Mental Illness?

awip2062 · Post by **awip2062** » Mon Jun 07, 2004 1:03 pm

Devil's Advocate wrote: Could it not be that increased reates of mental illness are a direct consequence of our decadent Western lifestyle

That is what I was gedding at in my post. I agree it may be.

As far as the illnesses go, that may also be true. We eat crap, we breathe crap (not just from cars and factories, but air "freshners" and such), we are far too busy, far too stressed, don't sleep enough or sleep too much,...

Xanadu · Post by **Xanadu** » Wed Jun 09, 2004 10:32 am

This study wasn't conducted by looking at medical records in the various countries and just gathering the statistics that way.

Oh okai...that makes sense then. I didnae know that.

Aye differences in lifestyle...they haven't the time to develope mental problems...they work...we sit on our ass and surf the internet LMAO. But seriously...there are big differences in diet as well...tho people in the 3rd world die young due to parasites, starvation, injury etc...they do not eat toxin laden proscessed foods like we do...they eat what they can hunt, pick or harvest...shit alot of these people considering the circumstanmces are amazingly healthy. Then look at the lifestyles...they work their asses off...look at us we don't and I do beleive it is known that physical activity is good for mental health...exercise releases endorphins that make you happy. Hmmm...

Xanidoo

awip2062 · Post by **awip2062** » Wed Jun 09, 2004 1:22 pm

Xanadu wrote:...exercise releases endorphins that make you happy.

Yes, tis true. Which is why hubby made me start running when I went through my depression. Now I do it (well, not as much as I once did, I gotta ged back to it) even though I am not depressed.

Anyone want to start a running club with me?

ElfDude · Post by **ElfDude** » Wed Jun 09, 2004 3:52 pm

I bike ride for gloominess. It's great.

Mr. Potatoe Head · Post by **Mr. Potatoe Head** » Thu Jun 10, 2004 5:53 pm

My mom and dad had four boys, none of which has had to take medication nor has had any problems with peoples perceptions towards our mental soundness.

Our mother was diagnosed as a manic depressive, paranoid schizophrenic having no less than two dozen shock treatments. I witnessed her pull all her hair out till completely bald, screaming madness. She put out a cigarette on the back of my hand, shit in a frying pan and hit me over the head with it. My mind was blank with the stresses of life, but I remember.
Of course this page isn't long enough nor do I wish to go into details here. But I will say she had love in her heart. The circumstances surrounding her down fall began with post pardon psychoses and being a WAC of the Korean War was eligible for Va treatment. None of my children nor my brothers children has ever had any problems surrounding this horrible disease. There are numerours factors associated with mental illness and to try and pin point any one cause is a waste of time. I worked in a V.A. hospital for a year and seen ravages of war.

Try living with the stigma of mental illness and witnessing the effects then tell me to go take some ritilin, I'm sorry NPG, You touched a nerve, I'm so very sorry...

ElfDude · Post by **ElfDude** » Thu Jun 10, 2004 6:24 pm

I'm so sorry you had to go through that, Mr. PH.

What you're describing is a genuine mental illness. What I suspect about this study is that they're making no differentiation between true mental illness and people who just feel sorry for themselves.

Again, I know I'm a layman. I'd like to hear more about it from someone with some expertise in the field.

EndlesslyRocking · Post by **EndlesslyRocking** » Thu Jun 10, 2004 7:16 pm

Pretty much anything I'd have to say has already been said.

I agree mental illness falls on a continuum, in terms of impairment and distress. Problems not directly related to genetics/biology are very difficult to quantify. Nonetheless, people are very disturbed by these things (relationships for example) and it causes impairment and dysfunctional attempts at coping (substance abuse is a common example). Mental illness creates a lot of suffering not only to the individual, but their family and social systems as well. It's a real and tragic thing.

I agree that personal responsibility is the key to improving mental health. Sometimes that means accepting that you need medication, or therapy, or both; sometimes it means you gotta suck it up. The therapist's job is to go through the journey with the client, with genuineness and unconditional positive regard (as my friend Rogers would say).

I agree that cross-cultural measurements are problematic at best. I can't access the article you posted directly. I'd like to see their methodology section in particular.

And most of all, I really truly agree that the American culture puts a lot of strange pressures on people. I run into a lot of people who just feel overwhelmed by it all. "Normal" people, people with jobs and kids, etc. They just feel like they're constantly on the go. Americans never just sit or listen anymore. Spam, Email, voice mail, snail mail, junk mail, pop-up windows, billboards, telemarketers, solicitors, ads everywhere, even in the toilets at the ball game...the barrage on our senses (and pocketbooks)is really astounding if you think about it. "Work harder, buy more, do better". People can go years without their bare feet ever touching the earth. A lot of people I see feel disconnected. It's a lot to carry. Sometimes, I think maybe it really is an unnatural way of life. Other times, I think we're just at an awkward evolutionary step, and everything will work out fine eventually.

JMHO

ElfDude · Post by **ElfDude** » Thu Jun 10, 2004 7:27 pm

Thanks, ER. I appreciate you weighing in on this.

And now, in contrast to this... some good news:

http://washingtontimes.com/national/200 ... -1935r.htm

Americans are optimistic, "very satisfied with life" and have confidence in their public institutions, especially the U.S. armed forces and law-enforcement agencies, two new polls show.

Fifty-six percent of Americans say their personal situation has improved over the last five years, up seven points since last year, and 68 percent expect their personal situation to improve over the next five years, up five points from 2003, a Harris poll released yesterday found.

The number of people who feel their lives have worsened in the last five years declined to 16 percent, five percentage points lower than last year.

Meanwhile, the nation's confidence in its public institutions is on the rise, according to a Gallup poll released yesterday.

Americans trust their military the most, with 75 percent saying they have a "great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in the armed forces. The figure is more or less on par with previous years, despite the Iraqi prisoner-abuse problem. Last year, the confidence level in the military was 82 percent. In 2002, it was 79 percent.

American law enforcement has also won the public's trust, with 64 percent saying they had "a great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in the police. It is the highest rating for law enforcement in more than a decade, and up from 61 percent last year and 59 percent in 2002.

According to the Gallup poll of 1,002 adults conducted May 21 to 23, 53 percent said they had a "great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in both organized religion and the banking system. Another 52 percent felt the same about the presidency.

At the very bottom of the list were health maintenance organizations at 18 percent, "big business" at 24 percent; newspapers, TV news and the U.S. Congress all at 30 percent, and organized labor at 31 percent.

EndlesslyRocking · Post by **EndlesslyRocking** » Thu Jun 10, 2004 8:12 pm

I notice you didn't quote the Gallup Poll showing Bush trailing Kerry by 6%...

Just kidding!

There are of course two sides to every story. It's says 56% say they're lives have improved over the past 5 years (God knows my wife and I are two of them), and 68% expect their situation to improve...Professionally, I see the other 32%. That adds up to a lot of people...

Mr. Potatoe Head · Post by **Mr. Potatoe Head** » Thu Jun 10, 2004 8:16 pm

I was also sexually abused in my adolesense. Thank pennys from heaven it was a stranger or my mind really would be blown.

Now would you take that custard pie right wing picture down?

PLEASE???

ElfDude · Post by **ElfDude** » Thu Jun 10, 2004 10:41 pm

Mr. Potatoe Head wrote:
Now would you take that custard pie right wing picture down?

I thought Hillary was a representative of the left...

Mr. Potatoe Head · Post by **Mr. Potatoe Head** » Fri Jun 11, 2004 5:25 am

ElfDude wrote:
Mr. Potatoe Head wrote:
Now would you take that custard pie right wing picture down?
I thought Hillary was a representative of the left...

Duh, but your the right throwing the custard and everything isn't always fair in love and war. That's just another thing that's wrong with politics all the mud slinging.
You do whatever you like.

Xanadu · Post by **Xanadu** » Sat Jun 12, 2004 7:18 am

Americans are optimistic, "very satisfied with life" and have confidence in their public institutions, especially the U.S. armed forces and law-enforcement agencies, two new polls show.

Now that SCARES me!

Me · Post by Me » Sat Jun 12, 2004 5:36 pm

I guess that makes Me a right wing liberal then.

Thanks ElfDude

ElfDude · Post by **ElfDude** » Sat Jun 12, 2004 5:55 pm

Me wrote:I guess that makes Me a right wing liberal then.

Thanks ElfDude

Huh? For what?