An evolutionary perspective on the increase in consumption of psychiatric medications

Quoting merloz

If we consider evolutionary scales, very little time has passed from the moment we stopped living like our ancestors in the wilderness to today.

I would like to add, in addition to this, even less time has passed since when we wanted information or entertainment or education we would A.) take a long perilous journey to a "master's" house in another town, often undergoing a series of quests or trials B.) travel by carriage or bicycle to a local library often spending hours at the destination to make it worthwhile C.) for entertainment, go to a weekly or bi-monthly live performance show such as opera or Shakespearean play. And so on.

Information overload is a term I hear being used often to describe the sudden onset of modern communications now starting as young as when a child is able to walk and talk (see baby apps on tablets). I don't know whether to feel a sense of wonder and gratitude or revulsion and dread. Regardless, it is fundamentally changing the way human brains develop, some argue to a detriment as in simple terms having everything at our fingers or using "Reminder apps" makes us "think less", and if you know evolutionary mechanics, if you don't need something, it soon vanishes. Definitely something to ponder. Great thread, OP.

Quoting merloz

Do you think psychiatric medication belongs to the common person's future?

I find it difficult to bring myself to respond in the positive. Though, perhaps one could have said the same about alcohol. The difference is that seems to have been around for 7,000+ years and is more or less natural, per se. I suppose it depends on the medication but anything that fundamentally and artificially alters (as in was manufactured specifically with the intent to alter) the fundamental way in which the brain operates or creates artificial chemical states/blockages of chemical receptors does not seem to be without possibility of risk. Not sure how "valid" this claim is but I've heard something along the lines that many "mass shooters" were on anti-psychotics. Though that could easily be pointing to a symptom of an underlying cause while ignoring the underlying cause that could be the true culprit altogether. Even still, perhaps psychiatric medication is still in its infancy and as such remains experimental and so "mistakes will be made", something of an innovation learning curve, similar to how the first Model-T car was basically a deathtrap leading to countless deaths but was eventually perfected to a standard that we consider more or less safe and a worthwhile, now-essential invention.

Quoting merloz

Do you think psychiatric medication belongs to the common person's future?

In the Year 2525

Song by Zager and Evans

In the year 2525, if man is still alive
If woman can survive, they may find
In the year 3535
Ain't gonna need to tell the truth, tell no lie
Everything you think, do and say
Is in the pill you took today

Quoting Outlander

were on anti-psychotics

Had they stayed on anti-psychotics, maybe many of the victims would still be alive.

Actually, I don't know how many mass shooters were or were not on anti-psychotics.

Quoting merloz

therefore our very biological apparatus is not actually "made" for the modern world.

I wasn't around 50,000 years ago, but I would imagine that life was not perfect then, either. There were 4-legged killers lurking behind 3 out of 7 trees; there were sneaky, slithery creatures with fatal fangs--good luck if you got bitten; people were then, as now, extremely annoying; the weather was atrocious at times. Glaciation, dust storms, volcanos, tornadoes, floods, cold snaps, heat waves, cancer, etc. One could never be sure of finding enough to eat, or somebody else would take it away from you,

My guess is that our cave-dwelling Neanderthal cousins and Homo sapiens predecessors would have happily accepted an Rx for anxiety, depression, and the occasional psychosis had they been offered.

Quoting merloz

Here's a thought: perhaps the future of humanity will continue to be linked to the consumption of psychiatric medications, not only for those who actually have mental illnesses and disorders but also to help the average person navigate a modern world that is out of sync with our natural way of living from an evolutionary perspective.

Bear in mind that psychotropics haven't been around for very long, Barbituates, tricyclics, benzodiazepines, and the major anti-psychotic phenothiazines (like thorazine) were invented in the 20th century (except for barbituates which were first formulated in the late 19th century, though barbiturate use did not become common until 50+ years later).

Quoting merloz

This could be a major cause of our suffering and the consequent increase in psychiatric medication consumption.

Here are some possible alternative or supplemental explanations.

• Christopher Lasch was a social critic who died in 1994. In 1978, he wrote an influential book called "The Culture of Narcissism." In it he described a social process he called the "psychologization" of society to create a "therapeutic culture." I like his work, but it's been a long time and I need to go back and reread it so I can't remember the details.
• Related to that, the government has stepped in to take a larger role in people's personal lives - social security, Medicare, Obamacare, welfare, civil rights. Add to that social movements including civil, women's, and gay rights.
• More people have health insurance and more health insurance includes mental health benefits.

I don't think this list is anywhere near exhaustive.