The Age of Diagnosis
Sickness, Health and Why Medicine Has Gone Too Far
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The Age of Diagnosis
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Narrated by:
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Suzanne O’Sullivan
About this listen
'A brilliant study of the dangers of overdiagnosis' - GUARDIAN, book of the day
'Be prepared for compassionate and bracingly independent thinking' - THE TIMES, best books of 2025
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.©2025 Suzanne O’Sullivan (P)2025 Hodder & Stoughton Limited
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- dongoo
- 03-04-25
Essential reading for anyone interested in health
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.
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- Claire baker
- 29-03-25
Every medical professional should read this book!
I’m a pain nurse specialist and feel we over scan and inject patients. I often have to unpick a lot of negative words that have been told to patients such as your spine is crumbling, your backs knackered, your bones are like an aero chocolate bar. Fear avoidance then sets in which exacerbates the pain.
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- s Evans
- 28-03-25
Brilliant
Informed me so much that I take into my place of work. Information and easy to listen to
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- Shels86
- 29-03-25
Thoughtful and compassionate
A really interesting perspective. Insightful and kind. not remotely alienating for anyone suffering one of the referenced pathologies. An important book for our times.
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- Martin H.
- 05-04-25
I would definitely want Suzanne O’Sullivan as my Doctor
Full of cogent information for doctors patients and anyone connected with medicine. Eloquently written with kindness and a sharpe insight into where we as doctors need to focus on the needs of the patient in front of us and not be swayed by the miriad pressures around us.
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- Mrs D
- 01-04-25
Brilliant. A must read.
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.
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- Dan Fitzgibbon
- 02-04-25
The Curse of Casandra
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.
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- Anna
- 05-04-25
Kind explanations and questions medicine
Fantastic book, incredibly thought provoking and questions many different diagnosis’s.
As someone with a psychosomatic illness I find it fascinating and mind boggling
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- Debbywlod
- 05-04-25
Amazing!!!
I loved this book. What a great doctor! Thanks for this book. It really helped me in my journey.
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- Muriel
- 05-04-25
Brilliant. Easy to listen to and understand.
I retired as a nurse at 71 yrs old and i am now 84, I listened to this book with joy. Having seen and been subjected to increasing mechanical doctoring, Suzanne gives me some hope for the future. The overuse of tests and medication appals me. With GP’s only allowed 10 minutes per patient, specialists being way too specialising, a relative with abdominal problems having to see 3 different specialists because each only dealt with a different area of her abdomen. This is crazy! I can understand what has happened and some of the changes made since 1958 but it has all gone too far too fast. A patient has become a commodity in any interactions with the medical system. I am old and fat so I MUST take these medications, statins and aspirin. My medical stats are all fine but ‘these are preventatives’. Oh, and we need to repeat your blood tests because the ones you had 2 weeks ago came back ok. No eye contact, no personal communications. I was just one more in his case load for the day. He pressed keys on his laptop. I had to fight with the pharmacist as I tried to not take those medications out of the building. ‘They are preventatives’ repeated over and over. I also did not repeat the blood tests. I need that blood more than the lab does.
I really appreciate what you shared Suzanne. Please write more.
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