Pathologising Anxiety - Another Flawed Approach

The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country.

We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of.

Many people may be familiar with the above quote, which can be found at the very beginning of chapter one of Edward Bernays’ book Propaganda.

However, later in the same chapter, he sets out to define the term ‘propaganda’ and writes,

“Modern propaganda is a consistent, enduring effort to create or shape events to influence the relations of the public to an enterprise, idea or group.”

My purpose in referring to ‘propaganda’ is because I often look at the ‘health news’ section of the BBC website to see what is being promulgated as ‘information’ and be inspired to write about topics I feel require attention. At the same time, I am perfectly aware that, for the most part, what is being reported as ‘news’ is some form of propaganda, in the context of it being ‘a consistent, enduring effort’ for the purpose of influencing the public to believe the ideas and theories of modern medicine, despite most of them remaining unproven.

On many occasions I have felt it appropriate to write articles to refute the mainstream ‘propaganda’ relating to ‘infectious diseases’, although I don’t always feel called to do so. There are so many articles about that topic that I’d be simply repeating the same message - even though it is an important message to share that there is no evidence that the particles called ‘viruses’ exist as described or cause ‘disease’ as claimed AND that there is no evidence to support the claims that any other so-called ‘germ’ causes any disease.

The topic I’m covering here is not about ‘infectious diseases’!

One recent BBC article in particular has grabbed my attention, because it refers to pathologising ‘mental health issues’ in children - a topic about which I feel particularly passionate, hence this current article. The BBC article, dated 29th June 2026 and entitled Over one million children referred for mental healthcare - with anxiety the main reason, begins with the statement that,

“The number of children referred to mental health services in England has risen by 10% in a year to more than one million, or one in every 10, according to a report.”

I appreciate this statistic refers to England, but that does not mean the situation is exclusive to England. It would seem to be a worldwide issue, as can be seen by a June 2025 ‘news item’ on the WHO website entitled, Children and young people’s mental health: the case for action, that states,

“One in seven adolescents has a mental health condition.”

The page adds that,

“Without support, mental health conditions can negatively impact children and young people’s (CYP) education, employment and relationships, limiting life trajectories.”

The BBC article provides more details about the ‘reasons’ for referrals to mental health services and states,

“Anxiety was listed as the most common reason, accounting for 16% of all referrals, while cases of suspected autism rose by almost 50% in a single year, to more than 96,000.”

It adds,

“Other neurodevelopmental conditions, such as ADHD and Tourette’s syndrome, also increased - by nearly a quarter.”

The WHO page suggests that there are certain ‘risk factors’ that can worsen ‘mental health issues’,

‘Today, climate change, conflict, poverty, inequality and displacement are intensifying risks.”

It’s not surprising that the state of the world induces children to feel anxious, but they are being made to fear situations that are not based in truth. With respect to many topics, children are being subjected to ‘propaganda’ disguised as ‘education’ - ‘climate change’ being one of those topics.

The main point of these ‘news’ items is to promote the idea (propaganda) that children need ‘mental health services’. But more than that, the BBC article reports that many children do not have access to those ‘services’,

“Over a third of the children were still waiting for treatment, with more than 60,000 waiting over two years for help - an increase from over 44,000 children the previous year.”

The article adds,

“Fewer than one in five with suspected autism or neurodevelopmental conditions went on to receive support in 2024-25. Those who did waited, on average, a year.”

First of all, anxiety is not a ‘mental disorder’.

Please note that, as I always emphasise, I am NOT denying the reality of children who feel anxious!

What I AM highlighting is that anxiety is not a ‘disorder’; it is most certainly a normal emotion and therefore part of ‘normal life’. We probably all experience anxiety at some stage of our lives - and it’s not surprising it is more prevalent in these crazy times we’re living in. But that still does not make it a ‘mental disorder’. Instead, it is an understandable response to certain life experiences.

I do, however, appreciate that some people and children too, may have an experience that could be described as extreme anxiety and that this prevents them from being able to function. I totally accept that, when this occurs, they need help. My concern is with the nature of the ‘help’ being offered.

Pathologising emotions and certain behaviours and labelling them as some form of ‘disorder’ is inappropriate and not at all helpful for the experiencer of that anxiety.

The BBC article refers to the organisation YoungMinds, so I decided to look at the advice they provide on their website. At first glance, the web page on that site, entitled Anxiety, seems encouraging because it recognises that anxiety is ‘a normal, human feeling’. However, under the heading that asks: When is anxiety a problem? is the comment that,

“Anxiety becomes a problem when it stops you from doing the things you want or need to do in life. If this sounds like you, it might be time to get some help. A good place to start is by making an appointment with your GP. If your anxiety is having a major impact on your life, they might diagnose you with an anxiety disorder.”

This is followed by the comment that,

“Young people have told us that their anxiety has sometimes been dismissed as perfectionism or the normal ups and downs of being a teenager.”

I totally agree that anxiety is to be recognised rather than dismissed and that young people deserve help to process the anxiety they are experiencing. I do not agree, however, that a GP is the person from whom to obtain advice, nor is a psychiatrist. Their training, for the most part, is aimed at finding the appropriate treatment(s), which may include pharmaceuticals, but these drugs cannot possibly address the emotional state that underpins feelings of anxiety.

I would add that emotions, fears, and trauma often manifest as physical health issues within the body. GPs are likely to identify those physical symptoms as some form of ‘disease’ that can be treated with medicines, instead of recognising the existence of an underlying emotional component.

The point is that there are reasons for emotions that may manifest as certain behaviours deemed ‘unacceptable’ by society, but those behaviours may be the only way for the child to express himself or herself. This is discussed by Gabor Maté in this podcast interview,

It’s clear that the ONLY way to resolve problems is to discover and address the underlying causes, which may relate to emotions resulting from ‘trauma’ that have been suppressed.

From my research, it seems that suppression of symptoms - whether physical or emotional - is a key causal factor for many, if not the vast majority of health issues.

On the YoungMinds web page What is mental health? is a series of questions, one of which asks: What is a mental health problem? In this section is the claim that mental illness occurs when ‘feeling off’ is of a longer duration and has a greater impact on daily life. This is followed by,

“If you are experiencing mental illness, you might struggle to:

• leave the house, go to school or work

• switch off from worries, pressure and stress

• socialise and be around people

• take care of yourself and do things like eat, sleep or wash

• do the things you enjoy

• believe in yourself

These are just examples. Mental illness can look different for different people.”

Part of the problem with this is the idea that there is even a ‘normal’ against which certain behaviours, ways of thinking, emotions etc can be assessed.

In another short excerpt from a longer interview, Dr Gabor Maté explains the problem with pathologising children’s behaviours. Instead, he suggests that it may be the result of the relationship between the parents and their children.

This is a huge topic that cannot be adequately covered in a single article - there are entire books about the topic. However, I wanted to emphasise the point that children’s behaviours should not be viewed in isolation from the rest of their environment - this is also what we learn from the ‘terrain paradigm’. Health, both mental and physical, is affected by exposure to all aspects of the environment, which inevitably includes the emotional environment.

The key issue - from my perspective - is the pathologising of emotions and the idea that the medical system can ‘fix’ them as if the problem lies with the child experiencing the emotions instead of understanding that what they are experiencing may be an appropriate response to an upsetting or traumatising event. It may also result from a lack of appropriate attention from parents; feeling seen, heard and understood is a basic need. If this is not met by a child’s primary caregivers, they may sacrifice their own need to be authentic for the need to feel safe. But, as Gabor Maté explains, these needs should not be mutually exclusive; they should all be met.

And this is where the reference to propaganda becomes relevant, especially the second quote I cited above that refers to ‘a consistent, enduring effort to create or shape events to influence the relations of the public to an enterprise, idea or group.’

I would suggest that one of the objectives of this ‘news item’ is to influence the public to demand better services from the NHS; to encourage them to demand that the NHS is adequately funded so that it can offer the appropriate level of help to everyone.

Although I agree that people who need help should receive it, I do not agree that the NHS is the appropriate resource to provide that help. I’m sure that most people who work for the NHS do so with the intention of helping people, but their training is not fit for purpose. Whatever they learn about anatomy and physiology, it is inadequate to understand the interconnectedness of the mind and body and how suppressed emotions due to trauma inform both the mind and body.

I would also posit that this may be yet another case of a ‘problem, reaction, solution’ situation. The problem, which is perceived to be a worsening of childhood ‘mental health’, is followed by the understandable reaction of the public, which, in turn, is followed by the proposed solution to ‘fix’ the problem through further interventions. Except that the current system is unable to provide the appropriate help because they do not understand the whole human being.

‘Medications’ are utterly incapable of resolving suppressed emotions.

In my view, it seems that this situation is being promoted in order to justify the introduction of a ‘new healthcare system’, that will utilise AI, but is far more draconian in terms of how treatment is provided (mandatory vaccinations perhaps?) yet far less helpful in terms of providing genuine ‘healthcare’. The introduction of AI in the NHS app to ‘help’ patients is already being trialled, as can be seen by a 4th July BBC article, NHS app to use AI to determine which service best for patients. In this instance, AI is being described as a ‘triage tool’.

But I digress.

Helping each child IS important. However, attempting to alter the behaviour is not helpful, it’s like placing a band-aid on a much deeper wound; except the wound will never heal that way.

I’m not saying I ‘know’ the answer.

I do ‘know’, however, that we need a different approach, as R. Buckminster Fuller states,

“You never change things by fighting the existing reality.

To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.”

The ‘new model’ needs an approach that starts from the very beginning of life; that is supportive of babies and children, rather than punitive; and that encourages not only an understanding of children’s needs, but meeting them.

As Tom Cowan writes in his book, Commonsense Childrearing,

“What if our children come into the world with something more akin to a ‘spiritual intention’, and, rather than being the ones who decide what is right and good for our child, our real job is to recognize and encourage the unfolding of this unique being who has been placed in our care?”

I’m sure that treating our children as unique beings who are capable of teaching us as well as learning from us, will foster much healthier relationships with them, which in turn, will support their growth into becoming the best versions of themselves.

Dawn 🌹

Here’s another of my articles on the topic of mental illness

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