O'Sullivan here also questions her own practises as a neurologist and wonders whether the way that Western medicine treats many conditions （particularly those with a psychosomatic or now called 'functional' aspect） is doing more harm than good。A wonderfully written captivating and easy to understand read that I found fascinating and would recommend to anyone interested in this area but particularly to those of a medical and/or psychological background。 。。。more
Canadian Reader
，
Early in her book on outbreaks of mass psychosomatic illness around the world， neurologist Suzanne O’Sullivan observes that “disease impresses people; illness with no evidence of disease does not。 Psychological illness， psychosomatic and functional symptoms [that is， symptoms which indicate problems with how the nervous system is working] are the least respected of medical problems。” She proceeds to look at cases in various countries， including Sweden， Kazakhstan， the Miskito Coast of Central Am Early in her book on outbreaks of mass psychosomatic illness around the world， neurologist Suzanne O’Sullivan observes that “disease impresses people; illness with no evidence of disease does not。 Psychological illness， psychosomatic and functional symptoms [that is， symptoms which indicate problems with how the nervous system is working] are the least respected of medical problems。” She proceeds to look at cases in various countries， including Sweden， Kazakhstan， the Miskito Coast of Central America， Columbia， （the US embassy in） Cuba， Guyana， and small-town USA。 Many of these cases involve children and teenage girls， and most involve people on the periphery of the dominant culture: ethnic minorities and groups suspicious of the government or caught between two worlds， the traditional and the modern。 Drawing mostly on anthropology， social psychology， and philosophy， the author makes a strong case for the ways in which society and culture shape illness and the means by which extreme symptoms， which can’t be attributed to physical pathology， communicate important messages about conflicts within a group or culture。 O’Sullivan says mass hysteria/conversion disorder/psychosomatic or neurological disorder—the phenomenon goes by a variety of interchangeable names—are as “real” as disease in which there is discernible abnormality in the body。 She rightly rejects Cartesian mind-body dualism， pointing out that “mind” is a function of the brain， that it too is created from biology and is “not an intangible independent entity。” However， she does not explain how the minds/brains of groups of people actually create illness—that is， how problems with the functioning of their nervous systems cause mass hysteria。 There is vague， unsatisfying mention of neural circuitry and of patients paying too much attention to the “white noise” of their bodies， misinterpreting that noise， perseverating on symptoms observed and reinforcing their misinterpretations。 It is not clear how all this ties in with the mass events that O’Sullivan is interested in。 Noticeably lacking is a discussion of the mechanisms of social contagion。 Also absent are footnotes and sources。While I found The Sleeping Beauties an interesting and stimulating read， it was not a wholly satisfying one。 Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for providing me with a digital ARC。 。。。more
Eustacia Tan
，
How much hold does the mind have over the body？ What is the impact of culture on our physical health？ In The Sleeping Beauties， Dr。 Suzanne O’Sullivan looks at several different types of ‘mystery illness’， where people fall ill with no medical explanation， some which occur in groups and some which are individual cases to determine the role of the mind and culture on our physical health。In The Sleeping Beauties， Dr。 O’Sullivan covers the following cases:- Resignation Syndrome， which primarily aff How much hold does the mind have over the body？ What is the impact of culture on our physical health？ In The Sleeping Beauties， Dr。 Suzanne O’Sullivan looks at several different types of ‘mystery illness’， where people fall ill with no medical explanation， some which occur in groups and some which are individual cases to determine the role of the mind and culture on our physical health。In The Sleeping Beauties， Dr。 O’Sullivan covers the following cases:- Resignation Syndrome， which primarily affects refugee children in Sweden， where children lose their will to do anything and sleep for years- The Grisi Siknis in Miskito Community， which is sometimes called a folk illness and is treated by non-modern medical methods- A sleeping sickness that affected over a hundred people in two towns in Kazakhstan- US employees in Havana who were suspected to be the victims of a terrorist ‘super sonic’ attack- A group of schoolgirls in Colombia who are fighting the label of “mass hysteria” （they blamed a vaccine）- Another group of schoolgirls in Le Roy who also fought the label of mass hysteria （they blamed possible environmental pollution）- A few people who were are convinced that their doctors have not properly diagnosed their illnesses – such as a lady who had a slipped disc but ended up unable to walk。Each case has its nuances， but overall， what I took away from this book was that: the mind and our environment have a lot more （subconscious） control over the body than we realise。 If we’re primed to notice certain pains， or if we’re taught to look for physical diagnosis for illnesses， we may end up reinforcing a cycle where we expect our bodies to fail us， our bodies fail， and we expect more physical failure。 Environments and emotions can be catching too – what could start as an overreaction to a physical cause can lead to a group of people feeling ill。 The way that authorities react to the physical symptoms can have an impact on it too。I also thought that the differentiation between illness and disease was interesting。 I always thought that the words were synonyms， but according to the book:“The seventeenth-century physician Thomas Sydenham， sometimes referred to as the English Hippocrates， said that a disease was something waiting to be found out， which existed independent of the observer。 It is a cancer that grows and makes itself known， rendering the person sick whether the doctor defines it as a disease or not。 Illness is another matter。 It is a perception of how one feels and does not need to be associated with a disease – i。e。 it does not need an objective pathology to exist。 Illness is defined by the person who has it and the doctor who gives it a name and as such will be an inherently cultural phenomenon。”Another very interesting point that Dr O’Sullivan pointed out was the connection between sexism and the label ‘mass hysteria’。 As the cases of the schoolgirls in Colombia and Le Roy show， “mass hysteria is a magnified version of all that is wrong in the way we perceive and discuss psychosomatic and functional disorders。 Stereotypically， the condition is rejected as a diagnosis for men and caricatured for young women。”Overall， I found this to be a very illuminating book that gave me a new perspective on our health; I now wonder how many of the vaccine side-effects reported are really a side-effect and how many are side-effects that we feel because we’ve been primed to feel it。 I’d recommend this book if you’re interested in learning more about the mind-culture-body connection。This review was first posted at Eustea Reads 。。。more
Chrys
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Overall I really liked this book， but some sections were so repetitive that I actually thought I had lost my place and flipped between pages trying to figure it out。 I understand that this was probably a choice made to ensure no misunderstanding， as there's many ways that could happen with this topic。 But， as I didn't struggle to understand her points， it was very dull to read。Despite that， I learned a lot from this book and I know I'll be thinking about it for a long time。 Overall I really liked this book， but some sections were so repetitive that I actually thought I had lost my place and flipped between pages trying to figure it out。 I understand that this was probably a choice made to ensure no misunderstanding， as there's many ways that could happen with this topic。 But， as I didn't struggle to understand her points， it was very dull to read。Despite that， I learned a lot from this book and I know I'll be thinking about it for a long time。 。。。more
Jules
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I had to force myself to keep reading， and that's just not a good thing when there are so many great books out there that practically read themselves。I was interested in the topic， wanted to gain more insight into it but the first few chapters did not offer me any real insights or good storytelling。 It seems the author was mainly chronicling her own career and offering oddly imprecise definitions of things I already knew。I'm familiar with psychosomatic illness from a psychological perspective an I had to force myself to keep reading， and that's just not a good thing when there are so many great books out there that practically read themselves。I was interested in the topic， wanted to gain more insight into it but the first few chapters did not offer me any real insights or good storytelling。 It seems the author was mainly chronicling her own career and offering oddly imprecise definitions of things I already knew。I'm familiar with psychosomatic illness from a psychological perspective and thought this book would inform me from a different scientific viewpoint。 Instead， I felt the author used the very words she was intent to define interchangeably， made very free with imprecise and layman descriptors like "weird" and "crazy" and never offered actual answers to the mysterious stories she told。Maybe I should have kept reading to find those， but again， I didn't feel like forcing myself。 There must be better books on the topic， written with more understanding， clarity and readability。 。。。more
Petra X can now see through a glass foggily！
，
It started off with a mystery disease I had read about。 the very strange 'resignation syndrome' limited to the daughters of illegal immigrants into Sweden。 The girls fell into comas that lasted years and emerged from them when their families were granted permission to stay。 They really were comatose although their brain scans showed normal， waking brains。 Very strange。 This used to be called hysteria， 'it's all in the mind'， 'a psychosomatic disorder'， 'conversion disorder' and now， FND， functio It started off with a mystery disease I had read about。 the very strange 'resignation syndrome' limited to the daughters of illegal immigrants into Sweden。 The girls fell into comas that lasted years and emerged from them when their families were granted permission to stay。 They really were comatose although their brain scans showed normal， waking brains。 Very strange。 This used to be called hysteria， 'it's all in the mind'， 'a psychosomatic disorder'， 'conversion disorder' and now， FND， functional neurological disorder。 （view spoiler）[I have it。 Stress brings on a variety of symptoms， at the moment it is exzema。 （hide spoiler）] However， I ended up skimming the last part of the chapter as it was long and didn't hold my interest at all。 But I started the next chapter with enthusiasm。 It was the same。 Started off ok and then I drifted off， couldn't remember what I'd read， skimmed。。。。 This happened the whole book。 It's All in Your Head was about the same subject but much more interesting。 I think that was because that was about individuals with their disorders， and this book was about groups of people who had various FNDs that were geographically limited。 I read two previous books by Suzanne O'Sullivan， It's All in Your Head （4 star） and， the other day， Brainstorm: Detective Stories From the World of Neurology which was wonderful， a top 5 star about epilepsy， so I couldn't wait to read this but it didn't work for me。 The detective work of trying to find out what caused these syndromes in various parts of the world didn't interest me at all。 The book was not for me， but I think I was just the wrong reader， I think a lot of people might find it fascinating。 。。。more
Shilpa Shah
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Despair awaits hope as a princess lies still。 What poisoned fruit has she bitten into and is there a way out of the sleep that engulfs her ？ Suzanne brings us a fascinating story of a mystery illness and in doing so， unravels a profound truth- We are as much an expression of our genes as we are a product of our environment。 In a sense we are biology within a Sociocultural phenomenon。 As a clinician herself she explains how mental illnesses requires more than a look within。 Many answers in fact r Despair awaits hope as a princess lies still。 What poisoned fruit has she bitten into and is there a way out of the sleep that engulfs her ？ Suzanne brings us a fascinating story of a mystery illness and in doing so， unravels a profound truth- We are as much an expression of our genes as we are a product of our environment。 In a sense we are biology within a Sociocultural phenomenon。 As a clinician herself she explains how mental illnesses requires more than a look within。 Many answers in fact reside outside- be it the venom or the antidote。 We need to broaden our horizon in pursuit of a cure- else sleeping beauties will lie asleep。 If you liked “ it’s all in your head” you will absolutely love “Sleeping beauties。” 。。。more
Mancman
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It took me a while to finish this， sadly。It’s a fascinating premise but it’s very dry writing， to me at least。I enjoyed it， but it could have been much more engaging。
Carolyn Drake
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A fascinating and empathetic look at a series of psychosomatic disorders， or 'functional' neurological diseases。 O'Sullivan looks at different sets of these outbreaks across the world， in disparate communities， ranging from children of displaced， asylum-seeking families in Sweden， to middle-aged US embassy workers in Cuba。 She investigates 'resignation syndrome'， where girls lie completely immobile in a waking coma， sometimes for years， and sees how culture， community， and the need for an extern A fascinating and empathetic look at a series of psychosomatic disorders， or 'functional' neurological diseases。 O'Sullivan looks at different sets of these outbreaks across the world， in disparate communities， ranging from children of displaced， asylum-seeking families in Sweden， to middle-aged US embassy workers in Cuba。 She investigates 'resignation syndrome'， where girls lie completely immobile in a waking coma， sometimes for years， and sees how culture， community， and the need for an external 'cause' can shape and fuel dissociative disorders （see the careless and disruptive cameo from Erin Brockovich for a particularly egregious example）。 The author shows how upsetting and accusatory it can be for families to read sensationalist reports labelling their loved ones as 'hysterical'， which goes some way to explaining their desparation for simple， physiological explanations。 The subject matter， coupled with O'Sullivan's curiosity and humanity， reminds me of the late Oliver Sacks。 。。。more
Louise
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3。5 stars。 There were some interesting cases and the mysterious ways our brain works， however I thought that the author talked about it too long in some cases and I lost interest。 Very interesting thoughts about dissociative disorder
Michael Butler
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As a teacher of psychology， this was a really appealing read。 It felt very accessible， so I have recommended it to some of my students who are studying medicine or neuroscience at university。 It introduced a wide range of similar case studies into unusual disorders and highlighted the importance of taking a biopsychsocial and cultural view of each condition to both understand and create treatments。 I enjoyed the personal analysis and suggestions for changes in the medical world for treating such As a teacher of psychology， this was a really appealing read。 It felt very accessible， so I have recommended it to some of my students who are studying medicine or neuroscience at university。 It introduced a wide range of similar case studies into unusual disorders and highlighted the importance of taking a biopsychsocial and cultural view of each condition to both understand and create treatments。 I enjoyed the personal analysis and suggestions for changes in the medical world for treating such conditions in the future。 A good read and will certainly look at other books written this author。 。。。more
Ellie
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Absolutely fascinating！！ Slightly repetitive in places， and some chapters did go on a little past what was necessary， but this overview of functional psychosomatic illnesses says so much about the environments that cause them。
Miz
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This was an absolutely fascinating read。 And despite the scientific nature to some of the subject matter， it was set out in an easy to understand and very readable way。
Heidi
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