The Pros And Cons Of Medicalization

Medicalization is defined as, "the process where human experiences that are ‘non-medical’ problems become to be defined, experienced and treated as medical problems" (Handbook of medical sociology, p. 152). Dr. Peter Conrad, one of the main contributors, stated, “the act of medicalization is neither good nor bad." He emphasized that it is necessary to study medicalization but, “without making any judgments on whether or not these are medical issues” and remaining skeptical on the matter. Medicalization does have several advantages to society; on one hand, it allows for seeking help and treatment if anything seems abnormal. For instance, medicalization was helpful in categorizing PTSD; we now know PTSD is a real concern and help and treatment …show more content…
As noted by Dr. Conrad, medicalization is bidirectional; illnesses can be medicalized and in the same idea, they can be “de-medicalized” (Handbook of medical sociology, P. 151). Usually, the classification and the treatment of illnesses fall under the responsibility and setting of medical doctors also healthcare providers. However, society’s role in defining a problem at hand, we begin to see medical institutions adopt different ways to approach the specific medical problem. It is crucial to recognize that illnesses and diseases are constructed on the social construct perspective. The more diseases are defined, the more uneasiness occurs to medicalization. It eventually disrupts and obscures the natural experiences that influence our health and well-being (Handbook of medical sociology, P. …show more content…
Homosexuality was once seen and defined as a deviant behavior and eventually to be categorized as a medical problem. The social construct of homosexuality allowed for several diagnosis and treatments to be introduced in order to appear less sickening and more socially acceptable. It was then a contested illness, which created the mindset a medical intervention was needed to treat homosexuality within an individual. This social construct resulted in many forms of mental health and social issues. Ultimately, homosexuality became

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