The Language of Medicine 13

San Francisco's Laguna Honda Hospital is the last almshouse in the country, a descendant of the hôtel-Dieu (God's hotel) that cared for the sick in the Middle Ages. Ballet dancers and rock musicians, professors and thieves—"anyone who had fallen, or, often, leapt, onto hard times" and needed extended medical care—ended up here. So did Victoria Sweet, who came for two months and stayed for twenty years.

Bioenergetics is a dynamic form of therapy based on the teachings of Wilhelm Reich. It links physical pain, muscle tension, and postural disorders with state of mind, demonstrating that suppressed emotions, unhappiness, and anger can block energy-flow and cause physical distress. Dr Alexander Lowen, founder and prime mover of this therapy, analyzes common complaints such as headaches and lower-back pain and shows how they can be overcome by releasing the muscular tension that creates them. Through bioenergetic exercise, physical pain can be dissolved and emotion released, leading to a new sense of confidence and well-being. The author also wrote "Depression and the Body".