7/8/13 – Diseases of Affluence, Their Causes and Cures: Philosophical Remedies for the Collapse of American Culture
In Germany they’re called “diseases of civilization”; in Japan, “lifestyle maladies”; in Sweden, “diseases of affluence.” The USA leads the world in producing them, but doesn’t even have a name for them. They have now reached epidemic proportions: obesity, depression, ADHD, bullying, chronic fatigue syndromes, sleep disorders, and sexual dysfunctions are sweeping the developed world. These so-called “epidemics” are culturally-induced illnesses, caused primarily by bad habits, poor choices, bankrupt values, and harmful lifestyles. That is, they stem from dysfunctional philosophies of life, and are only worsened by our culture of reflexive diagnosis and mass drugging. But Americans are beginning to wake up. The NY Times recently blamed drug ads as the main cause of ADHD, while the NIMH has rejected the DSM V for diagnosing clusters of symptoms, as opposed to real disease. If Americans want to reverse these epidemics, they can start by embracing philosophical remedies. Stay tuned for more.