Have we medicalised the normal ups and downs of life?

According to Tony Blair, former prime minister - yes we have!  I really didn’t think I would find myself quoting Tony Blair, particularly in connection to mental health, but here I am.  So what does the ‘great’ man have to say about it?  And why do I find myself agreeing with him?  

If you are interested in what he has to say, then you can read the article by clicking this link.   

Sir Tony has shared that he thinks that we have become overly focused on mental health and that we are prone to self diagnosing (most likely aided and abetted by Dr Google no doubt!).  No one can argue that the awareness we have of mental health these days is not a good thing, and the more awareness there is the more stigma around mental health diminishes.

The stresses and strains of everyday life is something that none of us is immune to.  In fact, I would go so far as to suggest that we need a few ups and downs to develop stress stamina and resilience.  Stress in itself is not a problem, it is that we seem to have lost the ability to switch off from it.  When we are stuck in chronic stress it is deleterious to our health, and can impact our sleep, which in turn can lead to low mood. 

I myself have experienced episodes of severe and debilitating low mood over my lifetime.  At one point I would accept the medication that was given, and would pop the pills for months, and sometimes years on end.  Over time, I realised that actually, often the medication made me much more anxious than I started out being, with the added problem of suicidal ideation, which if you look carefully at the information leaflet, is a known contra-indication for all anti-depressants. 

My episodes of depression always resolved - eventually, but I believe that taking medication was incidental to my recovery, and that it was time - time away from work and the pressures of life that gave me the space I needed to heal. 

I have not taken antidepressants for a number of years now, except for a short stint about a year ago.  The suicidal ideation had become so bothersome that I decided that the sensible thing to do would be to ask my GP to put me back on medication.  Big mistake!  The first ones I tried (because I wasn’t sleeping) had too great a sedating effect on me.  I persevered until I found that I was having difficulty with swallowing, which the pharmacist explained was a known side effect.  After a few more weeks of trying at half a dose, I gave up. 

My GP then prescribed me a different drug - and boy, did it set me on a ride and a half!  The drug did seem to lift my mood, but the problem was that I seemed to lose impulse control.  I would be fine one minute and then this tension would build and build until I released it.  This manifested itself in the urge to constantly message someone I had previously been romantically involved with.

Fortunately for me, but less fortunately for him, the loss of impulse control was relatively harmless, and caused embarrassment rather than any lasting damage; and it was - hugely embarrassing.  I knew that my behaviour was not normal, but I could not dispel the intense need to message him.  This insight caused me great distress as the more I tried to suppress the impulse, the stronger it became.  Once the message was sent, I would be soothed, but not for long. 

After about a week or so of this (perhaps it was longer), I read the information leaflet.  Spiralling anxiety with a loss of impulse control was again, a side effect of the medication!  Needless to say, I stopped them and have sworn never to take medication again.  You can read more on how I managed my mental health and recovered in an upcoming blog, if this is of interest to you.  

We each have our own journey, and sharing my own experiences is not to tell you how to manage your own mental health, but to share that there are some simple commonalities that are the bedrock to supporting wellbeing for all of us. 

So returning to the topic at hand - the over medicalising of mental health - how have we come to this?  From the stoicism of our grandparents era, to the neediness of our children’s generation (and our own for that matter)?  That is a complex question, and there is not a straightforward answer.  Awareness of mental health is certainly something that has changed in my lifetime, and was sorely needed.  There was so much stigma that people would suffer alone, and for some, it would lead to them ending their lives.  Perversely , suicide rates have increased - so raising awareness hasn’t had a positive impact on this.

Like anything, when we normalise something, there is the danger of diminishing the problem.  It’s a bit like Chinese whispers - all sense of meaning is lost the more people share the idea.  This has happened in other areas too -  where everybody thinks they are on the spectrum, or glibly will profess to being a little bit OCD!  Having worked within the contract management service for adult social care for a city authority, I am confident that I have a reasonable understanding of the difficulty that people who are on the spectrum, or who are debilitated by severe OCD, and such, face. 

Another argument to consider is that actually, the medicalisation of negative experiences and the ups and downs of life is big business.   Big Pharma business to be precise, which is worth a staggering £1.3 trillion globally (2023 figures)!  I can leave it up to you to contemplate how that influences our behaviour and how mental health is managed by the health profession.  

In addition, it has to be said that we do tend to talk more about how we are feeling.  Normal experiences, such as grief, are labelled as conditions requiring mental health intervention.  Sadness, anger, and low mood are all normal parts of grief.  Grief is not a linear process and rushing the bereaved through the ‘process of grief’ does them a disservice.  For sure they need support during the difficult transitional process to adjust to life without their loved one - but medicalising grief benefits no one, except Big Pharma perhaps.

There are other factors at play, such as the need for a diagnostic label to secure insurance payouts for health care (not so much in the UK, but this is the case in the USA).  For others, it is a powerful draw to gain a mental health label to access welfare support.  That in itself is a huge problem, as the welfare bill in the UK since COVID is astronomical and unsustainable.

So, what is the answer?  I personally believe that the answer lies, in part at least, in the empowerment of individuals to find their equilibrium.  How do we do this?  A good place to start is nutrition.  The power of nutrition has been lost on the majority of society somewhat.  Our penchant for fast food means that we consume empty calories that do not nourish us, and actually, consume overly processed foods that contain additives that are harmful to our health. 

What else?  Physical activity.  Yes, I guess I mean exercise, but actually - more important is movement.  We are designed to move.  It keeps our joints supple, and helps us to burn up any stress hormones we might have circulating.  Not everyone can run a marathon or join a gym (myself included) due to disability or health constraints - but keeping moving is a good place to start. 

Last, but most definitely not least - JOY.  Forgive the caps, I am not shouting at you - or maybe I am.  Experiencing pockets of joy is a real boost to our wellbeing.  Add to that a good old belly laugh and you will find yourself on the road to recovery. 

It’s all about getting back to basics.  

Look out for a future blog that dives into what worked for me - you might just find that it resonates with you.  

Finally, let’s start a conversation.  Let me know by commenting below, or sending me an email to hello@cassiejordan.co.uk how you manage your own ups and downs, and what insights you might be able to share that would benefit others. 

It’s good to talk.  Taking action is even better! 

DISCLAIMER: 

Cassie Jordan is not a trained medical professional.  Cassie holds a degree and postgrad degrees in Psychology and Health Psychology and a certificate in executive coaching.  The content of this blog is based on her opinion and lived experience.  It should in no way be construed as advice on how to manage mental health, but to open up a conversation on commonalities that will benefit most people.  Anyone experiencing poor mental health should seek support from their GP in the first instance, and a qualified health professional who is able to support them with how to manage enduring mental health challenges.