“Health Is Wealth”: Warhol, Illness, and the Quiet Terror of Losing Control

Near the end of his life, Andy Warhol often repeated the line: “Health is wealth.” It might sound quite obvious, yet it actually demonstrated a deep understanding of what it means to live in a body that can no longer be taken for granted. Indeed, Warhol recognized that when the body fails, the entire world changes. Illness removes the illusion that life is predictable or that tomorrow will be the same as yesterday. It reveals how much security we derive from a body that functions without too many issues. "Health is wealth" wasn't just a catchy phrase; it acknowledged that the greatest form of stability is physical well-being, and when health declines, a person faces a new psychological landscape filled with uncertainty, vulnerability, and a significant loss of control.

When the body changes before the self can adjust

People living with declining health often describe a sense that the body is changing faster than their inner world can catch up. A person who has always navigated daily life with ease might suddenly discover that actions once considered straight forward are now filled with effort or risk. The decline in independence and confidence becomes increasingly obvious. The person they see themselves as internally no longer matches the body they inhabit. This disparity is more than just a nuisance; it can quietly evolve into a crisis of identity and a deep sense of fear.

Warhol, who relied on repetition and routine to create a sense of order, appeared to experience this intensely in his final years. His ongoing medical complications, recurrent hospital stays, and the increasing need to manage pain and physical limitations underscored a growing sense of fragility. “Health is wealth” became both an acknowledgment of what he valued most, and an expression or sorrow for what he was gradually losing. Recently, I’ve experienced a similar change in my own life. Coping with ongoing and deteriorating health problems has made me more aware of how quickly a sense of stability can disappear, and how easily the mind fills the gaps with dread and endless what ifs. It has highlighted the emotional effort required to restore a feeling of safety, both physically and in life, when it can no longer be taken for granted.

The pain of losing control

Illness is often understood in terms of symptoms, diagnoses, and treatments, but its psychological core is frequently about control. People organize their lives around the assumption that their bodies will cooperate. When that cooperation fades, so too does the sense of stability that makes ordinary life feel manageable. This loss of control can be frightening, disorienting, and deeply upsetting. It can challenge a person’s sense of safety, create uncertainty about the future, and destabilize the foundation of their identity.

Maintaining balance when control is lost

Even when health declines, people are not powerless, even if they might feel that way. The challenge becomes learning how to live within a reality that no longer aligns with expectations. Some individuals experience relief by transitioning from attempting to control their bodies to collaborating with them, and acknowledging their limitations without viewing them as personal shortcomings. Others find that acknowledging grief - grief for lost abilities, reduced energy, and lost predictability - eases the emotional burden of change. Even during illness, what remains under a person's control is often more subtle and internal: their self-talk, when they rest, how they seek and receive support, how they manage their energy, and the different ways they continue to find meaning.

Connecting with others serves a stabilizing function. Feeling understood, supported, and not alone can help alleviate the fear that illness causes. Talking with a psychologist or therapist can offer an added layer of support; a place to process the emotional impact of changing health, make sense of fear, and find more stability. While old routines may no longer be appropriate, new habits can be created that match the body's current condition, bringing back a sense of predictability. Fear can also be acknowledged even if it isn't controllable. Indeed, recognizing fear instead of suppressing it always makes it more manageable.

Learning to live with uncertainty

Warhol’s statement “Health is wealth” captures the emotional truth that health is not simply about the body; it is a form of psychological safety. When it fades, uncertainty inevitably grows. The task is not to eradicate this uncertainty but to find ways of living within it with stability and compassion. This frequently involves becoming comfortable with uncertainty, managing to breathe through situations beyond our control, and nurturing small areas of control even when life seems unstable. In this process, individuals often find a more subtle and resilient way to be themselves, acknowledging both their limitations and their strengths.

A different kind of wealth

Deteriorating health requires a person to re-learn how to live in a changing body, and this process can be profoundly difficult, but within it can also be glimpses of courage and clarity that were not available when life was different. Warhol's words remind us that although health is often the first form of wealth we recognize after it's lost, the inner life we develop during times of loss and the relationships that support us are also valuable forms of wealth. Even when control is lost, an individual can still reconnect with themselves through care and compassion. In this way, a path forward is still available, even when the body no longer provides the certainty it once did.

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Dr. Ingela Thuné-Boyle is a licensed Practitioner Health Psychologist and a Doctor in Behavioural Medicine who specializes in improving the quality of life of people struggling with long-term health problems, chronic pain and trauma. She runs a private online (telehealth) practice at www.ingelathuneboyle.com. You can find out more about her background [here], and more about her approach to therapy [here].

📩 Contact: For therapy or other enquiries, you can contact her at info@ingelathuneboyle.com.

Please note: Advice given in this blog is not meant to take the place of therapy or any other professional advice. The opinions and views offered by the author is not intended to treat or diagnose, nor is it intended to replace the treatment and care that you may be receiving from a licensed physician or mental health provider. The author is not responsible for the outcome or results following their information and advice on this blog.