This week I read the following quote:

"It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society."
--Jiddu Krisnamurti

So many anxieties and so much unhappiness is not a reflection of personal weakness, but rather a normal, healthy, human reaction to a maladjusted society.

Symptoms of this widespread societal disorder include bureaucracy, consumerism, poverty, discrimination, political divisiveness, cost and complexity of healthcare, cost and complexity of education, rates of incarceration, wealth gap, power gap, affordable housing, financial security, and justice; to name a few. Many of these symptoms overlap, compounding the severity of the injury and the length of the suffering.

It is an interesting perspective. Perhaps I am not depressed or anxious or fearful or unhappy; perhaps I am simply Human. But though it is an interesting perspective, it does not relieve my anxiety. "Yayyy" that I may not be the cause of (some or even most of) my unhappiness; it is a short-lived celebration because I am still unhappy. And because it feels like I have less of a chance to solve society's ills than what I might have to solve my own discrepancies, perhaps I am now more unhappy. It doesn't seem fair that my increased anxiety probably makes all those maladjusted-well-adjusted folks feel even more well-adjusted.

So what can I do? For decades we have been conspiring with big pharmaceutical companies to convince humans they shouldn't be human, and that their problems were biological, (in their head), or a combination of biological and psychological, (in their head and in their head). And in fairness a very small number of anxieties are biological, but the majority are brought about by a maladjusted society as described. But big pharm cannot commercialize a fix for society, so they will continue to perpetuate the myth of broken brains to maintain status quo.

Status quo is not acceptable. But because I am not in a position to fix a broken society, (as I stated last week) I will sow seeds. To sow seeds, I must have seeds to sow. Seeds come from plants and flowers. Plants and flowers have a range of characteristics, many interpreted according to personal taste. I find poison ivy to be distressingly irritating; yet there are those who sow these seeds and nurture the vine. I find the tulip to be elegant and well-formed; yet there are those who cannot see its beauty, truth and wisdom. Granted, poison ivy has a built-in system of defense, whereas the tulip is just inviting someone to pick it, but which one is more secure? Which one is more sincere? Which one is more inspiring?

This analogy nicely illustrates a deeper cause of our disturbed society. We have become a culture of individual egos, afraid to let our guard down, and exhibiting our desire for control by punishing those who get too close. When I think about a bank, or an insurance company, or the cable company, or the social security office, it is not a stretch to visualize poison ivy vines crawling over and around and through and within. I just shuddered imagining a bureaucrat opening their mouth and a vine reaching out, circling my neck, and forcing its way down my throat. I may now have nightmares. Is this acute anxiety? Can I get a prescription?

Perhaps humor is one way to decrease some anxiety, and I do see it as another valuable seed to sow, but it takes time for seeds to take root and grow. This week alone I have heard 4 specific references to doctor visits and individual symptoms potentially related to anxiety and/or depression. This is not uncommon; and the individuals are taking corrective action as they should. There should be no stigma attached. But if these individuals walk away from their doctor visits with only a pill and no education, as a society, we have failed; again.

And Big Pharm Wins! Again.