Welcome. I'm Kevin Miller. This is a podcast for your personal evolution. In this episode,

Don't diagnose me. We're at an all-time high of mental illness diagnoses. Some argue the reason

is better diagnostic methods, others because we're just increasing in mental unhealth.

The discussion in this episode is in regards to the prevalence of mental health diagnoses and the impact on individuals.

In Brne Brown's best-selling book, Atlas of the Heart. She outlines 87 different emotions that are

in and of themselves normal and healthy. But when do we go over the line from normal to abnormal?

From feeling some depression to being clinically depressed, having an anxiety, having anxiety or a full-out anxiety disorder. Do we need or want an official

diagnosis so we can get needed help? Or do we want to deny and boycott any such possibly limiting

label? Well, I brought on an expert to discuss it. Sarah Fay, she is an author, an educator, and an activist on this

issue and has a book titled Pathological, the true story of six misdiagnoses. Sarah from a young

age displayed some unhealthy behaviors and was diagnosed, labeled, and treated. Over the next 30 years, she went on to have multiple clinical diagnoses and labels for

anorexia, major depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, attention deficit, hyperactivity disorder,

obsessive, compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder, and has also dealt with alcoholism,

being a compulsive exerciser, and multiple bouts of being suicidal. So you name the drug,

she's been prescribed it and taken it. Today, she is well, though still accepting, as you'll hear,

of a couple diagnosis and some medications,

but has much to educate and I think warn us about regarding our current cultural propensity

where nearly half of all Americans are being given an official clinical diagnosis during their

lifetime.

Serafei writes for many publications, including the New York Times, the Atlantic Time, and the

Paris Review. She's also on the faculty at Northwestern University, and she's founder of

pathological, the movement. You can find her at sarahfay.org or just type in

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