Description

At what point does a low mood tip over into depression? When does a distressing experience qualify as trauma? When does a cluster of symptoms indicate an underlying condition? As the conversation around mental health has moved from the consulting room to the public arena, so the concept of normal is shifting. Today, we are seeing an unprecedented rise in diagnosable conditions, in waiting lists, in diagnoses, and in medication.

Yet, are we really less psychologically healthy than previous generations? In this brave, engrossing and vitally important new book, consultant neuropsychiatrist Dr Alastair Santhouse argues that the consequences of the new climate of diagnosis are immense. Drawing on his decades of clinical experience, Dr Santhouse explores our current malaise and proposes a solution – that we pull back from this diagnostic expansion, focus on the effective treatment of a core group of severe mental health problems, and de-medicalise a vast range of other normal human experiences.

Publisher Review

I urge everyone who is seriously interested in the mind and its disorders to read this thoughtful, insightful and compassionate book. The medicalisation of ordinary distress and anxiety is a threat to our mental health services and those who need it most — Dr Gwen Adshead, author of The Devil You Know A thoughtful, well-informed, and compassionate response to the recent boom in mental health diagnoses. Dr Santhouse is sounding an important alarm: What happens when labels like “traumatized” and “neurodivergent” are misunderstood or overapplied? What happens when the rich variations of life are flattened by medical reductionism? A book for doctors, patients, and casual readers alike — Nathan Hill, author of Wellness