I feel many of the psychological problems–so-called ADHD, depression, anxiety–which produce so many pill-popping Americans are best understood as cultural problems. Specifically, how do we interface with one another? How do we support one another?
To use a computer analogy it’s like we don’t “synch” properly, lacking, as we do, shared understandings of life.
Obviously, any number of sub-communities exist which perform this function in part. If you dress as a Goth, or obsess over NASCAR, or collect butterflies, or whatever, other people do it too.
Churches obviously serve as one source of community. So do the unexamined political habits of Leftism.
Quite often, I think people just need to feel valued, and understood. When men don’t get this, they get angry. When women don’t get this, they get sad. (in general).
But what you often get is the presenting complaint, which is of course related to how that person interacts with others, but also, I would argue, to the fundamental atomization of our modern society.
I will have more to say on this, but wanted to make a quick note.