--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Most psychiatrists assume that mental…" description: "\"Most psychiatrists assume that mental illnesses such as depression are caused by chemical imbalances in the brain, which can be treated by drugs. But m..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e01/mark-fisher-3649_brain_most-psychiatrists-assume-that-mental-il_788007.jpg" --- # Most psychiatrists assume that mental illnesses such as… ![“Most psychiatrists assume that mental illnesses such as depression are caused by chemical imbalances in the brain, which can be treated by drugs. But most psychotherapy doesn't address the social causation of mental illness either.” quote by Mark Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e01/mark-fisher-3649_brain_most-psychiatrists-assume-that-mental-il_788007.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e01/mark-fisher-3649_brain_most-psychiatrists-assume-that-mental-il_788007.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e01/mark-fisher-3649_brain_most-psychiatrists-assume-that-mental-il_788007.jpg) > “Most psychiatrists assume that mental illnesses such as depression are caused by chemical imbalances in the brain, which can be treated by drugs. But most psychotherapy doesn't address the social causation of mental illness either.” [Mark Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-fisher/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Many mental health models focus on biology and medication, overlooking social factors that also cause distress. **In simple terms:** Mental illness has social causes often ignored. Key Takeaway Consider social context in treatment. Themes mental health social determinants psychotherapy Mood thoughtful critical Type analytical inspirational When to use this quote - clinical practice - public health policy - community support - education programs Key Concepts biopsychosocial model social causation Questions to Reflect On - How can therapy address social causes? - What policies could reduce social stress? A Different Perspective Biological treatments alone may not resolve socially rooted issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain/) [Chemical Imbalances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chemical-imbalances-2887422/) [Depression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depression/) [Depression Caused](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depression-caused-685264/) [Drugs Psychotherapy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drugs-psychotherapy-6058294/) [Illness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illness/) [Mental illness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mental-illness/) [Most](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/most/) [Psychiatrists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychiatrists/) [Psychiatrists Assume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychiatrists-assume-6058295/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) ## Related quotes > [Both depression and anxiety disorders, for example, are repeatedly described in the media as 'chemical imbalances in the brain,' as if spontaneous neural events…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siri-hustvedt/both-depression-and-anxiety-disorders-for-example-are-repeatedly/) [Siri Hustvedt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siri-hustvedt/) > [When you talk about emotional, chemical imbalances in people, there is no science behind that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-cruise/when-you-talk-about-emotional-chemical-imbalances-in-people-there-is/) [Tom Cruise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-cruise/) > [When I decided to get sober, there were a lot of chemical imbalances that came along with that, physically as well as mentally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-moody/when-i-decided-to-get-sober-there-were-a-lot-of-chemical-imbalances/) [Ivan Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-moody/) > [“Depression, we are told over and over again, is a brain disease, a chemical imbalance that can be adjusted by antidepressant medication. In an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-kirsch/depression-we-are-told-over-and-over-again-is-a-brain-disease-a/) [Irving Kirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-kirsch/) > [“Rather than fix chemical imbalances in the brain, the drugs creat them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-whitaker/rather-than-fix-chemical-imbalances-in-the-brain-the-drugs-creat-them/) [Robert Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-whitaker/) > [“ DEPRESSION Many of the individuals in my program have pointed to a level of depression as an initial symptom. Depression—pervasive, overwhelming feelings of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-berent/depression-many-of-the-individuals-in-my-program-have-pointed-to-a/) [Jonathan Berent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-berent/) > [“What was it Freud once said? All depression is caused by the loss of someone’s love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-meade/what-was-it-freud-once-said-all-depression-is-caused-by-the-loss-of/) [Glenn Meade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-meade/) > [“Nessa explained that depression caused her to feel like her body was lying to her and she ultimately decided she had to look to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-vercillo/nessa-explained-that-depression-caused-her-to-feel-like-her-body-was/) [Kathryn Vercillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-vercillo/) > [When you feel depressed, it helps to actively change your environment. Go and do something different. Martin Luther conquered his depression by going outside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul/when-you-feel-depressed-it-helps-to-actively-change-your-environment/) [R. C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul/) > [Perhaps depression is caused by asking oneself too many unanswerable questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-toews/perhaps-depression-is-caused-by-asking-oneself-too-many-unanswerable/) [Miriam Toews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-toews/) > [Depression is not caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain, and it is not cured by medication. Depression may not even be an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-kirsch/depression-is-not-caused-by-a-chemical-imbalance-in-the-brain-and-it/) [Irving Kirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-kirsch/) > [The vast numbers of people who suffer some kind of mental illness under capitalism can either think, 'there is some failing with me, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-fisher/the-vast-numbers-of-people-who-suffer-some-kind-of-mental-illness/) [Mark Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-fisher/) > [“It goes without saying that all mental illnesses are neurologically instantiated, but this says nothing about their causation. If it is true, for instance,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-fisher/it-goes-without-saying-that-all-mental-illnesses-are-neurologically/) [Mark Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-fisher/) > [Keep clear of psychiatrists unless you know that they are also Christians. Otherwise they start with the assumption that your religion is an illusion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/keep-clear-of-psychiatrists-unless-you-know-that-they-are-also/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [“A long time ago I realized that, as psychiatrists, we had to have a healthy respect for our own humanness, and our own smallness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-schiller/a-long-time-ago-i-realized-that-as-psychiatrists-we-had-to-have-a/) [Lori Schiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-schiller/) ## More by Mark Fisher > [“It goes without saying that all mental illnesses are neurologically instantiated, but this says nothing about their causation. If it is true, for instance,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-fisher/it-goes-without-saying-that-all-mental-illnesses-are-neurologically/) [Mark Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-fisher/) > [What is remarkable about Joy Division is the way they are bereft of two of the mainstays of most other rock and pop: longing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-fisher/what-is-remarkable-about-joy-division-is-the-way-they-are-bereft-of/) [Mark Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-fisher/) > [While football embarrassingly exposes the excesses of capitalism, the Olympic sports have been used to propagate the neoliberal mantra that success is simply a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-fisher/while-football-embarrassingly-exposes-the-excesses-of-capitalism-the/) [Mark Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-fisher/) > [The story of Basinski's 'Disintegration Loops' - tapes that destroyed themselves in the transfer to digital - is a parable (again almost too perfect)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-fisher/the-story-of-basinski-s-disintegration-loops-tapes-that-destroyed/) [Mark Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-fisher/) > [Star Wars' was a sell-out from the start, and that is just about the only remarkable thing about this depressingly mediocre franchise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-fisher/star-wars-was-a-sell-out-from-the-start-and-that-is-just-about-the/) [Mark Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-fisher/) > [You can be debased without relinquishing your identity, just as you can relinquish your identity without being debased.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-fisher/you-can-be-debased-without-relinquishing-your-identity-just-as-you/) [Mark Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-fisher/) > [“The role of capitalist ideology is not to make an explicit case for something in the way that propaganda does, but to conceal the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-fisher/the-role-of-capitalist-ideology-is-not-to-make-an-explicit-case-for/) [Mark Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-fisher/) > [Now that we are used to globalisation it's hard to imagine a time when the countries behind the iron curtain were largely obscured from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-fisher/now-that-we-are-used-to-globalisation-it-s-hard-to-imagine-a-time/) [Mark Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-fisher/) > [Structurally, as is evident, the role of the 'Islamic Terror' is to fill the gap left by the disintegration of Stalinism. That is why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-fisher/structurally-as-is-evident-the-role-of-the-islamic-terror-is-to-fill/) [Mark Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-fisher/) > [“emancipatory politics must always destroy the appearance of a ‘natural order’, must reveal what is presented as necessary and inevitable to be a mere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-fisher/emancipatory-politics-must-always-destroy-the-appearance-of-a-natural/) [Mark Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-fisher/) > [“Invited to think of the futuristic, we will still come up with something like the music of Kraftwerk, even though this is now as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-fisher/invited-to-think-of-the-futuristic-we-will-still-come-up-with/) [Mark Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-fisher/) > [ “\[W\]hat counts as ‘realistic’, what seems possible at any point in the social field, is defined by a series of political determinations. 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