"Well you may ask!", you may say, but this year we are delighted to welcome Dr Tony Bates to ask this precise question in the context of the increasing medicalisation of our everyday lives.
The phrase, ‘We all have mental health’ is widely used in the media, in government policies, and mental health charities and schools. Intended to reduce stigma, we are encouraged to talk about our ‘mental health issues’ openly. Intended to break down barriers between the minority who are deemed to be ‘mentally ill’ and the rest of us who are ‘normal’, this is generally regarded as a good thing. But it has had some unintended consequences.
It has become a blanket term for ‘feelings’, including loneliness, self-doubt, sadness, anxiety, and frustration. Whereas before these were accepted as an inevitable part of being human, there is a growing tendency to see these experiences as indicative of something ‘wrong’ with a person. From being people who struggle in different but important ways throughout our lives, we are now encouraged to consider that we may have a diagnosable psychiatric condition.
Young people are turning to social media that diagnose their struggles as ‘mental health’ problems. Dr Bates’ talk will explore why we insist on translating our emotional highs and lows into the language of ‘mental health’ and what happens when we increasingly medicalise our everyday lives.
The Allingham Lecture takes place in the Abbey Arts Centre, Ballyshannon, on Thursday 2nd November @ 8pm
It is a free event but please book to avoid disappointment.