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Pathologising

B

I'm just going to quote myself here from the Terminology thread:

" ... a lot of things I grew up believing were just a normal part of being human have names and are actually now labelled a 'condition' or 'disorder'.

I think I must now have about 20 conditions and disorders I wasn't aware of until recently.

It feels as though everything is being neatly put into boxes."

I read this article the other day

https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-special-needs-racket-is-out-of-control/

(if a box comes up + it looks like you can't read the article, you can close the box down and read still).

I'm really undecided what I think about all this.

When I was younger I had 'anxiety' put on my medical records and I was very surprised as I thought everyone got anxious, although I'd been given meds to deal with it.

Anyway, I later heard about 'general anxiety disorder' and I still can't make my mind up about whether anxiety is just part of the human condition.

Do others have views on these thoughts?

Are too many things being pathologised and defined these days?

Parents

  • I think there is a danger of things being pathologised, but whilst a certain level of anxiety over certain things is normal like exams or a job interview, I suspect its really the levels of anxiety someone has and if it's interfering with everyday life.

    I do think that people are becoming discouraged from helping each other as they don't feel they have anything to offer and are afraid of doing more harm than good. Maybe its because so many of us have inadaquate support systems that we end up going the doctor or therapists instead.

    But I do remember from childhood, that there were many people particularly women who were said to 'live on their nerves' and the number of people, particulalry women who were prescribed valium was huge, "Mothers little helper! as per the Rolling Stones song. We've also got better at diagnosing things, ilke IBS or Endometriosis, I think my Nan might of had the latter as she often had to go to bed because it was all mosre than she could stand. Of course women of her generations didn't see the doctor about such things and most doctors woudn't have expected them too and probably wouldn't have been much help anyway.

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  • I think there is a danger of things being pathologised, but whilst a certain level of anxiety over certain things is normal like exams or a job interview, I suspect its really the levels of anxiety someone has and if it's interfering with everyday life.

    I do think that people are becoming discouraged from helping each other as they don't feel they have anything to offer and are afraid of doing more harm than good. Maybe its because so many of us have inadaquate support systems that we end up going the doctor or therapists instead.

    But I do remember from childhood, that there were many people particularly women who were said to 'live on their nerves' and the number of people, particulalry women who were prescribed valium was huge, "Mothers little helper! as per the Rolling Stones song. We've also got better at diagnosing things, ilke IBS or Endometriosis, I think my Nan might of had the latter as she often had to go to bed because it was all mosre than she could stand. Of course women of her generations didn't see the doctor about such things and most doctors woudn't have expected them too and probably wouldn't have been much help anyway.

Children
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