The article argues that mental health diagnoses are being overused to explain normal emotional responses to stress. It criticizes mental health charities for this trend and highlights the potential harm to those who truly need help. The author also discusses the rise of diagnoses like Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder and its implications for criminal justice.
When I served as a minister with responsibility for mental health , I strongly advocated against mental health charities, which receive substantial funding from taxpayers, classifying normal emotional reactions to stressful life events as ' mental health issues'. I witnessed this frequently during my constituency surgeries, where conversations often concluded with the statement: 'It's affecting my mental health .
' It seemed as though uttering these words alone transformed an individual into a special case, magically conjuring a solution. Citing 'mental health' appears to absolve some individuals from taking responsibility for challenging situations, be it family or work-related issues, instead of confronting their problems head-on and seeking solutions, as millions of us do.I am encouraged by the findings of a survey commissioned by the Centre For Social Justice (CSJ) think-tank, which revealed that 84 percent of GPs believe that everyday pressures and our responses to them are being over-medicalized. There is a concerning trend of people being labeled with mental health disorders, often self-diagnosed, when they are experiencing stress, anxiety, depression, sleep problems, or other symptoms simply due to the natural ups and downs of life.You'll rarely hear mental health charities acknowledge this. In fact, some are already pushing back against the CSJ findings. For example, a spokesperson for Sane insisted that 'self-diagnosing' should be taken seriously and is an early indicator of the need for help. However, I am concerned about those who genuinely require urgent assistance – individuals with severe, debilitating mental illness who may be at risk of suicide or violent behavior. Without adequate support, the consequences can be devastating. They may face longer wait times for essential treatment, even though the NHS is currently investing a staggering £11.79 billion, roughly 7 percent of its total budget of around £171 billion, in mental health services.Despite these efforts, the system remains strained. Hopefully, the CSJ survey will prompt positive change, although I remain skeptical. There is another alarming aspect to the misuse of mental health diagnoses that has come to my attention. Recently, I spoke with a barrister friend who informed me of his decision to retire earlier than planned. He has always cherished his profession, the dramatic nature of court proceedings, and the challenge of representing difficult clients. But not anymore. He describes today's criminals as 'mostly brain-dead, drug-induced, psychotic individuals' whom he no longer desires to work with.What particularly troubles him is a new diagnosis prevalent in the legal system: Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder, which, in layman's terms, refers to individuals who lack control over their temper or emotional responses. This diagnosis seemingly absolves them from responsibility for highly antisocial behavior – 'It's my mental health, M'Lud.' In many cases, this diagnosis also expedites access to the highest level of benefits because there is no 'cure.' My barrister friend blames mental health professionals and left-leaning lawyers for expanding the well-established serious mental health condition, Borderline Personality Disorder, to encompass yet another label for drug-addled, antisocial individuals who choose to behave poorly and evade accountability for their actions. Is this the path we're on: creating labels to explain away societal problems that we find too challenging to address? If so, it's a dangerous course to pursue
Mental Health Over-Medicalization Diagnosis Stress Anxiety Depression Criminal Justice Social Problems Responsibility
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