Symptoms of cultural disease?
Addiction takes many forms: addiction to temporary numbness, getting briefly high with drugs, things, money, power or sex. Most of us know that there is an epidemic of addiction in the United States as well as some other countries. If surveys are accurate there is also an epidemic of loneliness and homelessness. Many studies further report that there has been a significant rise in mental illness. Some such as banayanmentalhealth.com report that there may have been as much as a 52% rise in depression among adolescents and between 2017 and 2018 and a 19% overall rise of adults experiencing mental illness. Statistics vary but multiple studies indicate a significant rise. While some of this rise may be due to increased awareness and ability to label mental illness, it appears the actual incidences of mental illness continues to increase among adolescents and adults. To determine the reasons for this, should researchers study the correlation of concurrent factors or events. Nutrition, cultural shifts, longevity, and a host of other factors may affect the mental health of those living in the United States. One also has to take into account the insurance system in the United States pays to treat illness and not wellness. Might another correlated factor be the decline in church involvement? Does this correlate with increased isolation, loneliness, and anxiety?
The definition of success is yet another changing factor. For many years studies indicated that the primary goal of a majority of individuals attending college was learning to make money. This is a very different goal than attending college to explore or learn skills to help create a more just or meaningful community. It would seem, especially since living through a pandemic, many are questioning the definition of success.
I strongly suspect that researchers need to explore the correlation between mental illness, addictions, loneliness, the prevalence of the small nuclear versus extended family makeup, educational goals and homelessness. Some might also question whether the availability and the use of social media correlates with any of these factors.
Correlations do not mean cause and effect, but they might suggest the questions we, as a society, need to be asking including:
o What does it mean to be human or how are we humans uniquely a part of the universe(s)?
o Can we imagine and create a society in which it is safe to be who we are as humans with all our strengths and shortcomings?
o Is success financial, emotional, social or spiritual? Is it all of these?
o Is the nuclear family a viable and healthy option for raising children or living as an adult?
o What economic system might best provide for all?
o To what extent is what is labeled as mental illness a healthy reaction to an unhealthy culture?
o What percentage of mental illness. Including addiction, is related to nutrition, loneliness, and other treatable factors?
o What physical, social, nutritional and environment factors lead to an inability to consider the needs of others.
o Is punishment a viable long-term solution to behavior which ignores the rights and needs of others?’
o Is homelessness a moral failing?
We have long known that it is the questions and not the answers which are important. When we start with pre-determined answers, I believe we are going to continue to see an increase in all of these “social ills”. Using the rigors of the null hypnosis of science perhaps we could start with the thesis: “Addictions, mental illness, loneliness, homelessness, nuclear family configurations, nutrition, church involvement and environmental factors do not correlate and are not related.”
Written March 15, 2022
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
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•
Addiction takes many forms: addiction to temporary numbness, getting briefly high with drugs, things, money, power or sex. Most of us know that there is an epidemic of addiction in the United States as well as some other countries. If surveys are accurate there is also an epidemic of loneliness and homelessness. Many studies further report that there has been a significant rise in mental illness. Some such as banayanmentalhealth.com report that there may have been as much as a 52% rise in depression among adolescents and between 2017 and 2018 and a 19% overall rise of adults experiencing mental illness. Statistics vary but multiple studies indicate a significant rise. While some of this rise may be due to increased awareness and ability to label mental illness, it appears the actual incidences of mental illness continues to increase among adolescents and adults. To determine the reasons for this, should researchers study the correlation of concurrent factors or events. Nutrition, cultural shifts, longevity, and a host of other factors may affect the mental health of those living in the United States. One also has to take into account the insurance system in the United States pays to treat illness and not wellness. Might another correlated factor be the decline in church involvement? Does this correlate with increased isolation, loneliness, and anxiety?
The definition of success is yet another changing factor. For many years studies indicated that the primary goal of a majority of individuals attending college was learning to make money. This is a very different goal than attending college to explore or learn skills to help create a more just or meaningful community. It would seem, especially since living through a pandemic, many are questioning the definition of success.
I strongly suspect that researchers need to explore the correlation between mental illness, addictions, loneliness, the prevalence of the small nuclear versus extended family makeup, educational goals and homelessness. Some might also question whether the availability and the use of social media correlates with any of these factors.
Correlations do not mean cause and effect, but they might suggest the questions we, as a society, need to be asking including:
o What does it mean to be human or how are we humans uniquely a part of the universe(s)?
o Can we imagine and create a society in which it is safe to be who we are as humans with all our strengths and shortcomings?
o Is success financial, emotional, social or spiritual? Is it all of these?
o Is the nuclear family a viable and healthy option for raising children or living as an adult?
o What economic system might best provide for all?
o To what extent is what is labeled as mental illness a healthy reaction to an unhealthy culture?
o What percentage of mental illness. Including addiction, is related to nutrition, loneliness, and other treatable factors?
o What physical, social, nutritional and environment factors lead to an inability to consider the needs of others.
o Is punishment a viable long-term solution to behavior which ignores the rights and needs of others?’
o Is homelessness a moral failing?
We have long known that it is the questions and not the answers which are important. When we start with pre-determined answers, I believe we are going to continue to see an increase in all of these “social ills”. Using the rigors of the null hypnosis of science perhaps we could start with the thesis: “Addictions, mental illness, loneliness, homelessness, nuclear family configurations, nutrition, church involvement and environmental factors do not correlate and are not related.”
Written March 15, 2022
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
‘’
•
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