The Maddening of America

[Skybird]

http://www.project-syndicate.org/com...liah-greenfeld

Do not see this as a hidden attempt of America-bashing, but see the clinical view of the author (and in my intention).

The numerical weights might differ a bit, and maybe there is a bigger diversity in results and local foci of symptoms in Europe, due to the greater cultural and ethnic diversity of nations over here, but a similar trend seems to exist for Europe as well. If there is something very specially American in America's state of things, than it is the culture of fear and the fostering of fear-mongering. which expresses in the medias' general focus and the obessions of America with weapins and violence, which has been very well described and named by Michael Moore in Bowling for Columbine (say about the man what you want, in that movie he got plenty of things right). Germans also have a over-represented "Angst", but it is different in nature and cause, and even more hysteric in nature. I would expect psychological survey finding a steep climb of existential fears in Southern European states as well, namely Greece, but for understandable reasons these fears are much more rooted in real events and facts than much of what Germans and Americans worry about.

[Wolferz]

Musings of a mad woman?

[AVGWarhawk]

The claim that the spread of severe mental illness has reached “epidemic” proportions has been heard so often that, like any commonplace, it has lost its ability to shock.
Read more at http://www.project-syndicate.org/com...vt1WcagIvQX.99

Sadly the epidemic of widespread "mental illness" usually has a monthly check furnished by the government attached to it. Physical disabilities are on the rise as well.

[Oberon]

This is a good discussion, but alas clouded in a judgment against American and Western societies.
If you were to look at the likes of Japan you will see that they too suffer from severe mental illness problems, but they deal with it in a different manner, there is a lot less care in dealing with people who suffer from it, and likewise in China, as such Japan has the tenth highest suicide rate in the world, and China has the seventh. South Korea is the second highest, but the odd nation at number one is Greenland, although SAD could possibly account for some of that.

If one were to look at the 'Age standardised Disability adjusted life year' then you'd indeed see America at the highest rate, but strangely enough it's then followed by Nepal, East Timor and Bangladesh which are not known for their westernisation or indeed highly modern ways of life. Greenland doesn't appear on this list, but South Korea which is the second highest for suicides, doesn't appear until number 120, so the rates of depression are lower than the rates of suicide, which points towards potential further reasons for people committing suicide than depression, however, equally, it also points at the possibility of errors creeping in to the figures. After all, how does one get the 'Age standardised Disability adjusted life year' from North Korea?

In all reality, I think the reason why rates of depression and mental illness are higher in the west than anywhere else is probably the same as the reason why the rates of cancer are higher, it's because we have a better system for detecting and treating it than other less developed countries.
Certainly there are areas in western nations that need to be improved in regards to the treatment of mental illness, the rates of school shootings in America have shown that their mental health system needs looking at, more so than their gun control laws in fact, but it is not necessarily an indication of a flaw in western society.

I do agree though, that there is definitely a sense that things were 'easier' and the pace of life 'slower' in the days before our mechanised world, but this is folly, things were just as hard, if not harder, and the consequences of failure were harsher than today. However, on general, today we have a lot more time to contemplate and think about ourselves and our lives in general than in the years past where time was spent mostly on work, sleep and occasional leisure. One could draw parallels with modern Japan where the ethics of work are starting to come to blows with the ethics of freedom and self-determination, particularly the gulf between the youth and the middle aged 'salarymen'. Does this make the Japanese work ethic better than the western ethic which puts greater emphasis on mental well being? For productivity, yes, but for life...well...I'll let you be the judge of that.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

Sadly the epidemic of widespread "mental illness" usually has a monthly check furnished by the government attached to it. Physical disabilities are on the rise as well.

There's a big crackdown on those benefits currently being undertaken in the UK and many genuine claimants are suffering as a result.

I don't kid myself I know what the answer or solution is though.....better I give thanks I'm not in receipt of them I suppose.

[AVGWarhawk]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

There's a big crackdown on those benefits currently being undertaken in the UK and many genuine claimants are suffering as a result.

The crackdown as a result of many new participants on the rolls since 2008? The numbers miraculously jumped here in the states since 2008. Imagine that.

[Armistead]

Anyone that is stressed is mentally ill today, at least in the minds of big pharma. Everyone needs to be on pills.

[AVGWarhawk]

Can I have some purple ones?

[WernherVonTrapp]

IMHO, I think the world is in a state of denial and subsequent progressive feelings of hopelessness and diminishing sense of self worth. I don't believe that this is restricted to "Americans". We are probably more medicated than the rest of the world, but that's only treating the symptoms.

[Armistead]

Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

Can I have some purple ones?

Nexium....

Use baking soda mixed in seltzer water, works for Bear.

[Armistead]

Originally Posted by WernherVonTrapp

IMHO, I think the world is in a state of denial and subsequent progressive feelings of hopelessness and sense of self worth. I don't believe that this is restricted to "Americans". We are probably more medicated than the rest of the world, but that's only treating the symptoms.

It's amazing that people have no coping skills. The scary thing is so many young people are on these pills.

[AVGWarhawk]

Originally Posted by Armistead

Nexium....

Use baking soda mixed in seltzer water, works for Bear.

Excellent for heartburn.

[Takeda Shingen]

Originally Posted by Skybird

If there is something very specially American in America's state of things, than it is the culture of fear and the fostering of fear-mongering.

Must......resist......pointing........out........b latent.........irony........ngrhhhhhhh........




Ahhhhh...puppies. All better. Urge to mock.....falling.....falling...RISING...falling. Gone.

[Dowly]

Puppies!

[AVGWarhawk]

Puppies. All better now.