Dutch_labrat
Junior Member
- Joined
- Apr 11, 2007
- Messages
- 65
- Location
- Leiden, The Netherlands
- Basic Beliefs
- Atheist, humanist, liberal
The problem with many mental illnesses is that they are not always absolute. You could see a mental illness as a dysfunction between someones psychology and the world they live in.
Take for example homosexuality. Most people here would not consider that a mental illness but if you look 50 years back you will realize that this is because our current society (well, most if it) doesn't make it so. A society's response to certain behavior defines what that society calls mental illness. A light touch of schizoid personality could make you a person of great importance in a shamanistic society!
This also means that a shift in mental illness demographics may not be biological at all but says more about a change in society.
In a society made up of small close knit groups (tribal, family, village, guild, parish etc...) some states we call mental illness would function perfectly. On the other hand some other behavior that we now call completely normal would be very disruptive to the group and might be considered pathological.
Take for example homosexuality. Most people here would not consider that a mental illness but if you look 50 years back you will realize that this is because our current society (well, most if it) doesn't make it so. A society's response to certain behavior defines what that society calls mental illness. A light touch of schizoid personality could make you a person of great importance in a shamanistic society!
This also means that a shift in mental illness demographics may not be biological at all but says more about a change in society.
In a society made up of small close knit groups (tribal, family, village, guild, parish etc...) some states we call mental illness would function perfectly. On the other hand some other behavior that we now call completely normal would be very disruptive to the group and might be considered pathological.