James Davies will be speaking at THE STOCKWELL CENTRE Lecture 2026

His book, SEDATED, will be available to purchase on the evening, rrp £10.99 but if it is pre-ordered there is an EVENT Discounted price of £8.99.  To avoid postage costs, you will have the option of ‘Collection’ (as Checkout and your book can be collected from Red Lion Books.  Or, we can take it to the Lecture for your collection at the event

Friday 6th March 7pm-9pm

James is an Associate Professor in Psychology and Medical Anthropology at the University of Roehampton, London.  The event will be of use to therapeutic practitioners and trainees but is also open to non-professionals

A provocative and shocking look at how western society is misunderstanding and mistreating mental illness. Perfect for fans of Empire of Pain and Dope Sick. In Britain alone, more than 20% of the adult population take a psychiatric drug in any one year.

This is an increase of over 500% since 1980 and the numbers continue to grow. Yet, despite this prescription epidemic, levels of mental illness of all types have actually increased in number and severity. Using a wealth of studies, interviews with experts, and detailed analysis, Dr James Davies argues that this is because we have fundamentally mis characterised the problem.

Rather than viewing most mental distress as an understandable reaction to wider societal problems, we have embraced a medical model which situates the problem solely within the sufferer and their brain. Urgent and persuasive, Sedated systematically examines why this individualistic view of mental illness has been promoted by successive governments and big business – and why it is so misplaced and dangerous.