why are there so many mentally ill people these days?

Question

from bipolar to schizophrenia, depression to social maladjustment, it seems like mental illness is rising in every sector of society. why is this? when we've got more money and better health facilities than we ever did before? when people have access to technology our grandparents couldn't dream of? when there's so much ..stuff.. to keep us happy? what on earth's gone wrong?

Answer 1

The difference is probably not that there are that many more mentally ill people but that with better diagnosis we know about more of them.

Also, with the treatment now available mentally ill people who might not have survived a few decades ago are now able to be sustained.

But one of the main differences is that in decades past mentally ill people who had been diagnosed were most generally institutionalized and we didn't see them or hear about them very much. The trend in recent decades has been to try to mainstream them. That has had some negative effects--some of them are dangerous in society.

Also, in societies which increasingly rely on government aid to cure all social ills agencies seeking funding are publicizing the mentally ill far more than they would have been 60 or 70 years ago.

Answer 2

Actually, Vanessa, "more money and better health facilities" mean next to nothing if you can't access them, and many mentally ill adults cannot do that.

The rise in mentally ill is a function of the fact that there are more of us to deal with. Therefore, although the rates of schizophrenia, etc. are relatively constant statistically, we see more of it, because there are more opportunities to do so, as there are more of us.

I think one that's gone wrong is the fractured belief that technology is supposed to make us happy. Ipods are actually annoying and overrated. And our grandparents had access to technology THEIR grandparents couldn't dream of.
100 years ago, it was a big deal to have an "ice box" in the kitchen, with a giant block of ice in the top compartment that slowly melted and collected in a tray that the housewife dutifully emptied every day or so, before buying a new block of ice. This was considered breathtaking technology and people who had iceboxes were envied.

Consumerism probably has made many people unhappy. Not having enough money to buy the things we're constantly bombarded with can be very demoralizing to people who judge their worth and the worth of others by their possessions and purchasing power.

Answer 3

The one in four number has been around since, at least, the 1950s, so it does not support the assertion that there is more mental illness than there used to be. More diagnoses can be attributed to the fact that "evil" government regulations forced insurance companies to include mental health treatment in their coverage. More access to treatment, more diagnoses. Mental illness is more noticeable because, in most states, conservatives managed to convince people it was cheaper to treat mentally ill people in the community rather than in institutional settings, so they closed the mental hospitals. Then they cut funding for community based mental health. What we see now is more public displays of mental illness because there is no where for the seriously mentally ill to go, except jail, if they commit crimes. Edit: A study of 15 year old girls in Scotland is evidence of a mental health problem in the US? Besides, since the Executive (policy making) branch of the US government (and, pretty much the same in California) has been in the hands of conservatives 65% of the time since 1968 (when I became eligible to vote) what makes the alleged growth in mental illness the responsibility of liberals?

Answer 4

I agree... Some of it is giving a name to some mental illnesses we always lived around, but would just pass it off as someone being "cuckoo". Not thinking twice about what was wrong with them. That doesn't explain all the ADD kids though. I've seen ADD kids, and I've never seen anyone like that growing up. I think causes maybe pollution and diet.

Answer 5

id have to agree with just about everyone else on here, it is a combination of all those factors; better medicine to detect these things, better medicine to keep them alive and not burned as witches, more people in a crowded world, more greed and misdiagnosis to sell medicine, lack of access to that technology, due to even more shortsightedness and greed, a complete lack of discipline and accountedness among kids and adults causing poor behaviour, a poisened food supply and water and air, once again caused by greed. Looks like greed has caused it all, one way or another, and stuff is just stuff, dont believe the media and what they are trying to sell you.

Answer 6

Many of the Mental illnesses were not really defined clear enough or know about until the last decade comparatively. We have known of some for decades , but not enough to know that they were biological in origin. Many have been "renamed", and "redefined". One example is "Multiple Personality Disorder, now is "Dissociative Identity Disorder" . Given that alone, how in the world can the sick or the physician know what is going on ? We use to warehouse the ill of mind, those that we didn't understand, feared or labeled "crazy", in the stench of lockdown institutions,with no chance of hope. because couldn't find another "reasonable" excuse to treat other in. Many weren't Mentally ill, it was discovered later. It took some brave pioneers in the area of Psychology to step out of the box of the norm, in ideas and treating to close the Institutional type placements, and start treating "human beings" as humans not animals. Like many problems in society we often have a sweep under the carpet attitude, if it isn't seen, it isn't happening.. Real mature isn't it?.. There is a lot of sadness in the world i believe. We have lost the basic foundation to joy in many ways i truly believe it is a inner ability to believe in something more than ourselves.. In God.. Some may disagree. But, look historically at the world as a faith based world, Victorian times though many feel closed minded compared to today and laced up, was deep in family values, etiquette, and manners, which too we lack so much of now days. I feel in the 50's and part of the 60's. we began to see a decline and even bigger I feel occurred in the 70's. More and more family structures were torn apart, Divorce's more prevalent. The fundamental Survival of the World and Nations is first laid in the moral fiber and structured core foundation of the family.. In honesty, commitments, trusts, unity, love and in religious belief.
We run here and there meaninglessly attending to business of life, yet never seem to have a life.. time to enjoy the one thing we are supposedly working for.. Our family, our purpose of being. What are we sacrificing? our sanity.. in disappointments of not meeting others expectations of what they define is "politically correct", or "In style", or "the thing to do".. We follow like sheep, rather than be centered from inside our souls.. I too believe that the environment, is so fast paced, concrete and asphalt, that it doesn't lend us to get in touch with nature and nurture us either. I have brought into my designing more indoor trees and plants and light. it is amazing the way it lifted me.. Also, large indoor rock fountains.. I feel like i live now inside a forest, it is wonderfully relaxing. I look for ways to de-stress however i can. I love the modern advances, but think there too needs to be a balance in life. A place to feel truly centered.. Looking first inside to evaluate..Why am i here? and, Where am i going?
It is all stuff.. we can't take with us, and only wisdom of knowing that , and that love and intelligence( what we learned of life here) is all that matters on the other side. For those of us stronger to reach out and lift, mentor and guide those who are not.. that is the biggest thing we can do to heal society.. Remembering nothing means anything, without hope.. And, many of the mentally ill have lost hope long ago.. Hope in self, family and of a society caring.

Answer 7

Lot of it is the result of modern society. High pressure to achieve and to acquire stuff. Taught idleness is wrong. Must always being doing something constructive. We teach notions of religion and God and hell fire to children too young to even comprehend that stuff.
When last century we started discovering all these native tribes in the rain forest of Brazil many researchers observed something. Most of them didn't have a word or anything like depression, in their vocabularies.

Answer 8

More mentally ill are left to be on the streets since most state hospitals shut down years ago due to lack of funding. In other cases it's just that alot of people claim to have a mental illness because doctors diagnose it much more then they used to, partly out of laziness. ADD is a good example

Answer 9

Man Kind keeps tampering with our food to try and make it perfect with all these different sorts of harmful chemicals. I have taken a step right away from processed foods and artificial foods and flavourings and suggest everyone else do the same.

Answer 10

Their are a lots of mentally ill due to life crisis and the inability for some to cope.