The national turmoil we are witnessing is not just a crisis of institutions or politics or a society at a crossroads. It is also a crisis of health. Hate such as the kind we witnessed in Charlottesville is like a disease, spreading among populations and undermining health in a manner eerily similar to that of a pathogen. When a society is infected by hate, it is not hard to see how it can affect our bodies and minds. Being hated is stressful. It makes a person fear for her safety, resent her lack of respect, and worry about what the future holds for herself and her family. People who feel hated are more likely to experience major depression, and the fruits of hate — prejudice, discrimination, segregation, and interpersonal antagonism — sicken and kill Americans every day.
Read full article in The Boston Globe.