How come mental illness is so prevalent

[Raccoonlady]

I used to think I was the only abnormal person. Then I found out many of my friends, coworkers, have some type of disorder, or trying to hide it.
A lot of people say people share disturbing thoughts or behaviors for attention, or wonder jeesh why is everyone suicidal, hearing voices, having outbursts. Of course there are some spoiled people who do things specifically for attention...a shame.

But I think there's something wrong with us as people, the gene pool. My theory sounds nuts I know.
But I don't think people sit there saying "hey I'm going to grab everyone attention by behaving like this" Nobody wants to feel the way they do, and nobody wants to be labeled with the stigma of a disorder.
It's like...you know how Pure bread dogs always have some sort of medical issue. I think it's starting to be the same with humans.
In our case, humans are started to affected in the mind.
I sit here and think interesting, but at the same time, it's scary.
What are your thoughts?

[MedalMask]

We're all fucked up to one extent or another.
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Wyat Fucking Earp!

[slavetotheWALL]

Better methods of recording data and different labels for illnesses that have already existed. In a sense the vocabulary in mental diagnosis has almost tripled. Autism now has different categories and degrees as opposed to being simply categorized as "autistic"
Aspergers
Mild Autism
Autism
Autistic savant
Etc.

Whereas in the 1960's it was simply
Mentally Retarded


and not to mention the "rise" of adhd, which I believe is overly diagnosed seeing as though parents will shop for a doctor to write off their kid as having adhd.

I doubt there's been any increase in mental illnesses since 1960 simply because we didn't have the recording data/ research in what we consider to be a mental illness and or categorizing mental illnesses that we have today.

Side joke:
I asked my grandfather if people had "OCD" in his time to which he replied:
"Yes... but back then we just said they were fucking weird."

[Raccoonlady]

lol true that.
That's a good answer, totally changed my perspective. I was thinking there's something wrong all of us.
Cause every time I look around someone is suffering from some type of disorder.

[luckylace222]

It is true that the "number of mental disorders" are increasing partially because we have more specific diagnostic tools to identify them, but there are some studies that connects today's new culture and all-around changing environment to an increase in mental disorders.

I would like to note that from your descriptions of your family, friends, and environment that you might possibly live in an area that encourages and sometimes demeans people enough to develop or feign a mental disorder. Here, I stay within my sane group, and if any "insane" person wanders in, we stay away. However, there are slums and impoverished areas with what we consider "insane/weird" because they do not act completely civilly or according to the moderation rules. However, that does not mean they have a mental disorder or a "problem," as many of us stereotype. They could simply be trying to survive with their crazy and chaotic attitude because their culture requires it.

Your example of us losing our minds just like purebreds usually being sick because of their constantly repetitive gene pool does not always apply because today's culture is drastically encouraging inter-racial and inter-everything relationships. I would not say it is our gene- it is our new environment or culture.

It is a good thing you are looking at your world in a broader and more unbiased light instead of putting yourself in a personal black hole with all of it. That, in itself, can keep you sane. I say it is more of your environment than just the world. Keep going, and do not let those around you get you down!
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[size=10]“Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checked by failure...than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.” ~Theodore Roosevelt [/size]

[slavetotheWALL]

^agreed