Showing results by author "Norman Cousins" in All Categories

A political journalist and activist, Cousins was also a professor of medical humanities at UCLA, where he studied the biochemistry of human emotions and their relationship to healing. When Cousins was hospitalized with a debilitating collagen illness, he decided to take his health into his own hands. Cousins and his doctor combated the disease together by creating a regimen of laughter and vitamin C specifically calibrated to his needs. Against all odds, the treatment worked, proving to Cousins that a positive attitude was key to his improvement. 

In the United States alone, 1 in every 5 deaths results from heart failure. Norman Cousins should know—a massive heart attack nearly killed him. Here is the dramatic account of that trauma, the events leading up to the attack, his intensive rehabilitation program, and his recovery. Cousins' experience is an inspirational case study in how to mobilize inner resources to overcome fear and panic.