Is Happiness a Disease or a Disorder?!!

I’ve been studying (unofficially, unscientifically) about mental health. The desire amongst ‘the profession’ to classify various ‘conditions’, and then to set about labelling so many of us in order to (i) justify their existence (the profession, not the ‘condition) and (ii) to prescribe medical solutions is, at best, highly questionable. Yes, it has its place in more extreme cases, even then it has shown to be only part of a long term answer.  Read more about such classification here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diagnostic_and_Statistical_Manual_of_Mental_Disorders

Here’s something almost unbelieveable:

Research paper ‘A proposal to classify happiness as a psychiatric disorder’ Jnl Medical Ethics, 1992, by Richard Bentall.

It is proposed that happiness be classified as a psychiatric disorder and be included in future editions of the major diagnostic manuals under the new name: ‘major affective disorder, pleasant type’. In a review of the relevant literature, it is shown that happiness is statistically abnormal, consists of a discreet cluster of symptoms, is assocated with a range of cognitive abnormalities, and probably reflects the abnormal functioning of the central nervous system. One possible objection to this proposal remains – that happiness is not negatively valued. However, this objection is dismissed as scientifically irrelevant.
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The use of the word normal and abnormal is fascinating. Pathologists often look for so called ‘normal ranges’ of health indicators. What they mean by normal is average.

What if we live in a world where average health (both mental and physical) is decidedly sub-optimal? This would make optimum health ‘abnormal’ according to such measures.

As such I entirely agree – happiness IS statistically abnormal, consists of a discreet cluster of symptoms, is assocated with a range of cognitive ‘abnormalities’, and probably reflects the abnormal functioning of the central nervous system.  In the sense that in the modern world, driven by time, outcomes, money, ego tends to block us from happiness – our cognitive ‘normality’ is far from happy.

In Robert Holden’s great book on Happiness, ‘Be Happy’ he makes the link between happiness and authenticity. Most people believe or feel that you cannot be inauthentic and happy. When people are authentic, they are happy. If only more doctors, psychiatrists, politicians, teachers, counsellors, coaches, leaders and HR Managers… knew this!