{"id":902139,"date":"2026-06-08T13:05:08","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T13:05:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iapsm.org\/blog\/?p=902139"},"modified":"2026-06-08T13:05:08","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T13:05:08","slug":"are-we-really-becoming-more-mentally-ill-or-just-finally-being-heard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iapsm.org\/blog\/are-we-really-becoming-more-mentally-ill-or-just-finally-being-heard\/","title":{"rendered":"Are We Really Becoming More Mentally Ill \u2014 Or Just Finally Being Heard?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

A few years ago, words like anxiety<\/em>, depression<\/em>, schizophrenia, complex PTSD<\/em>, bipolar disorder<\/em> etc were rarely heard in everyday conversations. Today, they seem to be everywhere\u2014on social media, in clinics, in classrooms, even in casual chats.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It almost feels sudden.<\/h2>\n

So, the question which arises are-<\/p>\n

Why is suddenly everyone mentally ill nowadays?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWas this even a problem before?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cAre doctors over diagnosing?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Were These Disorders Not Present Earlier?<\/h3>\n

Mental health conditions are not new. What\u2019s new is our ability to recognize them<\/strong>. For decades, people have suffered silently-<\/p>\n

    \n
  • A person with depression was called \u201clazy\u201d<\/li>\n
  • Someone with anxiety was told to \u201cstop overthinking\u201d<\/li>\n
  • A person with schizophrenia was often labelled \u201cmad\u201d and isolated<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

     <\/p>\n

    There was no language, no awareness, and no acceptance<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    According to global estimates from the World Health Organization, mental disorders have long contributed significantly to the global burden of disease but were vastly underreported and undertreated<\/strong> (Patel et al., 2018).<\/p>\n

    So no\u2014these illnesses didn\u2019t suddenly appear. We simply started noticing them.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

    If we talk in general about earlier and today, what exactly has changed over the years?? <\/strong>Let\u2019s dive in:<\/strong><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Social media & Comparison<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Studies have significantly showed that the increased social media use is associated with higher rates of anxiety and depression, particularly among young adults (Twenge et al., 2018).<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. Chronic Stress<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Modern lifestyles are linked with persistent stress exposure, which is a major risk factor for mental disorders (Cohen et al., 2007).<\/p>\n

          \n
        1. Loneliness<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          Despite digital connectivity, loneliness has increased and is strongly associated with depression and poor mental health outcomes (Holt-Lunstad et al., 2015).<\/p>\n

            \n
          1. Trauma Recognition<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            Improved understanding of trauma has led to better identification of conditions like PTSD\u2014but also challenges in distinguishing normal distress from pathology (McLaughlin et al., 2015).<\/p>\n

             <\/p>\n

            Then Why Does It Feel Like Overdiagnosis Today? Are Doctors Missing Something?<\/h3>\n

            Yes, awareness has improved\u2014but at the same time, there\u2019s also a risk of oversimplification<\/strong>. Today, Mood swings may quickly be labelled as bipolar disorder<\/em>, Emotional distress after trauma may be termed complex PTSD<\/em>, Normal stress is sometimes confused with clinical anxiety<\/p>\n

             <\/p>\n

            Modern diagnostic systems like DSM-5 have broadened criteria to improve detection\u2014but this has also raised concerns about medicalization of normal human experiences<\/strong> because the human mind is not a simple equation<\/strong> (Frances, 2013; Wakefield, 2015). Mental health exists on a continuum<\/strong>, not in strict categories.<\/p>\n

             <\/p>\n

            Healthcare systems today face real challenges:<\/p>\n

              \n
            • Limited consultation time<\/li>\n
            • Increased patient load<\/li>\n
            • Variable training in mental health<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

               <\/p>\n

              Research suggests both underdiagnosis and overdiagnosis can coexist<\/strong>, depending on context and setting (Hickie et al., 2013). This reflects not incompetence, but the complex nature of mental health diagnosis<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

              \u00a0<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

              \u00a0<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

              \u201cThe Bigger Problem: Denial and Neglect\u201d Why Can\u2019t We Normalize Mental Health Medications?<\/h3>\n

              Stigma remains one of the biggest barriers. Even today, when someone says \u201cI\u2019m not okay\u201d<\/strong>; they are often met with:<\/p>\n

                \n
              • \u201cIt\u2019s all in your head\u201d<\/li>\n
              • \u201cYou\u2019re overthinking\u201d<\/li>\n
              • \u201cJust be strong\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                 <\/p>\n

                Mental illnesses have biological, psychological, and social components <\/strong>and medications help in regulating neurotransmitters and improving functioning and quality of life<\/p>\n

                Yet, stigma around psychiatric drugs persists which reduces adherence and worsen outcomes<\/strong> (Kane et al., 2013).<\/p>\n

                 <\/p>\n

                Instead of understanding pain, we often distract it.<\/p>\n

                 <\/p>\n

                We say:<\/p>\n

                  \n
                • \u201cHave a drink, you\u2019ll feel better\u201d<\/li>\n
                • \u201cGo out, don\u2019t think too much\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                  And slowly, coping turns into escaping.<\/p>\n

                   <\/p>\n

                  Research has shown that many individuals struggling with mental health turn to alcohol or substances\u2014not because they want to, but because it\u2019s more socially acceptable than asking for help<\/strong><\/p>\n

                   <\/p>\n

                  Where Are We Lacking Today and What Needs to Change?<\/h3>\n

                  \u00a0<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

                  We have learned to name disorders\u2014but not always to understand the person behind them<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

                  We have:<\/p>\n

                    \n
                  • More awareness\u2014but less depth<\/li>\n
                  • More labels\u2014but less understanding<\/li>\n
                  • More conversations\u2014but less listening<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                     <\/p>\n

                    We don\u2019t need a world where- Everything is a disorder, nor a world where- Nothing is taken seriously. We need balance.<\/p>\n

                     <\/p>\n

                    We need- Conversations without judgment, doctors who have time to listen, families who choose empathy over denial and a society that sees therapy and medication as normal<\/p>\n

                     <\/p>\n

                    The person taking medication for their mental health is not weak.; they are doing something incredibly brave\u2014 they are choosing to face their mind, instead of running from it.<\/strong><\/p>\n

                    \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

                    \u201cWe are not witnessing a sudden epidemic.
                    \nWe are witnessing a slow awakening.\u201d<\/h3>\n

                     <\/p>\n

                    \u00a0References<\/h4>\n
                      \n
                    1. Patel V, Saxena S, Lund C, et al. The Lancet Commission on global mental health and sustainable development. Lancet<\/em>. 2018;392(10157):1553\u20131598.<\/li>\n
                    2. Frances A. Saving Normal: An Insider\u2019s Revolt Against Out-of-Control Psychiatric Diagnosis. HarperCollins<\/em>; 2013.<\/li>\n
                    3. Wakefield JC. Diagnostic issues and controversies in DSM-5. Annu Rev Clin Psychol<\/em>. 2015;11:45\u201367.<\/li>\n
                    4. Twenge JM, Joiner TE, Rogers ML, Martin GN. Increases in depressive symptoms among US adolescents. Clin Psychol Sci<\/em>. 2018;6(1):3\u201317.<\/li>\n
                    5. Cohen S, Janicki-Deverts D, Miller GE. Psychological stress and disease. JAMA<\/em>. 2007;298(14):1685\u20131687.<\/li>\n
                    6. Holt-Lunstad J, Smith TB, Baker M, et al. Loneliness and social isolation as risk factors. Perspect Psychol Sci<\/em>. 2015;10(2):227\u2013237.<\/li>\n
                    7. McLaughlin KA. Future directions in childhood adversity research. J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol<\/em>. 2015;44(3):361\u2013382.<\/li>\n
                    8. Hickie IB, Scott EM, Hermens DF, et al. Applying clinical staging in mental health. Aust N Z J Psychiatry<\/em>. 2013;47(7):597\u2013605.<\/li>\n
                    9. Corrigan PW. How stigma interferes with mental health care. Am Psychol<\/em>. 2004;59(7):614\u2013625.<\/li>\n
                    10. Kane JM, Kishimoto T, Correll CU. Non-adherence to medication in patients with psychotic disorders. World Psychiatry<\/em>. 2013;12(3):216\u2013226.<\/li>\n
                    11. Bolton JM, Robinson J, Sareen J. Self-medication of mood disorders with alcohol. J Affect Disord<\/em>. 2009;115(3):367\u2013375.<\/li>\n
                    12. Thornicroft G, Mehta N, Clement S, et al. Evidence for effective interventions to reduce stigma. Lancet<\/em>. 2016;387(10023):1123\u20131132.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                      \u00a0 A few years ago, words like anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, complex PTSD, bipolar disorder etc were rarely heard in everyday conversations. Today, they seem to be everywhere\u2014on social media, in clinics, in classrooms, even in casual chats.   It almost<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":902140,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[385,387,386],"class_list":["post-902139","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mental-health","tag-becoming","tag-mentally","tag-more"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/iapsm.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/902139","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/iapsm.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/iapsm.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iapsm.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iapsm.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=902139"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/iapsm.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/902139\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":902142,"href":"https:\/\/iapsm.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/902139\/revisions\/902142"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iapsm.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/902140"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/iapsm.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=902139"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iapsm.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=902139"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iapsm.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=902139"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}