How The Medical Model Creates Learned Helplessness- Mental Health Diagnoses – Anxiety Course 7/30
Explore how the medical model of mental health can lead to learned helplessness—understand diagnoses, overcome anxiety, and reclaim personal agency.
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Sometimes, when I teach a mental health skill- like how exercise treats depression or how mindfulness is a powerful tool to decrease anxiety, people will tell me “That’s cool, but I have Clinical Depression” and what they usually mean by that is they have been diagnosed with depression, and they assume that that diagnosis means that their depression is a biological trait, a genetic trait, something inherent, a chemical imbalance, part of their being or identity, and they assume is that it’s going to be a permanent characteristic that they just cope with for their entire life.
This is a misunderstanding of how mental health diagnoses work. We have this interesting problem in America where we’ve applied the medical model to mental health, and it’s created a lot of learned helplessness. In our attempts to remove the stigma from mental health, many people have come to believe that all mental illnesses are permanent, genetic traits. And it’s just not true. Because anxiety disorders, depression, trauma, and many other mental health conditions are really, really treatable.
00:00 Intro
03:49 The Medical Model Approach to Mental Health- The Flu Example
10:33 Depression Is Real. It’s Not a Weakness. It does have Biological Contributing Factors
Click the link below to access the transcript:
The Truth About Mental Health Diagnoses: How The Medical Model Has Created Learned Helplessness
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Therapy in a Nutshell and the information provided by Emma McAdam are solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and are not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Although Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health.
In therapy I use a combination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Systems Theory, positive psychology, and a bio-psycho-social approach to treating mental illness and other challenges we all face in life. The ideas from my videos are frequently adapted from multiple sources. Many of them come from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, especially the work of Steven Hayes, Jason Luoma, and Russ Harris. The sections on stress and the mind-body connection derive from the work of Stephen Porges (the Polyvagal theory), Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing) Francine Shapiro (EMDR), and Bessel Van Der Kolk. I also rely heavily on the work of the Arbinger institute for my overall understanding of our ability to choose our life’s direction.
And deeper than all of that, the Gospel of Jesus Christ orients my personal worldview and sense of security, peace, hope, and love https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/believe
If you are in crisis, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ or 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or your local emergency services.
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23 Comments
Thanks!
Is there anyway I could do therapy online with you? I probably do not live anywhere near you but you’re amazing I haven’t been able to get my anxiety under control and listening to you helps so much I feel like you get it you understand I’d love to talk to you on day!❤
Mam aapke video bahut helpu hote thnk u didi😊
12:26
Excellent video, you're doing a great job for a lot of people. Thank you
During each of my 5 depressive/anxious episodes, I’ve done everything and more to get better, (I guess that’s the anxious part..) and every single time, despite feeling like it’s going to last forever, I’ve gotten out of it in a few months. Yes, that’s a long time. But it’s given me a proven track record that gives me hope. I’m in a heavy one right now and it’s been 2 months.. halfway there? 😂
God bless you Emma
Improve your mental health with the free course, https://courses.therapyinanutshell.com/grounding-skills-for-anxiety-stress-and-ptsd
My anxiety told me. Every single second of every single day.
I am so glad this anxiety is not permanent. But it does reoccur. Id like to stop that cycle
I got SO excited when I saw the title of this video, YES! As a therapist that has to contend with this model and with clients to increase buy-in (facing and grieving trauma is a lot more daunting than taking a daily pill), I love that you are putting this out there.
Thank you for being here ❤
I was drowning in negative thoughts, anxiety and bunch of DLC's that makes me blame myself. I had a moment of spark with some of my problems. I said that "Well i dont want to be sad in this life but i cant do anything else, my family also thinks negative."
Then i typed how to overcome negative thinking and saw your 10th video then 11th. In a blink of an eye, i started to change everything that bothers me in my life.
Well my little story says when you overcome your negative thoughts and make a peace with your innerself, you are done with sadness because you know what causes those and how to deal with them.
Why this not In English
This is very encouraging
Anxiety might not be permanent, but it's cause might sometimes be permanent! Like when people attack you because of your identity. You can't change your identity, you can't change people around you, you can't convince people to let you alone! So here you will never leave anxiety
I am in this state currently. I just can't seem to take a step forward even though I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe I'm scared of letting myself down again. I don't want to expect anything out of my situation because I've let myself down over and over again for way too long. But the thing is, after 7 grueling years I can finally graduate from uni. However, I can't seem to wrap my head around that. But I must believe that this is it so that I'd be more compelled to pass all of my remaining classes.
I got this.
Please pray for my anxiety and panic attacks to stop. For my health and my marriage. For my husband too and his burnout. His name is Chris. I want to get back to church but I can’t even go into a store without having a panic attack and I have to get a CT scan on the 4th and hate hospitals even more (some PTSD) Please pray. For results to be good too. Thanks 💚
No one told me how normal I was 3 months ago I was diagnosed with anxiety i started thinking I had a defected brain or I’m not like a normal human being that sort of became the route for my anxiety non of these therapists in my country ever told me that it was normal to experience high levels of anxiety and I was fine anyways thank you for this I’m doing way better than before🙏
I have a story a friend of mine was scared of driving. They took a Xanax and went driving in the car with her husband. They only got out the car for toilet and food. They even slept in the car. They did this for 72 hours and she only took the one Xanax to get into the car she left the others at home. After 3 days they came home the next day she got right back into the car ( no Xanax required) she said she only felt slight anxiety this time. Anyway she kept getting into the car regularly and now the fear has gone. I don’t advocate regular benzodiazepines at all but this case was interesting to me as it appeared to be the catalyst that allowed her to begin her expose in the beginning. Just thought this was interesting.
I spent so many years of my life under the spell of cigarettes, depression and severe ptsd. Gained my freedom with the help of nature using mushroom (psilocybin) precisely. After my experience with shrooms five years ago every cigarette I lit up tasted like literal poison. I would take one hit and put out the cigarette. I haven't smoked since, no more depressive mood and ptsd. Few doses of shroom experience made a 15 year 2 pack a day smoker quit instantly.
Shrooms are life changing. There is no way you can put into words what it feels like..
All these videos are giving me hope
Ever since I stopped drinking my anxiety has kicked up for the last 7 years sober this is an eye opener
I think we need to address the elephant in the bathroom. Probably more people suffering from mental health issues have been on waiting lists for simple Talk Therapy with a minimally trained certified therapist of some kind. If their name ever comes up on the waiting list, the care is going to be minimal at best. This is not a minor issue facing Americans. It's a national disgrace as well as an epidemic. Many of us have tried to wait our turn and take whatever is available, whether it's appropriate for their mental health conditions or not. I can't stop thinking about all of the Americans who in good faith could not hold out for intervention any longer and found living to be too painful and ended their lives in hopelessness.
Way to go, America!