Love and Survival : The Scientific Basis for the Healing Power of Intimacy - Softcover

Dean Ornish

Softcover

ISBN 10: 009185704X ISBN 13: 9780091857042

Publisher: Ebury & Vermilion, 2001

Synopsis

Dr Dean Ormish transformed the treatment of heart disease when he proved that it could be reversed through diet, and exercise. In this book he shows that the real epidemic is an emotional and spiritual heart disease - the profound sense of loneliness, isolation, alienation and depression in our society - and the most powerful factor in the healing process are feelings of love, connectedness and spiritual transformation. He proves that the healing power of love and intimacy is more important than any other factor in medicine - not diet, smoking, exercise, stress, genetics, drugs or surgery have a greater impact on our quality of life, incidence of illness and premature death from all causes. Dr Ornish writes both from his clinical research, and from his own struggles for intimacy and communication, sharing the techniques and strategies he has found effective in his personal life.

About this title

Review:

Many people know Dean Ornish as the doctor who proved that symptoms of heart disease can be reversed with a regimen of a low-fat diet, exercise, and stress reduction. In Love & Survival, he concentrates on the less tangible aspects of a healthful life. Through anecdotes and dozens of scientific studies, Ornish demonstrates that personal intimacy and other aspects of emotional well-being--all the elements that make up what we call "love"--are as important to our physical condition as to our mental health. Not only do these positive emotions motivate us to make better lifestyle choices, Ornish argues, they also have a powerful direct effect on our bodies, giving us stronger immune systems, better cardiovascular functioning, and longer life expectancies. But the benefits of opening our hearts to others go beyond curing our bodies of disease; it's also the first step toward healing our entire lives.

From the Back Cover:

The Medical Basis for the Healing Power of Intimacy

We all know that intimacy improves the quality of our lives. Yet most people don't realize how much it can increase the quality of our lives-- our survival.

In this New York Times world-renowned physician Dean Ornish, M.D., writes, "I am not aware of any other factor in medicine that has a greater impact on our survival than the healing power of love and intimacy. Not diet, not smoking, not exercise, not stress, not genetics, not drugs, not surgery."

He reveals that the real epidemic in modern culture is not only physical heart disease but also what he calls spiritual heart disease: loneliness, isolation, alienation, and depression. He shows how the very defenses that we think protect us from emotional pain are often the same ones that actually heighten our pain and threaten our survival. Dr. Ornish outlines eight pathways to intimacy and healing that have made a profound difference in his life and in the life of millions of others in turning sadness into happiness, suffering into joy.

About this edition

• Publisher: Ebury & Vermilion
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 009185704X
• ISBN 13: 9780091857042
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 284