From today's Washington Post:
One-quarter of all Americans met the criteria for having a mental illness within the past year, and fully a quarter of those had a "serious" disorder that significantly disrupted their ability to function day to day, according to the largest and most detailed survey of the nation's mental health, published yesterday.
http://www.truthout.org/issues_05/060705HA.shtml
According to the article, this means that the United States is leading in mental illness. I can't say that this surprises me too much.
The culture of our nation seems like it could be a contributing factor in the mental well-being of our citizens. Rush, Rush everywhere. Buy more. Buy more. Work more so you can buy more. If you are taught to focus on how you look, what you own, and what society tells you to be doing, it can wear on even the most sane of people.
Me. Me. Me. Am I happy enough? Am I going in the right direction with my life? Am I really get paid enough for the work I do? Should I get my hair foiled tomorrow or can I wait a week? Are these shoes still in style?
The middle three questions I will admit to asking myself. I haven't ever asked the first question because I have a complete beleif in my power to change my attitude at any given moment. I haven't asked myself the last question because I am one of those odd women is not interested in shoes.
My point is that our culture has taught us to be focused on ourself and the rest of the world be damnned. All this self-obsession and societal pressure creates a culture that easily fosters depression and anxiety.
Just to be clear, I am not referring to the people at dKos. You are a unique bunch of people that I find refreshingly different that most people I encounter.
Not only is our culture contributing to mental illness, we are not helping the mentally ill either.
Many factors contribute to these failings, the reports conclude, including inattention to early warning signs, inadequate health insurance and the lingering stigma that surrounds mental illness.
Inadequate health insurance. Of course!! 45 million Americans are uninsured. They can't rush to the doctor if they feel sad for a few weeks or are feel a bit of anxiety now and then. They don't have the luxury of being sick.
This is what it has come down to. Being sick is a luxury in the United States. And since mental illness is still stigmatized and often not legitmized as an illness, it is an even greater luxury.
This is wrong.