Ethical Matters: Mental Health, Capitalism & the Sedation of a Nation with Dr James Davies

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In Britain alone, more than 20 per cent of the adult population take a psychiatric drug in any one year. This is an increase of over 500 percent since 1980 and the numbers continue to grow. Yet, despite this prescription epidemic, levels of mental illness of all types have actually increased in number and severity.
Using a wealth of studies, interviews with experts, and detailed analysis, Dr James Davies argues that this is because we have fundamentally mischaracterized the problem. Rather than viewing most mental distress as an understandable reaction to wider societal problems, we have embraced a medical model which situates the problem solely within the sufferer and their brain.
Urgent and persuasive, his book The New Opium systematically examines why this individualistic view of mental illness has been promoted by successive governments and big business - and why it is so misplaced and dangerous.
Dr James Davies is Associate Professor of Mental Health and Anthropology at the University of Roehampton. He is the author of the bestselling book Cracked: Why psychiatry is doing more harm than good and The New Opium: Capitalism, Mental Health and the Sedation of a Nation (Atlantis books 2021).
[This talk was recorded in the Brockway Room at Conway Hall with an in-person and online audience]
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Conway Hall hosts a wide variety of talks, concerts, exhibitions, courses, performances, community and social events. It is also renowned as a hub for free speech and independent thought, hosting suffragettes, political radicals, scientists, philosophers, artists, performers; campaign, charities and other non- profit organisations.

[@saosintheyperch]

The power of labelling with psychiatric illness profoundly affects people. I have a science degree in psychology and have always paid strong attention to these particular aspects Dr. Davies is discussing. I have tried to tell close friends who had received a diagnosis that it DOES NOT define them. But they can’t help it, they jump online and start self-stereotyping and, therefore, constructing self-fulfilling prophecies; they become disempowered. I could literally show them the DSM-5 criteria for their condition and show how they actually do not meet the criteria. I would also point out how political and fallible the DSM can be. However, the power of authority (i.e., psychiatrists, GP’s, specialists, etc) telling them they were ill was more convincing to them than the evidence; they continued to believe they had the illness, like a spell had been cast over them! The result: they stick to the drugs, blame themselves, and doubt their own capabilities. One telling example recently is a mate of mine who finally, after 8 years, was told by a (new) psychiatrist that he does not have schizophrenia, and that when he was diagnosed it was largely situational. When he heard this, his character changed drastically for the better. Indeed, doctors are in a very powerful position in our society.

[@geralldus]

My experience of psychoanalysis was that I wanted a diagnosis, the analyst would not provide one. In retrospect, I now understand that diagnosis can have a blocking effect upon development and growth, what is worse can lead to passivity and acceptance that you lack agency to help yourself.

[@stevekaylor5606]

Yes, disease-like Freudian labeling has a very negative effect. This rationale has long been usurped by ethically bent Psychiatrists - to thus brand people, push fear, force them to take neurotoxic drugs or ECT, and then keep them as long term cash cows! Deceit?

[@user-3282]

Great comment and very true. I agree with you.

[@stevekaylor5606]

Disease like Labeling is effectively denouncement, defining and dehumanization - appropriate "treatments" are next! @@user-3282

[@johndeer3941]

Spot on! "It's no measure of good health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society"

[@rodrigoribeiro9057]

Many among the maladjusted are canaries (in a coal mine) in a profoundly sick society.

[@RASJACOBSON]

Thank you! As an individual was was profoundly injured by psychiatric medications (taken exactly as prescribed), I recently published my memoir PSYCHIATRIZED: Waking Up After a Decade of Bad Medicine. Tens of thousands of people have been injured by these legal, lethal drugs - and I’ll never shut up about it. I’d love to have a conversation with you, if you’d be open to it, as I am also working with those who have been harmed and I am seeing some real trends.

[@thomasrussell4674]

I'm serious, good for you to speak up. The world needs more people who are willing to share their stories of what they have been through.

[@adamstephens9043]

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

[@stevekaylor5606]

2nd Degree Assault is the best term to describe what Standard of Care psychiatrists and other doctors are effectively doing to down-and-out people!

[@mariovicente]

You may be interested in Laura Delano's activism. All the best to you.

[@verabolton]

41:05 So, if my manager is a jerk with me, than I'll get diagnosed and medicated... instead of regulating my manager.

[@rabbitcreative]

Thank-you for the time-stamp.

[@stevekaylor5606]

The Mental Health Committees of legislatures must issue new guidelines to those who are allowed to run Mental Health - not just rubberstamp funding for them!

[@angelawilliamson6765]

OMG worse than I had thought!! Thank you for sharing. Your talk makes a lot of sense. Knowledge and a growing awareness is required at all times.

[@me6796]

What you said about the mental health first aid trainers at work really makes sense. Its like other members of staff are rounding up the disenters to get brownie points from their companies. I am sure some people think their helping but the way the world is nowadays its abit more sinister. When all the information is laid out in front of you it does seem a little dystopian. Its like to be the optimum human isnt a human but a robot. I have often felt that I need to be numbed by prescriptions just to make it through the day especially working customer service and all the other aspects of life that just make it way more difficult than it actually need to be. Now with retiring age going up it just feels more of a slog each day

[@stevekaylor5606]

Making zombies and dullards of people - secures them as long term cash cows! / Mental Health professionals are too Freudian to bother with developing human potential!

[@Odonnol]

Thank you, Dr. Davies. No need to apologize for all the bad news. Exposing problems is an early step in their solution. There are other people who should be apologizing-those who create and sustain the problems, profiting at the expense of society.

[@stevekaylor5606]

Harming the General Welfare of the People and their Posterity!

[@emilyjost1852]

Excellent and important talk. Thanks for putting it on and making it available.

[@cookielapaz8927]

Thank you Dr. James Davies for sharing your research and knowledge. You should be featured on the nightly news🙏🏻👍🏼

[@michaela8194]

The capitalist owned news? That's not likely to happen. Capital has us by the balls.

[@tammyrobinson1613]

The same type of thing has happened with cholesterol numbers and statin drugs About 18 years ago, the markers for considering a patient has high cholesterol went down. So more patients are now diagnosed with high cholesterol and put on dangerous meds for many people

[@stevekaylor5606]

Many doctors are not holistic!

[@romansobak8333]

And that’s without even looking at the coercive powers that psychiatrists have to force this drugs on unwilling people.hope he will include this very important issue in his great lectures

[@gessie]

It's mind-boggling that Szasz has been utterly ignored and forgotten, largely because he noted that imprisoning people and force-feeding them chemicals is extremely unethical. The sociopathic norms among those pretending to be caregivers, career politicians and indeed clinical psychologists are thus demonstrated, while in reality sociopathy is a severe dysfunction which is by far the most underdiagnosed problem of our time, though human history clearly shows it's widespread prominence. Sociopaths rule modern clinical practice yet refuse to diagnose themselves with the single most harmful mental disorder in existence, thus history repeats itself.

[@stevekaylor5606]

Actually, force-feeding people is entirely ethical, since this obeys current Standard of Care procedure. This is completely immoral and sociopathic - to thus make down-and-out people into cash cows for the psychiatric - pharmaceutical co-franchise! / Have you read Jeffrey Schaler's book about Szasz? @@gessie

[@cookielapaz8927]

I had just ordered your book Cracked, from Amazon 👍🏼 The majority of patented drugs are killers not just psychiatric drugs. God help and protect us.

[@stevekaylor5606]

"The drugs are neurotoxic or these would not work!" - Peter Breggin / Menticide!

[@250txc]

42:00 Right on!

[@ADyingFaith]

If only politicians cared about this. But they are just businessmen, accountable to the big corporations.

[@verabolton]

In my opinion, the PHQ-9 questionnaire is utterly useless.

[@louisaellingham602]

Amazing. I have rarely seen the problem elucidated so clearly!

[@APHS-B]

An outstanding revelation.

[@chrissibbald763]

Brilliant lecture, very interesting and can't wait to read the book.

[@charmainbrown7201]

When do we hear about tragedy and deaths from poor dental care and follow up in the US. It is as if teeth and gums have no effect on the health of children and elderly., and should not be supported.

[@liamhickey359]

Had a tooth ache at the tail end of the lock down in Ireland. 6 week waiting list to see a dentist. The extraction prices , never cheap, had also skyrocketed. Trinity college have a dental hospital. They pull teeth cheaply enough and make it quite clear you have to be emergency. Got the tooth out. It made me wonder about all the walking wounded going around with bad teeth and gums. All this while a lot of dentists are doing lucrative and nonessential cosmetic stuff like veneers and the like. Fck them.

[@stevekaylor5606]

Marginal care - yet Financialization!@@liamhickey359

[@stevekaylor5606]

I've had a similar experience trying to secure Chiropractic adjustments for people on Social Services Health Care. This is not covered, so many become more and more crippled!

[@stevekaylor5606]

Law makers and legislators must secure better care!@@liamhickey359

[@babypanther8999]

Just read the book, essential reading

[@Native722]

I like this doctor

[@kenclarkeis]

I really enjoyed this talk. Looking forward to reading the book. I would have really liked to have heard the question and answers afterwards. Is there any chance of these being included?

[@bensummers178]

Agree, would be great to hear the Q+A

[@ADyingFaith]

Zeitgeist Movement Moving Forward.

[@Zill7711]

OMG this explains so much

[@stevekaylor5606]

Also, Gary Greenburg's book - "Woe"

[@veranichole1981]

I don’t see this as bleak at all! People need community. Now we know what we’ve been denied under capitalism so we know what to start changing. Don’t throw out the baby with the bath water. Psychology still has a great purpose. People in trauma still need individual care post trauma. Just take out the bit about making therapy all about making a good workforce. Take capitalism out of therapy.

[@stevekaylor5606]

If capitalism and financialization are so overbearing - then a 1933-like Bankruptcy Reorganization is needed!

[@goodenergy11]

Title is a little unfortunately off. Good content & terribly misplaced label. Just get rid of lobbies. It’s not capitalism, it’s conflict of interest & lobbies.

[@stevekaylor5606]

Those financial interests who dominate could have their $2 thousand trillion of gambled-up claims frozen - as was done by the 1933 Glass-Steagall Act. Then, monies spent could again benefit the General Welfare of the People and their Posterity!

[@KGB.83]

Are you a prescribing physician? These days I just prescribe benzodiazepenes to everyone. Even for a hangnail! Wants some? Klonopin for you! Xanax for her! One time I prescribed diazepam to a colicky baby. 10-20 MG every 1.5 hrs or as needed.. the parents were able to sleep, and the infant sleep like the dead.. 😆 🤣

[@RASJACOBSON]

This is a flagrant disregard for the oath you took to do no harm. Congratulations on injuring people.

[@Thehungrytravelers]

Is this a joke?