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The Invisible Kingdom

Reimagining Chronic Illness

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The Invisible Kingdom

By: Meghan O'Rourke
Narrated by: Meghan O'Rourke
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About this listen

 A landmark exploration of one of the most consequential and mysterious issues of our time: the rise of chronic illness and autoimmune diseases

A silent epidemic of chronic illnesses afflicts tens of millions of Americans: these are diseases that are poorly understood, frequently marginalized, and can go undiagnosed and unrecognized altogether. Renowned writer Meghan O’Rourke delivers a revelatory investigation into this elusive category of “invisible” illness that encompasses autoimmune diseases, post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome, and now long COVID, synthesizing the personal and the universal to help all of us through this new frontier.

Drawing on her own medical experiences as well as a decade of interviews with doctors, patients, researchers, and public health experts, O’Rourke traces the history of Western definitions of illness, and reveals how inherited ideas of cause, diagnosis, and treatment have led us to ignore a host of hard-to-understand medical conditions, ones that resist easy description or simple cures. And as America faces this health crisis of extraordinary proportions, the populations most likely to be neglected by our institutions include women, the working class, and people of color.

Blending lyricism and erudition, candor and empathy, O’Rourke brings together her deep and disparate talents and roles as critic, journalist, poet, teacher, and patient, synthesizing the personal and universal into one monumental project arguing for a seismic shift in our approach to disease. The Invisible Kingdom offers hope for the sick, solace and insight for their loved ones, and a radical new understanding of our bodies and our health. Medical Physical Illness & Disease Professionals & Academics Health Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Medicine Mental Health Chronic Illness

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All stars
Most relevant
For years I’ve been hoping to one day be able to write about my experience of chronic illness and to share the lessons it taught me with the society that neglects the chronically ill in such a fundamental way. I am glad I don’t have to write that book anymore. It’s been written and this is it. Thank you, Megan O’Rourke for describing so eloquently and efficiently the invisible but acutely felt reality of so many of us.

Everything I wanted to say but couldn’t

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Truths about the experience and about the deficiencies of medicine in response to chronic illness. Well worth listening to - no facile, positive, 'gift of chronic illness' stuff. Much deeper analysis than that.

Excellent

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