Bill Maher slams rise in Americans self-diagnosing with mental illnesses and says: ‘PTSD is for people who fought in Iraq, not people who want to bring their dog on a plane’
- Bill Maher has noted the rise of Americans self-diagnosing mental illnesses
- The comedian and talk show host, 68, believes it is taking away from people who really suffer from debilitating conditions
- He acknowledged that some people have real problems, but there are “simple solutions” to the way most others feel
Bill Maher has noted the rise of Americans self-diagnosing mental illnesses.
The comedian and talk show host, 68, believes it takes away from people who really suffer from debilitating conditions.
“PTSD is for people who fought in Iraq, not for people who want to take their dog on a plane,” he said during a monologue on Real Time With Bill Maher on Friday.
Maher emphasized that Americans “really need to stop pathologizing everything.”
He acknowledged that some people have real problems, but there are “simple solutions” to the way most others feel.
Bill Maher has noted the rise of Americans self-diagnosing mental illnesses
The comedian and talk show host, 68, believes it is taking away from people who really suffer from debilitating conditions
“No one is just sad anymore, they’re clinically depressed,” Maher said on his show. “They’re not just concerned that they have chronic anxiety.
‘Do you like things neat and organized? That’s OCD. You’re bummed when it’s cold, when you’re outside, when you have seasonal depression.
‘Hate being alone, fear of abandonment. Bored? That’s ADHD. Shy? Social anxiety disorder.
“Why because you don’t want to go to the office party? No one does that, at best you have too much fun and get fired.’
He added, “Are you moody? No, you’re bipolar. Some people are bipolar and some people are on the spectrum, but sometimes the spectrum is just a complete pass because you’re a jerk.
‘I’m clinically a ******, I can’t do anything.’
Maher went on to say that everyone alive is on the spectrum, adding, “It’s not noble to continue to the soft end of it.”
He then pointed out how self-diagnosis of mental illness takes away from the severity of those who suffer from it.
“PTSD is for people who fought in Iraq, not for people who want to take their dog on a plane,” Maher said.
“There are people in America with real problems who deserve to be sad, but sometimes a bad day is just a bad day.
‘If you constantly reinforce this message that no one is just a normal person with normal problems, but that we are all permanently stuck in our heads, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Maher stressed that Americans ‘really need to stop pathologizing everything’
He acknowledged that some people have real problems, but there are “simple solutions” to the way most others feel
He continued, “Maybe the solution is much simpler and you just went a week without sleep or sunlight.
“Maybe you have problems that can be solved with vegetables or exercise.”
According to data from the CDC, more than 20 percent of the US population lives with a mental illness.
About one in 25 lives with a serious mental illness such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or major depression.