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Sedated

How Modern Capitalism Created Our Mental Health Crisis

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Sedated

By: James Davies
Narrated by: Mark Elstob
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About this listen

A provocative and shocking look at how western society is misunderstanding and mistreating mental illness.

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 per cent 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 mischaracterised 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, Sedated 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.

©2021 James Davies (P)2021 W. F. Howes Ltd
Mental Health Social Psychology & Interactions
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Critic reviews

"A wonderful, moving and truly life-changing book. Sedated is an urgent intervention for post-pandemic society, written with expertise and clarity. Warning: it will cause irritation to powerful interests who fear us all becoming better informed about the root causes of so much human suffering." (Baroness Shami Chakrabarti, former Director of Liberty)

"James Davies is one of the most important voices on mental health in the world. This is a beautiful and deeply sane book. Everyone who's suffering - and wants to know how to make it stop - should read it right away." (Johann Hari, author of Lost Connections)

"In this game-changing polemic, James Davies leaves us in no doubt: to tackle the mental health crisis we need major social and economic reform." (Nathan Filer, author of This Book will Change Your Mind about Mental Health)

What listeners say about Sedated

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Excellent

really enjoyed this, I work in Psychiatry and have to agree, some people come looking for medication to give them the answeres. This usually makes their problems worse because of side effects, such as sedation and weight gain. "It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society". Jiddu Krishnamurti

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First class, essential reading.

A fantastic book highlighting the extent of the profit seeking talons of the pharmaceutical industry. Well done, fantastic.

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Outstanding.

Highly recommend. Very well written and narrated. I have suffered through mental illness and this is a must read. Does delve into the topic quite deep and there was also a book recommended that I am keen to pick up too.

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Intelligent and Thought Provoking

This is a brilliant book which examines mental health in relation to societal changes over the last half century. It rings very true, and confirms what a lot of people are becoming more aware of about our current eco-politics - we are working hard to benefit the few at the detriment of the many. I reflected on the work and consider that many physical pathologies (which can be tested for) can also be laid at the feet of neoliberal politics. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in politics, in healthcare, in economics, in society or sociology - as well as mental health. I feel it is well written by a man who is deeply reflective and compassionate.

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Changes perception on mental health treatment

As someone who has experienced various mental health ‘illnesses’ in the past, and the various neo-liberal treatments I received, I found this book to offer a fresh perspective on the matter. The author offers an in-depth analysis on the way our society, governments and institutions perceive mental health, and the ineffective treatments currently on offer.

We need to stop depoliticising mental health ‘illness’ - and start talking more about the root causes. #votelabour

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This is like perfect model of connect dots

Smartest connections of causes , real roots for an issue at hand .
one thing this is Anthropology nook more than mental health book . Audible fix your algorithm.

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Changed my perspective

I really enjoyed this - it questioned the way I think about mental health and I’ll definitely keep thinking about it in the coming weeks. The narration was easy to follow and not monotonal. It covered a relatively wide scope of time too which I liked - there’s a lot of commentary on how Thatcher affected the current view of mental health in the UK which I found interesting. Definitely worth a read.

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Outstanding

Outstanding piece of work, thought provoking and timely post Covid.
Excellent narration also made it a great listening experience.

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Made me feel vindicated

It’s refreshing to read or rather listen to something that makes you realise you were right all the way! I’ve worked both in Education and out of it and also have been involved with the mental health system as a patient. I knew the drugs made me feel flat and I’m glad I’ve come off them all. Also, the notion of back to health being back to work is quite messed up! I never really considered how much capitalism impacted mental health and I’ve seen it in a new light. Highly recommended.

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Mind-altering, invest 8 hours now - change forever

The most thought provoking book on the societal and institutional links to mental health that I've encountered,

James Davies is relentless in his (largely) evidence based take-down of how modern medicine and healthcare practices frame mental health challenges and how these, in turn, have been driven by pressures from business and industry to want cookie-cutter human resources to work in, and buy from, their industries.

The legendary Mark Elstob would make the most tedious subject matter appealing, but when coupled with such a compelling, yet jaw-dropping, narrative, this volume is as compelling as the best works of fiction.

If you've ever wondered why the western worlds mental health seems to have so rapidly declined and how (and why) 'fixing' this is so focussed on the symptoms rather than the causes buy this audiobook right away, life, as you see it, will never be the same again.

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1 person found this helpful