[pachyderm]

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog...dox-psychiatry

We are living in an era of supposed rapid progression in the development of newer, better, and more effective treatments for the human problems called mental disorders. The psychotropic drugs that are marketed today are said to be more effective than ever before, and we are told by the purveyors of psychotherapy that it too has become more refined and more effective in the treatment of mental distress. Yet, at the same time, the rates of mental illness continue to rise and in fact have never been higher.

...

So, while there may (or may not) be better or more effective treatments for the human suffering defined as mental disorder, there is a range of vested interests—financial, moral, intellectual, political—influencing which deviations in human behavior and experience become defined as mental illness and resultantly phenomena for study and treatment. A distinction between literal and metaphorical entities is essential in interpreting the claims made by some about the treatment and prevalence of mental illness, and also in understanding the true nature of the human problems called mental disorders.

However, I don't see that he says what the "true nature" of mental disorders is.

[Maven]

I don't think there is as much mental illness as the "experts" say there is. Pretty much anyone could be diagnosed with something... Or, misdiagnosed. And the long-term effects of the drugs they so freely hand out concerns me. I think it's about the money and the power.

[leejosepho]

Originally Posted by pachyderm

... I don't see that he says what the "true nature" of mental disorders is.

I think he is saying there is a need to discern "the true nature of the human problems called mental disorders" (emphasis added) in order to distinguish actual mental illness from other human problems. In my own case, for example, so-called "mental illness" is not at the root of my depression even though "mental health" is required in order for my life to not be completely dominated or over-run by my depression. So, and just as with so-called "heart disease" (where there really is no such thing), the challenge is to look beyond the broad brush -- so-called "mental illness" -- and get down to actual causes and conditions.

[Sunflower123]

Originally Posted by leejosepho

I think he is saying there is a need to discern "the true nature of the human problems called mental disorders" (emphasis added) in order to distinguish actual mental illness from other human problems. In my own case, for example, so-called "mental illness" is not at the root of my depression even though "mental health" is required in order for my life to not be completely dominated or over-run by my depression. So, and just as with so-called "heart disease" (where there really is no such thing), the challenge is to look beyond the broad brush -- so-called "mental illness" -- and get down to actual causes and conditions.

I agree. Thanks for the fresh look at it.

[Maven]

Hold it... A little off-topic, but, there's no heart disease? What do you call problems of the heart then?

[leejosepho]

Originally Posted by Maven

Hold it... A little off-topic, but, there's no heart disease? What do you call problems of the heart then?

Yes, "Heart Disease" is a generalized or generic term for "problems of (or related to) the heart", but it is never a diagnosis just as the term "Mental Illness" does not indicate whatever might actually be wrong. My own "Heart Disease" has to do with blockages in arteries around or near the heart even though my heart, itself, is just fine. In the same regard, the term "Mental Illness" does not in any way identify any actual problem.

[dougventura]

I think there might be some answers in this book as to why there is a lot of depression these days. I think our society's way of living (especially western societiies), goes against what our human bodies and minds were designed for. https://psychcentral.com/lib/the-depression-cure/

[pachyderm]

You can make the link active by using the little icon that looks a bit like a bomb with a chain link at its bottom, when you are entering your message:

https://psychcentral.com/lib/the-depression-cure/

[rjdb]

IMO there is a strong correlation between depression, anxiety and social media.

[Fuzzybear]

(((((((( pachyderm ))))))))

Thanks for sharing

[eskielover]

I know that my major depression dx was because of a situation tbat happened & also reslized later it was mostly related to the situation I was living in & surrounded by years later when I left that environment & got better. It was bad enough I ended up on permanent disability destroying my inability to function in the way necessary to hold down my computer enginerring career.

I think there are so many things in our own oersonal lives we dont even understand at the time that can negatively effect our mental health & drive us to have mental illness that can end up being treatable by just a change in the environment. If you dont get to the REAL underlying causes....& some cant be changed. Shoot, it took me 13 years before I had tje ability that started me on my healing road.

Im not talking about the mental illnesses that arent situational but actual chemical imbalances that situations didnt cause....those exist also.

Everyones lives are so messed up now, & with the stressful economy & pressures everywhere to label everything about ourselves instead of jyst being a person any more....society is breeding mental illnesses especially in the way of anxiety & depression....

I also believe that the crap that is being put into the foods for preserving it & coloring it & flavoring it are also adding to causes creating states of mental illnesses or syndroms.

ASD has gone through the roof. Sure there is more knowledge about the conditions making them easier to dx....but there has to be underlying causes along with that

This is My theory on this topic

[All Is Revealed]

My personal opinion (based on experience and what I've witnessed) is this:

Mental illness is rising to due to increased exposure to many environmental factors. Too much unhealthy social media, a society that focuses on the negative, and the constant need to satisfy everyone else is not healthy for the brain. Being bullied and being treated terribly by other people makes this worse.

Of course, there are many innocent people who are born with mental illness.

I do believe that if I had a supportive family, supportive teachers, and a healthy upbringing, I would not be suffering from so many mental issues.

I'm a victim like all of you.

[eskielover]

Leaving my bad marriage & moving to my little 10 acre farm with woods & my woodsie critters along with awesome doen to earth country people in a small town of 8000 instead of the millions in Los Angeles was the most healing move I ever made in my life. Slowed down, changed my values. First tkme in my life I truly experienced what it was to be around caring people which in turn has helped me relax. All the negative things I thought were positive I walked (ran)away from. What an awakening it has been

[FallDuskTrain]

Originally Posted by eskielover

Leaving my bad marriage & moving to my little 10 acre farm with woods & my woodsie critters along with awesome doen to earth country people in a small town of 8000 instead of the millions in Los Angeles was the most healing move I ever made in my life. Slowed down, changed my values. First tkme in my life I truly experienced what it was to be around caring people which in turn has helped me relax. All the negative things I thought were positive I walked (ran)away from. What an awakening it has been

That sounds like my heaven. Where is this place? Would you mind sharing? May be the general location?

[eskielover]

Go figure....this place is in Kentucky just about 30 min. south west of Lexington.

I came for 2 weeks in April of 2007. Looked at several farms then came across one that had come on the market the day I flew there. The drive to get there was through a windy road that went through the Ky River Palaisades & past Shaker Village. Came to this amazingly gorgeous horse farm that is toward the back of my farm & across the street this rich farmer owned 8000 acres where he bred black angus cattle that grazed across the street. I knew that would never be subdivided. I ended up with a starving momma coon & 5 babies this last spring I have been caring for & a possum that cleans up after they are done. I have become involved in the community & our womens horse group got involved in caring for rescued horses during the trial. Everyone ended up burned out & we moved them to our judge executives farm 2 minutes from my farm so I was the one who took over their care ubtil thevtrial was over...we were then able to move them to a rescue facility. For some reason it seems like there are more volunteer possibiluties here than I ever experienced in Calif...so much so its not easy to find time for my own home. There is even an outstanding ballroom dancing group (s) that is now my creative expression & performance opportunity. I even found the best psychologist who taught me so much & teuly helped me grow with all the work I put into the effort too. For the first time in my life I was no longer livibg in a stressful environment & it was like by mind could learn & retain & get concepts that had been list to me most of my life, maybe because I was FIGHTING so hard against everything just to survive. This has been the first time in my life I have truly learned & experienced havibg emotional connections with friends. The cloeness & caring has given me a real hope.

No one knew me when I moved here so I was careful about not dumping my whole background on them. It came out a little at a time as conversations opened the door so I didnt overwhelm anyone with my black hoke past before they got to know the REAL ME that finally found its way out from inside the walls I had built but finally felylt safe enoughvto let crumble down.

Its just been an awesome healing experience in spite of the financial mess my separated from H keeps makibg of my life because he couldnt sell or refinance the house we owned together....that was aftefr I finally cleaned up the IRS mess he made with my inheritance from my mom. Even with these continued challenges, life has been good & friends care & its easy to care in return. I have way more distractions than I really need but it is what gives life its meaning. I realize that until now, I never reallt knew what happy felt like. That really helps depression, anxiety & mental health just in general. It is my heaven on earth

[FallDuskTrain]

Originally Posted by eskielover

Go figure....this place is in Kentucky just about 30 min. south west of Lexington.

I came for 2 weeks in April of 2007. Looked at several farms then came across one that had come on the market the day I flew there. The drive to get there was through a windy road that went through the Ky River Palaisades & past Shaker Village. Came to this amazingly gorgeous horse farm that is toward the back of my farm & across the street this rich farmer owned 8000 acres where he bred black angus cattle that grazed across the street. I knew that would never be subdivided. I ended up with a starving momma coon & 5 babies this last spring I have been caring for & a possum that cleans up after they are done. I have become involved in the community & our womens horse group got involved in caring for rescued horses during the trial. Everyone ended up burned out & we moved them to our judge executives farm 2 minutes from my farm so I was the one who took over their care ubtil thevtrial was over...we were then able to move them to a rescue facility. For some reason it seems like there are more volunteer possibiluties here than I ever experienced in Calif...so much so its not easy to find time for my own home. There is even an outstanding ballroom dancing group (s) that is now my creative expression & performance opportunity. I even found the best psychologist who taught me so much & teuly helped me grow with all the work I put into the effort too. For the first time in my life I was no longer livibg in a stressful environment & it was like by mind could learn & retain & get concepts that had been list to me most of my life, maybe because I was FIGHTING so hard against everything just to survive. This has been the first time in my life I have truly learned & experienced havibg emotional connections with friends. The cloeness & caring has given me a real hope.

No one knew me when I moved here so I was careful about not dumping my whole background on them. It came out a little at a time as conversations opened the door so I didnt overwhelm anyone with my black hoke past before they got to know the REAL ME that finally found its way out from inside the walls I had built but finally felylt safe enoughvto let crumble down.

Its just been an awesome healing experience in spite of the financial mess my separated from H keeps makibg of my life because he couldnt sell or refinance the house we owned together....that was aftefr I finally cleaned up the IRS mess he made with my inheritance from my mom. Even with these continued challenges, life has been good & friends care & its easy to care in return. I have way more distractions than I really need but it is what gives life its meaning. I realize that until now, I never reallt knew what happy felt like. That really helps depression, anxiety & mental health just in general. It is my heaven on earth

Thank you for providing this very insightful and thoughtful response. It has been very helpful. I would like to do something similar as well.

[Wombat77]

Originally Posted by rjdb

IMO there is a strong correlation between depression, anxiety and social media.

I think the issue is that (a) most stuff on social media just does not matter but people make it sound like it does (b) its there 24*7 so keeping up with it is exhausting (c ) people are addicted to stupid smart phones and dont have any down time any more....being available 24*7 means your life lacks balance, and people panic if they cant be contactable ......like...right.. As if.the Prez is going to csll you to sve the worlds problems.....

[eskielover]

Originally Posted by rjdb

IMO there is a strong correlation between depression, anxiety and social media.

Interesting because mevdepression & anxiety was horrible back when thete was NO social media. I no longer had my career to escape to to be sovisl & my H was was not social at all so my lufe ended up defined by what he was willing to toletate.

I left him finally but bought a farm in the country where I live anloe with my dogs. Social media keeps me in touch with what is going on in my community & it helps me touch base with people without having to get in a long phone conversation though at times I do with my close friends. Makes communication more simple for me & I really appreciate the feeling of connection it provides also. Helps me stay in contact with those i want to from where I left also. It has really helped me stay out of depression.

Think it depends on HOW it is used whether it has a positive or negative effect

We don't need technological advancements. Most of us can do fine with how things are for the rest of our lives.
With the encouragement of competition however, this is where we grow apart. Self-growth is marketed as a way of life, but just like flowers, growing means we'll be growing and facing differing ways (Sunflowers being an exception, where all look at the Sun).
Growing apart creates isolation and focus on people who aim for the top, losing focus on people who are alongside us this whole time.
Competitors need allot of resources to be how they are. This includes attention from others.
I have no idea what can be done. I am personally a phasing person - I have a place of empathy inside, while I also have a need for competitive drives unfulfilled, which have me feel depressed.
I've been confused because of this whole competition going on. Because competition is starting to dominate everything, including friends and relationships - my therapist's words. Please correct this if it's wrong, as I wish for it to be true. My therapist may have made me think this way yet I'm not sure.

I know it's long, but in order to understand such boundless topic such as mental health, overview and personal databases have to be acknowledged.
And any help regarding my views would be appreciated.

[Entity06]

I think this seeming increase in mental health issues is not as big as it seems.

If we look back even 50 years ago, let alone 100 or 200 years ago, there was infinitely less knowledge about the way the mind works and about mental illness so most people never got diagnosed with anything or just got ostracized for being "mad".

Now, there's probably the opposite of that and in some cases people may get over diagnosed.

However, I also think that it's a sign of progress. It sounds stupid but the fact that we seem more emotionally/mentally "sensitive" compared to our ancestors, is probably a sign that we're on the right path towards a world that is far less violent, cruel and unjust.

I mean, 200 years ago people were, for ex, sort of used to suffering from pain without pain relief medication, get teeth pulled out with no anesthetic, losing family members from a cold or other things that are easily treated today. They were also sort of used to wars happening fairly often. Most people lived in pretty bad conditions and everything was harder to come by. The world was a much more violent, cruel place, even if we like to think the opposite.

So, their base line for "normal" and "ok" living was different from ours and we're "overly sensitive" and "weak" compared to them but that's a good thing.

Oh and now, in developed and super developed countries, because basic needs for survival and safety are met with relative ease, there's more "room" for those other needs, the needs of the mind, emotional intricacies and so on. With that there's also more room for damage.

Originally Posted by Entity06

I think this seeming increase in mental health issues is not as big as it seems.

If we look back even 50 years ago, let alone 100 or 200 years ago, there was infinitely less knowledge about the way the mind works and about mental illness so most people never got diagnosed with anything or just got ostracized for being "mad".

Now, there's probably the opposite of that and in some cases people may get over diagnosed.

However, I also think that it's a sign of progress. It sounds stupid but the fact that we seem more emotionally/mentally "sensitive" compared to our ancestors, is probably a sign that we're on the right path towards a world that is far less violent, cruel and unjust.

I mean, 200 years ago people were, for ex, sort of used to suffering from pain without pain relief medication, get teeth pulled out with no anesthetic, losing family members from a cold or other things that are easily treated today. They were also sort of used to wars happening fairly often. Most people lived in pretty bad conditions and everything was harder to come by. The world was a much more violent, cruel place, even if we like to think the opposite.

So, their base line for "normal" and "ok" living was different from ours and we're "overly sensitive" and "weak" compared to them but that's a good thing.

Oh and now, in developed and super developed countries, because basic needs for survival and safety are met with relative ease, there's more "room" for those other needs, the needs of the mind, emotional intricacies and so on. With that there's also more room for damage.

Life is not about how much we technologically grow. Life is about how we feel inside them, and it's always relative to each other.
Today there is still pain in treating teeth for example. It may not be as much as previously, but there are still people who can complain about it. There are still people who fear shots. Everything remains relative to what is in the now. When a new generation is born, it grows further away from what has been in the past, so there's a continuum. No matter the technological advancements, how we feel about life will always have the same relativity. So with that, life is not really improving.

[Onward2wards]

Originally Posted by Entity06

... there was infinitely less knowledge about the way the mind works and about mental illness so most people never got diagnosed with anything or just got ostracized for being "mad"... Now, there's probably the opposite of that and in some cases people may get over diagnosed ...

Excellent points, imo.

Originally Posted by Entity06

It sounds stupid but the fact that we seem more emotionally/mentally "sensitive" compared to our ancestors, is probably a sign that we're on the right path towards a world that is far less violent, cruel and unjust ...

Oh and now, in developed and super developed countries, because basic needs for survival and safety are met with relative ease, there's more "room" for those other needs, the needs of the mind, emotional intricacies and so on. With that there's also more room for damage.

I agree with all that. I also think one other issue is the attitudes of some people (or maybe more than just "some" anymore) who seem to want us all dragged back TO the more primitive old days, for whatever suspect "reasons" they tend to drone on about.

[Open Eyes]

IMHO, human beings, now more than ever have been focusing way too much on competition. This always leads to someone feeling not good enough and possibly doing bad things to gain attention as even negative attention is better than no attention at all.

People will literally hate another person just for agreeing with X vs. Y. There is way too much narcissism in our society right now and with all the technology we have it's constantly in our faces.

[All Is Revealed]

Everyone here has valid points. Many valid points which I would've never thought about.

One thing for sure is that I am happy to be mentally ill in 2017, and not mentally ill in 1917, or 1817.

Why? Because during those times, mental illness was not understood as much as it is today. Back in the old days, the solution to mental illness was shocking your brain until you had a stroke. Or worse yet, in the 1800s holes were drilled into your brain to let the "illness" escape. No thanks. I'm grateful for therapists, psychiatrists and medications.

Originally Posted by All Is Revealed

Everyone here has valid points. Many valid points which I would've never thought about.

One thing for sure is that I am happy to be mentally ill in 2017, and not mentally ill in 1917, or 1817.

Why? Because during those times, mental illness was not understood as much as it is today. Back in the old days, the solution to mental illness was shocking your brain until you had a stroke. Or worse yet, in the 1800s holes were drilled into your brain to let the "illness" escape. No thanks. I'm grateful for therapists, psychiatrists and medications.

What? Seriously...? Any sources?