It’s very interested in the final two chapters that they linked back to the emergence of health psychology. At the beginning of the class, I didn’t quite get the importance of health psychology professions and had a misconception that doctors graduated from medical school who treated disease are more prestigious than professionals who promote general wellness. Besides my misconception, the overemphasis on disease led to many other social problems. Medical tests and procedures were unnecessarily over-used, which cost addition side effects, medical errors and increasing costs.
The last two chapters helped us review every points we learned from previous chapters. And it’s mentioned that a list of must-to-do won’t necessarily generate long-term benefits. However, it’s important to consider the single individual and tailor special recommendations for them to walk along their health path.
One last point I would like to draw on is the way Dr. Terman did the research. It’s the attitude we need in scientific world that to present loads and loads of facts and change the view based on the facts, rather than using intelligence tests and achievement outcomes to further personal preconceived views.
I’m glad we had the chance to carefully read this book, which I probably will not read by myself until my fifties, and wrote reflection on each chapter every week. It’s would be very helpful for me and my family and friends to live a healthier and longer life. Though I may not remember every single detail mentioned in this book, I would know where to find the answer when I need them. And from a larger picture, the revealed findings will provide valuable insights for the further development of our social and health care system in the future.
Before I took the class and read the book, I also had a misconception about health psychology. I did not know much about it, and I certainly did not consider much about health-related problems because I am young and I am healthy. I am not bothered by any serious health problems and neither do my parents or close relatives. Although many of the things talked about in the book are not new to me, I have to say I didn’t realize how much these personal inclinations, characteristics can do to one’s health. And the most important thing I take away from reading the book is that health is very important. It is not important in way of one’s career. In the pursuit of one’s career goal, one has to constantly set small goals for themselves and try one hundred percent best to achieve these goals. But to be healthy, it is not going to work in the same way. The book provides insights into why we cannot pursuit health in the same way we pursue other things in our lives. 🙂