The chief purpose of the article is to remind the reader of these connections and encourage them: “ We’re all living in challenging times, and we’re all at high risk for disrupted body budgets. [...] it’s possible to acknowledge what your brain is actually doing and take some comfort from it.”

Secondarily, the article lightly advocates for holistic medical care, using the negative example of the same pain being treated by different specialists depending on the circumstances. I do not believe that approach is obvious to many people, or agreed with by most people aware of it.