Implications of Biopower & Treatment

                                               Implications of Biopower & Treatment

            Stemming from the effects of biomedicalization is the placement of treatment in the realm of the individual. While this may seem empowering on its face, individuals are considered responsible for their health regardless if they have access to the resources necessary to treat themselves. This is also further implicated with challenges when mental health is involved since individuals may not even be diagnosed with whatever condition they’re supposed to be treating. The symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder are easy to gloss over in our culture as the fault of individuals. Looking to my mother’s experience with this disorder, many have told her to “just stop worrying”. A more dynamic understanding of this disorder is needed as we look deeper into the societal pressures that may affect it.

            The emphasis placed upon the individual to treat GAD through things like self-help books is highly reflective of Foucault’s concepts of biopower. Johnson notes how within biopower, “one of the ways in which individuals are induced to embrace and activate power over their own lives is in the name of health” (Johnson). Within Foucault’s studies of surveillance, he was particularly interested in the ways that individuals were observed in hospitals. He “wanted to find out how the medical gaze was institutionalized, how it was effectively inscribed in social space, how the new form of the hospital was at once the effect and the support of a new type of gaze” (Foucault R138). He analyzes the manifestation of biopower as contrary to history’s interests in controlling who dies. He analyzes how within Western history, there was a shift from controlling who could live to how they could live. It is a form of power that is productive and forces life to appear in certain ways. It is important to note that it is not something to be wielded by certain individuals or groups and is not orchestrated by anyone in particular, but rather permeates how our society functions.

            Under a lens of biopower, GAD can be seen as a disorder in need of treatment in order to produce individuals of a certain type that has been defined as “normal” by society. These individuals are supposed to worry less and consequently be more productive and valuable within our neoliberal capitalist society. Individuals today are likely to search for treatment options first on the internet. WebMD is one of these popular online resources that many can use to diagnose themselves with certain conditions. Under their home treatment section for anxiety, WebMD recommends recognizing your anxiety by dealing with it, practicing relaxation techniques, and by exercising and eating well (“Anxiety & Panic Disorders Health Centers”). These are all activities that individuals can be expected to do in order to maintain their health. As we see in Lauren Berlant’s piece, these things are not always in reach for everyone. There are those who are unable to find a safe place to run or go for a walk. Under the models of biomedicalization and biopower, individuals must take these basic strides for their health or else some blame is fairly placed upon them for their mental health status. When people possibly do not have the time or resources to care for themselves, society now has more leverage in placing the blame of the condition on the individual.

            First steps towards treating GAD also include self-help books and guides which are widely available to American consumers. These books are “linked to American ideals of self-mastery and self-invention, and they typically aim to inspire and instruct their readers by providing wisdom and encouragement” (Johnson). The discourses contained within these books “accomplish two vital functions of biopower: first, all of life is rendered in calculable, scientific form and second, individuals are interpellated as active agents who can act to improve their health through techniques of self-government and self-management.” (Johnson). While these books may be useful resources for those interested, pressure is placed upon individuals to use these books whether they want to or not. People of various states of mental health are expected to seek out these resources in order to regulate their lives accordingly.

Resources

"Anxiety & Panic Disorders Health Center." WebMD. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 May 2013.

Foucault, Michel. “The Eye of Power” (in reader).

Johnson, Davi. "“How Do You Know Unless You Look?”: Brain Imaging, Biopower And Practical Neuroscience." Journal Of Medical Humanities 29.3 (2008): 147-161. Academic Search Complete. Web. 2 May 2013.