Quote:
Originally Posted by Ledgem
For some people the issue is likely true insanity due to chemical imbalances in the brain, but who says it always has to be something physiological? Many of these people are subjected to environmental stresses, with feelings of isolation being a big one that I notice frequently being linked to these types of stories. You can hype them up on as many drugs as you want but if the underlying issues aren't addressed then a problem can still arise.
The solution in those cases is more likely to be therapy, but that takes time, money, and effort from the individual. We as a society have set ourselves up for trouble here. Since we live in a "pill culture" many are unprepared for the work that they need to do on their end, and they grow frustrated when it is revealed that therapy is completed over the span of months and years, rather than days and weeks, and that even at the conclusion of therapy they may never be "100% cured."
Insurance also makes this a bit more difficult; I don't know exactly how mental health has been impacted, but I've heard from physical therapists that therapy that once was completed over the span of months (sometimes going over a year) is now done in the short course of a few weeks, all due to insurance demands.
Lastly, it doesn't help that we're all becoming withdrawn into ourselves. There are many reasons for it, but people don't reach out to each other or express interest in those around them so much these days. There's something that each of us can do, then: don't be afraid to connect with the people we pass by each day. Who knows? Perhaps saying a few words and sharing a short conversation with a stranger could be the act that they need to be pulled out of a dark place.
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I don't buy into the whole "chemical imbalances" that can be balanced out with certain medication -- like I said above, based on personal experience, but also due to testimonials of their lack of efficacy, as well as the fact that we don't know how these chemicals truly affect the brain (and in some cases they are even analogues of chemicals found in poisonous plant species). Not to mention the side effects even in people for whom they "work." Needless to say I'm very, very skeptical of the pharmaceutical industry and think the 'pill culture' you referenced is especially detrimental to the health of this country in the long term. I'm more familiar with nutrition (which, tangentially but not really related to this subject, I think should be given greater focus in treating psychological conditions) and see how this "pill popping" mindset can easily lead people towards developing diabetes and then helplessly wallowing in the condition, taking medication rather than taking control of their lives through proper diet and lifestyle. This is an epidemic and I fear the "fix it with a pill" mindset will lead many of these people to decreased quality of life and, in some cases, an earlier grave.
That being said, there are inherent differences in how our minds work and even if they are relatively minor, they can be bent into many different ways by our environment. Under certain stressors some may have the genetic heritage to develop "fine" with no residual problems, whereas some do snap and commit acts we can't fathom. I'm not suggesting these people have a "disorder" (which I think is part of the overly label-happy problem of psychiatry), but they do have inherent traits, or combinations of traits, that make them react a certain way under certain conditions, while another person may turn out completely differently. And I suspect that there are likely common traits of which we are not yet aware that are seen in all of these cases. Traits that, had these people never been exposed to the feelings of isolation, or abuse, or whatever other trauma - would go unnoticed and not necessarily present a hindrance.
Nonetheless, the traits exist, so under these conditions the problems arise. There are reasons why some people can crawl their way out of the worst upbringing and succeed, sometimes even better than the average person, whereas another individual could become an abuser themselves, or remain depressed/unfulfilled/etc for years to come. I do not ascribe to the simplistic notion of just writing it off as "character differences..." They are character differences on a macro scale, but I am certain there are micro genetic differences that lead to these different reactions from people in very similar situations. If we could isolate and understand what these "trigger genetics" were then perhaps we'd be better prepared to stave off such occurrences. It's not a foolproof solution, but it may be the best bet in terms of future research.