Episode notes
You may find the charges in this episode jarring: depression is not the result of a chemical imbalance, SSRIs aren’t necessarily antidepressants, and the term you use for your mental health condition isn’t scientifically valid. Sarah Fay, author of Pathological: The True Story of Six Misdiagnoses says it’s dangerous to identify with your diagnosis because it’s kind of made up and it blocks your path to recovery.
A doctor told her she was “an anorexic” when Sarah was 12 years old, even though she didn’t meet many of the criteria for anorexia. Sarah embraced the identity, taking on the behaviors and habits of a person with that eating disorder. Later in life, she was diagnosed with five more disorders, each time embracing the tag, all while her mental health deteriorated. Finally, another doctor said he didn’t know what was the matter with her and that gave Sarah some peace and a chance to focus on feeling better. She saw her mental makeup as something not bound by the names of disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual used by mental health professionals. While she still takes meds and sees a therapist and a psychiatrist, Sarah has come to believe that everyone’s focus needs to be on recovery rather than focusing on the limitations borne of terms she says are way too subjective and that don’t stand up to scientific scrutiny.
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In this episode...
Guests
- Sarah Fay
About the show
Join host John Moe (The Hilarious World of Depression) for honest, relatable, and, yes, sometimes funny conversations about mental health. Hear from comedians, musicians, authors, actors, and other top names in entertainment and the arts about living with depression, anxiety, and many other common disorders. Find out what they’ve done to address it, what worked, and what didn’t. Depresh Mode with John Moe also features useful insights on mental health issues with experts in the field. It’s honest talk from people who have been there and know their stuff. No shame, no stigma, and maybe a few laughs.
Like this podcast? Then you’ll love John’s book, The Hilarious World of Depression.
Logo by Clarissa Hernandez.
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