"Therapy's Role in Creating a Generation of 'Victims' and the Depression Epidemic"
The widespread use of therapy in America has raised concerns that it may be fueling the country's depression crisis by instilling a 'victim' mentality and fostering hyper-focus on feelings. The number of Americans seeking therapy has doubled in the past 20 years, with around a quarter of US adults visiting a therapist or psychiatrist in 2022. Experts worry that therapy may be overdiagnosing and overtreating everyday problems, leading to a paradox where more treatment availability does not correspond to a decrease in depression prevalence. There are concerns that therapy may be harming America's youth by encouraging excessive self-focus and reducing engagement with the world, potentially leading to a rise in mental health diagnoses and a lowering of the bar for mental illnesses.