All in the Mind

← All in the MindNeu · 28 Min.

Are we too quick to label ‘normal’ distress?

Are we too quick to label ‘normal’ distress?Neu28 Min.

Most of us have experienced difficult feelings like grief or stress or sadness – but are we too quick to label these feelings as a mental health problem?

Clinical psychologist and author of You Are Not a Diagnosis Tanya Byron thinks we are – and we should also stop saying things like, “I’m traumatised”, “totally triggered” or “I’m so OCD”.

So why does the language we use matter - and why does Tanya feel she's seeing a rise in self-diagnosis?

Catherine Loveday, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience from the University of Westminster, also joins us in the studio to give her take on the debate.

Plus, we tackle a listener's question about why some sounds can make us feel spine-tinglingly good and why are we ticklish?

Presenter: Claudia Hammond

Producer: Gerry Holt

Content editor: Ilan Goodman

Production coordinator: Jana Holesworth

Studio engineer: Steve Greenwood

Details of help and support with some of the issues raised are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline