Unhappiness Is Not a Disease

Commentary We have been trained to see bad feelings as disorders that treatment can cure. We are told that “THE Science” proves this, so it’s hard to question. A huge percent of us are now convinced that we have a disorder. Do we benefit from diseasifying our emotions? In the short run, yes. We literally get benefits when a “diagnosis” unlocks free treatment and other legal entitlements. You benefit socially as well. A mental health diagnosis provides admission to a victim group and a victim identity, which has many advantages in today’s world. And accepting the disease model of mental health protects you from the social censure imposed on those who question it. You’re condemned as a “hater” and an anti-science nut if you question a diagnosis, and that can destroy your career....