Is discontent with our world a disease?

MORE AND MORE people are suffering from disorders that frequently require medication or therapy. Many children are being diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder), among other problems. The latter disorder (ODD) is defined by “defiant behavior that often actively defies or refuses to comply with adult requests or rules, and often argues with adults”. It’s ironic to think that Malcolm X or Ghandi would’ve been diagnosed with this kind of “disorder”; of course these personalities would’ve called it independent thought and resistance to injustices and falsehoods, but the people in power at the time would’ve certainly loved to label them as pathological.
This prevalence of “disorder” diagnoses is worth exploring. In fact, many psychologists express their rejection of such tendencies.
One prominent clinical psychologist, Bruce E. Levine, writes about this in his latest article “How Psychologists Subvert the Democratic Movement.” Without mincing words, he attacks the pathologizing and diseasing of anti-authoritarians, malcontents, and people who have so much pain in one way or another. He puts forward the idea that many conditions deemed “problematic” are actually conditions of rebellion and discontent with the status quo and the dehumanizing environment most peoples of the world live in, especially people in urban and modernized environments.
It seems that modern and “developed” societies have side effects that are becoming increasingly problematic: gross economic and systematic inequalities, the erosion of families and meaningful communities, a spiritual void and a disconnection with religious values, which resulted in a loss of meaning, and value in people’s lives. All these conditions among many more take a heavy toll on the human spirit, and it is only natural that people feel distraught, broken, and even angry with this, even if they don’t fully understand why. Obviously, not everyone channels their discontent or anger wisely, but that is a matter of method and it does not mean they shouldn’t be feeling this way and thus medicated into numbness.
Stigmatizing this human resistance to an ill and dysfunctional society is in essence a subversion of humanity. It is telling people that these problems in modern society are normal and legitimate, and that they should not be countered and resisted, which is basically a lie. The soul knows it’s a lie and that is why it is tormented.
Instead we should investigate the root causes of these problems and find deep and comprehensive solutions to them. Psychology and psychiatry were supposed to be the saviors of the mind and the self, but they have failed to take into account the complexities and needs of the human soul. Things that can’t be quantified like spiritual and religious commitment, solidarity and dignity.
Many people suffer from depression, anxiety, or other issues due to essentially spiritual, social, and moral dilemmas, but how do psychologists and psychiatrists respond to this? They label people as malcontents and mal-adjusts and drug them or psychoanalyze them into adaptation, thus ignoring and diverting from the deeper causes behind their troubles. Is it really “human” and wise to adapt to everything? Should we adapt to injustice, oppression, and damage to our spirits? What would’ve happened if Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, or Haj Abdul Qadir decided to adapt to the status quo?
Look at the USsoldiers who are largely medicated, if not committing suicide. Are these men psychologically distraught because they have “disorders”, or could it be that the human in them rejects and hates what they are doing to their fellow human beings for no legitimate reason? Many of them have already answered this with a resounding “yes”, but those in power still pretend not to hear.
This trend is not exclusive to Western societies anymore, and it is engulfing our Arab and Muslim societies as well. So-called disorders are on the rise and more people are getting medicated. Children are especially prone to this and are increasingly diagnosed with ADHD and other ailments. It is admittedly much easier to numb problems and mask them, however if we look at the research in countries like the US, we would find that these methods aren’t helping much.
The world will have to answer this question sooner rather than later: What should we do? Medicate discontent, or save humanity from its causes?

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