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Sedated
- How Modern Capitalism Created Our Mental Health Crisis
- Narrated by: Mark Elstob
- Length: 8 hrs and 17 mins
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Sedated
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Summary
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.
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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- Marcus
- 18-06-23
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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1 person found this helpful
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- gm
- 20-05-23
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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- David
- 01-02-24
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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- KT
- 04-02-23
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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2 people found this helpful
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- Aaronq2
- 31-07-22
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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- odette
- 08-05-23
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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- Jason Marks
- 17-01-24
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
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- Elsie
- 14-12-22
Infuriatingly right
I got so mad while listening to this, it really hit a nerve. But I feel like I learned so much, and I’m more convinced than ever that we live in a capitalist hellscape and the only way to escape is to run to the Scottish highlands and become a shepherd. Or change the system. I wish more people would listen to this so we could together do the latter.
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- Amazon Customer
- 02-05-23
worth a listen
good overall but I found the sound quality patchy, it crackled a few times, not sure if it's my device or the recording
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- Annie Kapur
- 08-04-24
Eye opening!
An analysis that is thorough and brilliant into the weird economic world of commodifying our suffering
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