Why is there so much mental illnesses in the world today?

Question

Has it always been that way but these days we're more aware of it? Is it the pace of life? The hopelessness of it all?

Answer 1

I think life is going too fast now and nobody has time for anyone anymore.I live in an area where there is a great community spirit, this is the exception today. Long ago there was great community spirit everywhere so when people were down or in trouble everyone rallied around and helped. Today its all about money no matter how much people have they want more all the time and it doesn't matter who gets trampled on in the process. People had little or no money but were a lot happier. The family was always the most important thing but now people often live far from their families.

Answer 2

Some brilliant drug maker coined the term "chemical imbalance" and started marketing their drugs directly to the patients, rather than the doctors. They invented online "depression tests" that allowed people to "diagnose" themselves and request drugs. People also started have pretty horrible diets and no exercise, so the moody effects of these 2 things were no longer their responsibility, they had a "disease" or a "disorder"-- when in fact they ate too much sugar and processed, chemical-laden foods and were physically unhealthy.
The "not-my-fault" mentality dovetailed beautifully with the "self-diagnosis" available on the internet, so it was win-win for the drug makers and HMO's.

If anyone has done one of those "self-assessment" checklists, they'd be hard pressed to find they're not mentally ill! Just look at some of the questions:
I'm often restless and irritable. (If you eat donuts, coffee, sugared yogurt, smoothies and a microwave meal, of course you are!)
I have nagging aches and pains that don't get better, no matter what I do. (No kidding- you do so little, you're overweight and out of shape!)
I often have Digestive problems (maybe it was the 4 slices of pizza and a coke you had?)

ALL the symptoms of depression are exactly the same as a hormone imbalance. If people just took care of their endocrine system, there'd be 89% fewer cases of "depression".

Answer 3

I think years ago people worked harder without stress and when they had no money or food others helped out and all pulled together nowadays people do work very hard only the stress is so high and also sadly to say not many help each other out outside there own family I used to listen to my parents talking saying how someone gave them milk and someone else gave something else lots of people are so materialistic now that it puts pressure on to have certain things which then can give someone a mental health problem there always has been this problem only not on the scale it is now

Answer 4

I think its a combination of advance in medical knoledge so we hear more about it also an increase due to the pace of our life we no longer sit down at night for family meals and we no longer communicate with each other in the way we used to every one is to busy and with more mothers working trying to juggle jobs and kids and less family around us it all contributes. Before most people had granny and aunty living in same street or few streets away and there was allways someonr to watch the kids but this life style is hardly there anymore. Also people do not take good care of them self suffer stress ect this also contributes

Answer 5

I believe there's a mix in this issue, meaning, STDs, the way you eat, and the environment of the world has to do with your health. If someone suffers from one of those three categories when they try to have a baby, how do you think the baby might come out? one good example is a pregnant woman getting second hand smoke or just even exposing herself to danger. I believe my hypotesis might be right because look at all these environmental problems and STDs, those problems get bigger and so do mental ones...

Answer 6

Lots of factors:

It is recognised more where in the past it wasn't
More people take drugs like cannabis which can precipitate mental illness
Families are more fragmented and less able to provide support
The drug companies push their treatments more so what might have been untreated in the past is now treated
People are living longer
Life is more stressful
Less social support and identity through institutions such as the church
abuse in childhood

All of these are factors but some are more significant than others

Answer 7

A better question might be why is the US so bad with dealing with mental health?

There's no universal health insurance. You have to be a millionaire to afford psychiatric care. Mental institutions are full up and you have to be really whacked out to be admitted.

There's a reason Europe's murder rate is a fraction of ours, fewer guns and better mental health system.

Answer 8

the breakdown of the family. The struggle for power within families, the equality dogma applied to relationships.
The glorification of women as victims in society; the nuts start to believe the myth but the myth cannot be logically integrated in the family history of many.

Answer 9

In the old days, people were locked in their bedroom or put in asylums. Nowadays, people are more open to talk about their coping problems.

The brain is a very complicated part of your body. It works in wondrous ways, but when it malfunctions, you end up with behavioural and mood problems.

Answer 10

Society has advanced intellectually a great deal but we are all emotionally retarded... emotions aren't factored into economy and employment.. they certainly aren't factored into compulsory education...

Emotionally repressed doesn't cover it... we are emotionally blind

Emotions always carry associated thoughts and beliefs and it's our beliefs that develop and maintain mental illnesses... without understanding emotions - and i don't just mean individually - we are doomed to mental imbalance at large in society...