Unlike physical illnesses where evidence-based treatments are important, in problems affecting the mind, doctors may be at a loss how to proceed due to lack of ‘evidence’.

In children and young people confused over their ‘gender’, there have been calls for research into the efficacy of puberty blockers. Dr Symonds argues that this information is unknowable and should not even be sought.

In so-called mental illnesses, there is no scientific basis for labelling symptoms such as depression, anxiety, or delusions as brain disorders. The claimed benefits for antidepressants or antipsychotics are unsubstantiated, and their use merely exposes patients to the risks of harms, which may be severe.

Regarding the smoking/vaping problem, investigations to find the best quitting ‘tool’, being fixated on scientific evidence, overlook the fact that putting nicotine into your body by smoking or vaping is a voluntary activity.

Rather than seeking an elusive bio-mechanical basis for diagnosis and treatment of all these problems, it would be better to approach them with a good dose of common sense.

Dr Symonds also casts his satirical eye on ‘wokeism’ in the NHS, doctors going on strike, and the scandal of largely useless orthodox treatments for low back pain and frozen shoulder.

Dr Gabriel Symonds is an English doctor living in Japan where for many years he ran the Tokyo British Clinic serving the expatriate community. Now retired from full-time practice, he offers his unique method of smoking and vaping cessation, as well as Jungian-based psychotherapy.

The Craft of Memoir Writing: A Brief Practical Guide is written for creative writing students and emerging memoirists who seek to turn lived experience into compelling narrative.

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