Medicalization In Health Care

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Sherine, you pose a great question. As mentioned by Barker, the definition of a disease may seem like a straightforward question, but the response is very complex. In my opinion, a disease is an affliction that negatively affects a living being. A disease can affect the host physically or mentally. A disease can also be asymptomatic, while still present.

The medicalization of contested illnesses does have beneficial contributions to the medical field and the individual. From experience, it is difficult when you know there is something wrong but you do not have a diagnosis. It can be somewhat refreshing to receive a medical diagnosis. Once an illness is medically diagnosed, doctors can appropriately treat the disease if it can be treated. …show more content…
Doctors may believe that that the person is pretending or exaggerating about their discomfort. The person may also be stigmatized in society. For example, drug addiction and gambling are behaviors that are looked down upon in society. The individuals who struggle with these addictions are unable to stop, and some may not receive the support they need from family. However, when addiction is categorized, as an illness, it is taken more seriously, and treatment becomes available. However, when a behavior such as addiction is medicalized individuals may use their diagnosis as a crutch to garner support.

There are many adverse effects of medicalization. Homosexuality was once medicalized. When a natural feeling or behavior such as homosexuality becomes medicalized, it is looked at as an anomaly. The person is considered as someone who needs to be "fixed." Humans are vastly different; when the medical community begins to medicalize natural human behavior, everyone becomes a patient. As Barker states, "through medicalization, natural human variation, normal experiences, routine complaints, and hypothetical scenarios become medical

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personal experience. Kassandra's narrative touches upon the concept of medicalization, which refers to the process by which non-medical problems become defined and treated as medical issues (Weiss & Copelton, n.d.). In the context of childbirth, medicalization can manifest in various ways, such as the routine use of medical interventions like induced labor or cesarean sections. Kassandra's experience highlights how medicalization shapes the childbirth process, influencing decisions about pain management…

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