Doctor SPEAKS OUT: "They're Quietly Labeling You Sick—Even When You're Not" | Suzanne O'Sullivan

Rangan Chatterjee

May 7, 2025

Episode description

VIVOBAREFOOT is sponsoring today's show. To get 20% OFF YOUR FIRST ORDER visit: https://bit.ly/3FLdvBa

AG1 is sponsoring today's show. To get 1 year's FREE VITAMIN D and 5 FREE TRAVEL PACKS visit: https://bit.ly/43FwxQl

Order MAKE CHANGE THAT LASTS. US & Canada version https://amzn.to/3RyO3SL UK version US https://amzn.to/4iPjdjl

Could our healthcare system be making us sicker rather than healthier? In the UK, autism diagnoses have increased by a staggering 787% between 1998 and 2018, and one in five people now has some form of mental health disorder. But what if some of our health struggles aren't diseases to be cured, but normal human experiences being medicalised?

This week, I'm joined by Dr Suzanne O'Sullivan, a consultant in clinical neurophysiology and neurology at The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, who specialises in the investigation of complex epilepsy and also has an active interest in psychogenic disorders.

Her latest book, The Age of Diagnosis: Sickness, Health, and Why Medicine Has Gone Too Far, aims to challenge long-held assumptions about medical progress and change the way we think about our health.

In this thought-provoking conversation, we explore:
• Why giving someone a diagnosis is never neutral – it can fundamentally change how a person views themselves, their body and their future possibilities
• How the definition of autism has dramatically expanded over the past few decades from its original concept of "extreme autistic aloneness" to now potentially including 1 in 20 children in Northern Ireland
• Why screening for diseases like prostate cancer can lead to unnecessary treatment
• The potential problems of genetic testing - when results are misinterpreted or used without proper context, especially with tests that aren't clinical grade
• Why early detection and treatment aren't always better, particularly when it turns healthy people into patients decades before they might develop symptoms
• The profound story of how Suzanne diagnosed a rare genetic condition in a 15-year-old girl, only to question whether she had actually done the right thing by medicalising someone who believed herself to be healthy
This is a nuanced, compassionate discussion that challenges many of the widely held assumptions in modern healthcare and I would urge you to listen with an open mind. Throughout our conversation, Suzanne emphasises that she's not arguing against the existence of these conditions or suggesting everyone should refuse diagnosis. Rather, she encourages both patients and doctors to consider whether medicalising our struggles is always the right approach. I hope you enjoy listening.
#feelbetterlivemore
-----

Suzanne’s books:
The Age of Diagnosis: Sickness, Health, and Why Modern Medicine Has Gone Too Far US https://amzn.to/4lZXesG UK https://amzn.to/434gAo7

It's All in Your Head: Stories from the Frontline of Psychosomatic Illness US https://amzn.to/433aqnY UK https://amzn.to/4m8WYIe

The Sleeping Beauties: And Other Stories of Mystery Illness US https://amzn.to/4iPjdjl
UK https://amzn.to/4k2LLH1

Brainstorm: Detective Stories From the World of Neurology US https://amzn.to/4iSu63L
UK https://amzn.to/4m3J7mi

#feelbetterlivemore #feelbetterlivemorepodcast
-------

Order MAKE CHANGE THAT LASTS. US & Canada version https://amzn.to/3RyO3SL, UK version https://amzn.to/3Kt5rUK
-----
Follow Dr Chatterjee at:
Website: https://drchatterjee.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drchatterjee
Twitter: https://twitter.com/drchatterjeeuk
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drchatterjee/
Newsletter: https://drchatterjee.com/subscription

DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

Mindsip insights from this episode:

Reassess 'prediabetes' label to reduce psychological burden

Creating a 'prediabetes' category labels a third of the adult population as being at high risk, placing a huge psychological burden on the majority who will never actually develop diabetes.

#diabetes

#mental-health

Beware of direct-to-consumer genetic tests and family consent

Direct-to-consumer genetic tests are not clinical grade and can be unreliable, and when you take one, you are implicitly testing your entire family without their consent.

#genetics

#risk

Detach from illness identity to enable recovery

If an illness becomes your core identity and your social belonging is based on it, it can prevent you from being able to visualize and work towards recovery.

#mental-health

#recovery

Recognize impact of diagnosis on body awareness

A medical diagnosis is not an inert label; it can change your relationship with your body, making you notice and amplify symptoms you previously ignored.

#awareness

#diagnosis

Choose hope over certainty in Huntington's disease testing

80-90% of people at risk for Huntington's disease choose not to take the genetic test because living with the hope of a healthy future is more valuable than the certainty of a devastating diagnosis.

#cognition

#genetics

Address hyper-specialization to view patients holistically

With doctors becoming increasingly specialized, no one is looking at the patient as a whole, leading to people accumulating multiple diagnoses and taking pills for the side effects of other pills.

#healthcare

Evaluate cancer screening benefits against potential over-treatment

Screening 2,000 women for breast cancer saves one life, but it also results in treating 10 women for cancers that would have never needed treatment.

#cancer

#screening

Avoid labels that limit potential in children

Giving a child a label for a very mild condition, like autism, can become a self-fulfilling prophecy where they and others lower their expectations of what they can achieve.