True lies

‘When they believed the lie, the lie became truth for them.’ (Selwyn Hughes)

I will never forget that flash of insight at a Christian counselling seminar. Selwyn Hughes was talking about risks of deception and self-deception and used the biblical story of Adam and Eve (and the serpent) to illustrate his point. If I genuinely believe something to be true that isn’t true, it will nevertheless appear true to me. Insofar as it appears true to me, I’m unlikely to question it. If my peers or wider cultural group also believe it to be true, that will likely reinforce my belief.

This came to mind recently when chatting with some young adults about the state of mental health in their generation. In an era where, increasingly, what would have been hitherto regarded as the normal human condition (e.g. ups and downs in life; quirky attitudes and behaviours; feeling anxious, stressed or in a low mood) are now regarded as pathological mental health conditions, we wondered together what lies may appear true to them and who might benefit from them.

Take, for instance, the young woman who looks at the ways in which peers present themselves on social media. By contrast, she feels inadequate, insecure or a failure. Her expectations and emotional experience are influenced by what she perceives as ‘normal’, and she feels anxious and starts to avoid social contact. A well-meaning medic tells her she has Anxiety and prescribes medication to help her feel better. The label provides an explanation and, thereby, a kind of relief.

Yet, she may have unknowingly swallowed more than just the meds. The diagnosis subtly traps her and, over time, begins to shape her personal and social identity: ‘I have Anxiety. That’s why I feel anxious. It’s who I am.’ Her world gets smaller as she acts out what she now believes to be true. She thinks she is defective, that she needs to be fixed, and not that her feelings are a natural – perhaps, even healthy – response to, e.g. dysfunctional background, toxic environment or maladaptive lifestyle.

The lie became truth for them. What do you believe?

‘The global mental illness drugs market size is predicted to grow from US$1759 million in 2025 to US$2497 million in 2031.’