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Paul mentioned culture in class again this week which is an aspect of the mental health debate I find particularly interesting. Talk therapy, as we know it, is a relatively modern phenomenon and alot of people may view it as especially indulgent and elitist. Surely we existed thousands of years on the earth without having to discuss how, for example, my relationship with my father might or might not affect relationships I have with men.  However, this arguement ignores a crucial difference between this time period and the experiences of humans before. In this sense, I am not talking about certain illnesses like schizophrenia, but problems such as depression, anorexia and anxiety. 

 Our culture has changed dramatically and so have the ways in which we interact with eachother. We live increasingly isolated lives, in communities that no longer interact in the same ways they used to. Perhaps for that reason, interpersonal relationships take on a new kind of significance since we have lost the kinds of connections we used to have.

Undoubtedly there are people in say, the third world, who have mental illnesses like bi-polar disorder or depression. Arguably however, diseases such as Anorexia occur amongst predominantly western populations. It may appear that mental health and mental health issues have become something of a 'fad'. However, the change may be occurring in the bigger picture, the nature of our modern culture means that we have to deal with issues that did not effect us in the past.