Thursday, January 10, 2008

Is depression a social illness?

A recurring theme among social commentators, particularly those on the left, is that much of the mental illness is the product of a toxicity in modern (American) culture.

Toxic Culture: losing the battle of the mind
: "The WHO predicts that depression will become one of the most common disabling disorders in the world by 2020, second only to heart disease (it has already reached the number one spot for women). Pretty soon, Mexicans and other immigrants won’t have to come to North America to be exposed to toxic culture, USA. It will come to them. Culture is, after all, America’s greatest export."
I'm not sure about this. In fact, I'm sure that I don't agree that our culture, and the way that individuals interact with it, isn't the sole cause of mental illness. Nevertheless, it's good to look around and ponder these factors that probably contribute to our mental health (or lack thereof).

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