Psychiatry reflects societal ills? Pressure to be happy fuels mental health disorders. Time for reflection: are psychiatrists part of the problem?
Many scientific articles provide an interesting overview of philosophical developments in psychiatry. Authors often delve into big questions like the nature of psychiatry, the classification of mental disorders, and the relationship between body and mind. Their ideas are valuable, but I often miss a broader perspective on the influence of society on psychiatry.
Surprisingly, psychiatry is often driven more by societal values and media portrayals than by science. After all, what is considered ‘normal’ depends on what society and the media consider normal.
Psychiatry is not an island. It is in close contact with other sciences such as psychology, pharmacology and neuroscience. In fact, innovation often comes from outside: new medications, imaging techniques and psychotherapeutic methods. Future developments may lie in the field of psychedelic therapy, neuromodulation and digital personalized care.
Surprisingly, psychiatry is often driven more by societal values and media portrayals than by science. After all, what is considered ‘normal’ depends on what society and the media consider normal. Fluctuations in the diagnosis of mental disorders often reflect changing social views. For example, the diagnosis of autism and ADHD is under pressure because the media and society fear that increasing diagnosis will have adverse effects on the quality of education and productivity in the workplace. Also relatively new concepts such as misophonia are increasingly appearing in the media, while psychiatry sometimes wants to know little about it.
Often, personal responsibility for being happy is seen as a worthy replacement for ‘mental well-being’ or ‘mental health’. Companies and universities appoint happiness specialists and coaches.
The norm for mental health seems to have changed greatly, but is increasingly being pushed back to the past. Often, personal responsibility for being happy is seen as a worthy replacement for ‘mental well-being’ or ‘mental health’. Companies and universities appoint happiness specialists and coaches. Anyone who does not roll up their sleeves to work on happiness is suspected of being sick, or at least of neglecting good relationships, meaning in life and positive emotions. Feeling good, being resilient, being able to enjoy yourself and at the same time giving everything … that is just the basic requirement to be able to feel at home in a team.
every average grump threatens to become a potential patient.
With this new norm, every average grump threatens to become a potential patient. This is noticed by those who belong to the target group, and they make it known by writing opinion articles in trade journals or newspapers en masse. They absolutely do not want to be among the 1 in 7 people who have to deal with a mental disorder. They absolutely refuse to admit that they are depressed or anxious about the rise of people with mental disorders in their environment. Is the cause of this the too rapid recognition and integration of people with a disorder, disability or illness, or is it rather an animalistic aversion, an intrapsychic resistance and a normal defense reaction based on territorial behavior?
Many people who live in our time have grown up with the idea that self-realization is not the highest achievable, and not even entirely desirable. They see more salvation in a society of many, who complement each other, with a highest authority against which they can rebel, without it really intervening.
They interpret the motto ‘plus est en vous’ too literally, as a constant pressure to maximize themselves, to reinvent themselves time and again and to keep performing.
It is only for two generations that we have been supposed to be autonomous individuals who only flourish in a state of maximum freedom and self-development. Limits must be crossed, limitations overcome and a no is always a failed yes.
For some people, this ideal turns out not to be a utopia but a hell. They are still so steeped in what previous generations have told them that they find this ideal unattainable or unhealthy. They interpret the motto ‘plus est en vous’ too literally, as a constant pressure to maximize themselves, to reinvent themselves time and again and to keep performing.
This too literal, context-blind interpretation then leads to stress, exhaustion, burnout, loneliness and meaninglessness. They also take over the compulsive tendency to obey an authority and find failure is not an option. They keep repeating to themselves that they must be successful, stay in control and be happy. They find any mental suffering to be lazy, or a medicalization of something for which no responsibility is taken. They blame the increase in mental disorders on the cowardice of others who refuse to fully commit themselves.
These beststeller-critics themselves stay out of the discussion and take a position of the omniscient, all-seeing, overseeing expert who criticizes everyone except himself with a gentle smile.”
Often this idea is taken over and internalized by those who actually suffer from a mental disorder. This leads to statements and texts of self-cursing or group cursing. Some psychiatrists participate in this by organizing an audience shaming session. They believe that their patients and their colleagues are participating in incompetence. It is not only about conceptual incompetence, but also reflective incompetence. Because caregivers would have too little eye for the social context, about the prevailing views on health, illness, normal and abnormal that dictate diagnoses and treatments without them being aware of it.
These bestseller-critics themselves stay out of the discussion and take a position of the omniscient, all-seeing, overseeing expert who criticizes everyone except himself with a gentle smile. In the meantime, their books on psychotherapy and cultural analysis are selling like hot cakes. Time for them to take a look in the mirror and acknowledge that they too have butter on their heads and may have lost touch with their clients and patients and the caregivers who come into contact with them on the shop floor on a daily basis?
The European Autist 