I think in the past people simply talked more and learned to relate better to one another. Today with the destruction of the family and a highly mobile community, we have lost some of our traditional ways of helping each other heal. I also think there are a lot more distractions in our everyday lives that enable us to avoid things and inhibit the development of deeper connection. Finally I think we live in a world where pain and suffering consider bad and immediately attempted to be fix via drugs, entertainment, etc.. Our tolerance for pain and suffering has diminished just like our tolerance for living comfortably without air conditioning. Is this a bad thing... I don't know. I guess it depends on how it is done. If it keeps a person in their past miseries, then maybe the harm is not worth the benefit.