Review of Reconceptualizing Mental Illness in the Digital Age

[Sofi Carrasco]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Reconceptualizing Mental Illness in the Digital Age" by Elliott B. Martin, Jr..]

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4 out of 4 stars

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What does it mean to re/conceptualize? Why is it necessary? And what does it take for someone to do so? How do we form a new concept? How can we see all the possible meanings of a word? We can try and see how someone else perceives that word and reflect on the impact it has on them. If we ask enough people we might see there’s a common denominator and now we could ask ourselves, how did it get there?

The psychiatrist, Elliot B. Martin, Jr., shares his thoughts on the matter by breaking down carefully the title of the book, Reconceptualizing Mental Illness in the Digital Age, in a way that will make us reflect on how we are living and why we got to this point.

The author allows us to know the story of how he got to a point in his life where questioning and analyzing got so important, from his early studies in philosophy to his medical career that led into psychiatry. Now, as a ‘board-certified’ in general psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, and addiction medicine, he attends in a general hospital where his area is the one that has most consultations, taking in consideration the COVID-19 pandemic. And so, the questioning begins with one colleague wondering “why is the world so crazy these days?”.

Each chapter is brilliantly written with sarcastic humor, one that can even be interpreted as a defense mechanism to all the devastating facts and reflections that are being shared with us. There are so many cultural references and even moments when we learn and recap historical events that could have impacted the social traject that the humans have traveled. It feels like these thoughts and ideas about how much technology has changed the concept of mental illness, for better or worse, are being translated to us in a way that we’d get interested and will make us take different stands on so many subjects, social phenomenons and movements, like we’re being asked to be open to every possibility so that we can figure out the multiple points of view of a matter and maybe that way will find out how to approach each other again.

The book content led me to ask myself, what does it mean to be in the Digital Age, cause, at the end, here we are, I’m writing a review online and here you are reading it… Do we really consider how far this gets? To whom and how it gets? Do we really assume the responsibility of our online actions or is that “the charm” of it? And if so, why is “the charm” so charming? What does that implicate?

So… Should we reconceptualize the mental age in the digital illness..?

I’d like to add that sometimes the critic towards certain social movements, and how they were handled, lacks of the importance and the impact they had, taking in consideration that there are things that have to be said, to bespoken, so that we can resignify (and I know this last process is a subjective one, but certainly something changes when we know we’re not alone, it can give us strength and courage, it can make us realize that as society we can do better).

I rate it 4 out of 4 and highly recommend it to anyone who wants to reflect and is looking to question today's society, as much as his/her own actions and their responsibility.

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Reconceptualizing Mental Illness in the Digital Age
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[Margi zuu202]

the digital age has changed everything mental illness is nothing like what it was 20yrs ago suicide have soared , depression has become debilitating disease

[Amy Luman]

I do believe that we, especially young people are effected by the use of digital devices. Those of us who grew up with them as the primary means of communication don’t always have the skills to deal with criticism without being able to confront our attackers. These devices are exceedingly helpful in some realms, however. Thanks!