Bed rest is defined as confinement to a bed as part of treatment with restriction of activity. In other terms, bed rest simply means that a patient is stuck in bed for a period of time without getting to do day to day activities as part of a treatment plan. In The Bed Rest Hoax, Kleeman describes multiple cases of patients that have negative effects due to best rest and overall thoughts about this topic, both pros and cons. However, bed rest is not the best option for women (and men) due to a major decrease in bodily functions (immobilization), difficulties providing for another life, and the mental well-being of the patient.
Ordering patients to stay in bed as much as possible and rest is most commonly seen in patients with myocardial infarction, congestive heart disease, tuberculosis, and pregnant women. The body tends to go through many changes while being immobilized and not in a positive way. Deconditioning tends to set in …show more content…
Kleeman did an excellent job of describing her emotional state while being in a Catholic Convent for only five days. "I felt sad for no good reason, unfocused but undistractible - I couldn't seem to get my mind off how I felt, but I was unable to bring the experience into sharp enough relief to analyze it. It's more difficult to think when you're horizontal: alertness comes in plains and troughs rather than in peaks. None of my thoughts had any lift to them" (2015). Being sedentary for periods of time, whether short or extended, can cause the patient to form mental disorders such as anxiety or depression. It is also important to look at the monotony of a patient on bed rest, especially if it is limited. Charlotte Perkins writes a short story about a doctor who orders a patient to strict bedrest where the character had increased mental agony. At the end of 'The Yellow Wall paper,' Gilman's protagonist goes insane"
Ordering patients to stay in bed as much as possible and rest is most commonly seen in patients with myocardial infarction, congestive heart disease, tuberculosis, and pregnant women. The body tends to go through many changes while being immobilized and not in a positive way. Deconditioning tends to set in …show more content…
Kleeman did an excellent job of describing her emotional state while being in a Catholic Convent for only five days. "I felt sad for no good reason, unfocused but undistractible - I couldn't seem to get my mind off how I felt, but I was unable to bring the experience into sharp enough relief to analyze it. It's more difficult to think when you're horizontal: alertness comes in plains and troughs rather than in peaks. None of my thoughts had any lift to them" (2015). Being sedentary for periods of time, whether short or extended, can cause the patient to form mental disorders such as anxiety or depression. It is also important to look at the monotony of a patient on bed rest, especially if it is limited. Charlotte Perkins writes a short story about a doctor who orders a patient to strict bedrest where the character had increased mental agony. At the end of 'The Yellow Wall paper,' Gilman's protagonist goes insane"