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The Age of Diagnosis

Sickness, Health and Why Medicine Has Gone Too Far

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The Age of Diagnosis

By: Suzanne O’Sullivan
Narrated by: Suzanne O’Sullivan
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About this listen

 THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
A RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK
A BEST BOOK OF 2025 IN THE TIMES, GUARDIAN, LONDON STANDARD, NEW STATESMAN AND IRISH TIMES

'Covers so many topics that have been troubling me but I hadn't been able to resolve myself - as a parent and a clinician. An absolutely absorbing read' - CHRIS VAN TULLEKEN

'A brilliant study of the dangers of overdiagnosis' - GUARDIAN

'Compassionate and bracingly independent thinking' - THE TIMES

From autism to allergies, ADHD to long Covid, more people are being labelled with medical conditions than ever before. But can a diagnosis do us more harm than good?
The boundaries between sickness and health are being redrawn.

Mental health categories are shifting and expanding all the time, radically altering what we consider to be 'normal'.

Genetic tests can now detect pathologies decades before people experience symptoms, and sometimes before they're even born.

And increased health screening draws more and more people into believing they are unwell.

An accurate diagnosis can bring greater understanding and of course improved treatment. But many diagnoses aren't as definitive as we think. And in some cases they risk turning healthy people into patients.

Drawing on the stories of real people, as well as decades of clinical practice and the latest medical research, Dr Suzanne O'Sullivan overturns long held assumptions and reframes how we think about illness and health.

*As heard on Good Morning Britain, Sky News, Radio 4 Today and more.*©2025 Suzanne O’Sullivan (P)2025 Hodder & Stoughton Limited Biological Sciences Brain & Nervous System History & Commentary Medicine & Health Care Industry Physical Illness & Disease Science Mental Health Thought-Provoking

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All stars
Most relevant  
O'Sullivan puts her case with eloquence and humanity. She is getting to the heart of so much of society's modern malaise, even though she knows she is standing alone against the tide. want to save the NHS? This is where you must start.

inconvenient truth-teller

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The modern medical model is making us sick. Diagnosis is replacing personal responsibility & acceptance of a less than optimum state of ‘normal’. Many of us have long suspected this but few have the knowledge and experience of the author to explain how & why this is occurring and what might be done about it.
Change is essential now. The hope is experts like Dr O’Sullivan might drive it forward by raising our awareness of the need for it.

Brilliant. A must read.

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My goodness. This book is an eye opener. It sheds light on so many aspects of our ever increasing diagnostic repertoire but sets out, the subjective and variability of many tests and the largely unconsidered negative consequences. The book explains the many forces, social, medical and vested interests involved in expanding inclusion criteria and how this can dilute the meaning of diagnosis for people with higher needs. The book is powerful and written by a doctor who knows through experience but doesn’t have an axe to grind. It is compassionate and thoughtfully presented. I found the audio a little monotone but overall am very pleased to have listened to it. Like many people I often assume that science is inherently good but the book shows how we have to much more questioning of science than this. Great book. Highly recommended. Thank you.

Essential reading for anyone interested in health

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Another deeply thoughtful and engaging book by Dr O'Sullivan, who reads this herself (very well). Her special interest is in functional conditions but this is a deep exploration of over (& under) diagnosis of medical conditions and their implications, in a medical world that has given precious little thought to this. Just because we can diagnose some conditions, should we? Just because some diagnoses are important and requiring treatment/management when they are severe, is that still the case when they are at the milder end of the spectrum? Does everyone who thinks they have a diagnosis actually have one? And is it helpful to them when they are given one? These are all very important questions, especially in an overstretched and underfunded health service. Read or listen to this book and make up your own mind.

A very important book

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This is a book that clearly verbalises the need for art to balance science in medicine.

To diagnose or not

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Engaging and real. chapter on Huntington's disease outstanding. hope over putting others and ourselves in boxes. recommend

true to life for sure

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Casandra was a Greek goddess who was gifted with foresight but cursed that no one would believe her.

As a Children’s Occupational Therapist with a long career working in children’s disability it is refreshing to feel that my jaundice view on labels and diagnosis is justifiable.

I cannot recommend this book more to any clinician or any specialist who is carrying out assessments, especially those which are largely subjective. And I would suggest the bigger a persons negative response to it, should flag even more the need for self reflection.

I would also recommend it to any parent starting down the road of an assessment process for a child, even more so if they are on a waiting list.

Lastly, we need a forum to change the current paradigm or we will be looking back on this time, like all the other medical dead-ends through history.

The Curse of Casandra

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Fantastic book, incredibly thought provoking and questions many different diagnosis’s.
As someone with a psychosomatic illness I find it fascinating and mind boggling

Kind explanations and questions medicine

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this book will really change my practice, absolutely loved it. some really interesting insights into modern medicine

absolutely superb, a must listen for doctors

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I liked the insights provided on a confusing modern social issue. The argument is made coherent and compelling.

thought provoking

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