In Discomfort: when being unwell is a collective problem, Javier Padilla and Marta Carmona address mental health problems and malaise from a novel perspective.
The malaise has been addressed from many points of view, especially over the last few years. Many experts from various fields have tried to explain why society is in a bad way and what could be done to remedy it. However, almost all of them agree on addressing mental health issues from an individual perspective.
However, Javier Padilla and Marta Carmona argue that «The solution to this general situation of hopelessness cannot be based on individualized care.» For them, it is necessary to change the way in which we relate as a society in the various spheres of life.
Everything you need to know about Discomfort
Discomfort It is a book written by Javier Padilla and Marta Carmona.
Javier Padilla is a member of parliament and a family doctor. For almost a decade, she has been incorporating social justice into the public health equation and researching how social inequalities affect people's health. In addition to Discomfort has published Epidemicracia and Who are we going to let die?
Marta Carmona is a psychiatrist at a mental health center and has a Master's degree in Feminist Studies. Although Malestamos is her first book, she has coordinated works such as Transpsychiatry, queer approaches in mental health and Improving neighborhoods for better mental health.
In 102 pages, the book, published by Capitán Swing, attempts to address several spheres of life that intersect and leave their mark on the mental health of the population.
Far from seeing psychology and psychiatry as bad solutions to mental health problems, the authors argue that these are incomplete solutions. The branches of health that study the functioning of the mind are necessarybut they are often simplistic: they see the malaise as the consequence of a series of individual decisions and ignore the influence of the social component.
For them Discomfort is the product of a mixture of individual circumstances and social conditions that affect us all. For this reason, they argue that the malaise must be addressed from a broad perspective, where the collective is as important as the individual.
A complex analysis of an equally complex reality
Discomfort It is a short book, but not for that reason easy to read. It is a thoughtful analysis of the malaise that freely runs through today's reality, destroying everything and everyone.
Throughout the seven chapters, Javier Padilla and Marta Carmona demonstrate the extensive knowledge they have about the current state of mental health. This is not surprising, as this is a reality that they see every day in their workplaces.
However, this is not a guide that concisely answers the question that everyone who reads this book asks: How do we put a stop to discomfort?
For Javier Padilla and Marta Carmona the answer is clear, although broad. Discomfort must be faced through the joint action of resources that act at an individual level (such as psychological therapy) and through the improvement of social conditions.
They argue that inequality, lack of opportunities and hopelessness prevailing in society are the perfect breeding ground for the development of mental problems.
And when the malaise has a social origin, individual solutions fall short. As they point out: «all those who have been slaves throughout history have met the criteria for depression (…), but the solution to this malaise is in no case individual psychotherapy for slaves (…). The only acceptable and valid solution to this malaise is to abolish slavery.