42% of Gen Z diagnosed with a mental health condition, survey reveals

I know your comment is about girls and misdiagnoses but since you mentioned mass shootings, seems a good time to mention that part of the problem with attributing mental illness as the cause of mass shootings misses a paradox:

All mass shooters have mental health issues but the vast majority of people with mental health issues won't ever be involved in a mass shooting or kill someone.

 

As parents we did until each of our children graduated high school. A lot easier back then - it was 12 years ago. Looking back it was on of our smarter moves.

 

Most are ignorant. But some are criminal!

 

Adolescence can be virtually indistinguishable from poor mental health.

 

Fortunately, all of our children are 36 or older. Two of them are proficient with computers - a good thing - but never got into the social media thing. This is the only social media I'm on and am kind of addicted to it. You did the right thing with your young-uns!

 

Funny, now one of my daughters makes her living on social media - handling Marketing for a successful musician. I remember the story she told me when, as an intern at Faneuil Hall in Boston, she was busily communicating all the goings on during a 4th of July Fireworks Show…and an older man (probably my age) scoffed at her with her face in the phone saying “You’re missing it!” - not realizing it was her job to document and communicate to others what was happening and to make it attractive to those not in attendance.

Sadly, I think there are many people who are “missing it” today while their faces are focused downward into their phones.

 

You're so right. See it all the time. We were out to dinner a few weeks ago here in Asheville and a young couple, 35ish, came in, and I don't think they said 10 words to each other while we were there. Maybe they were texting one another.

 

To your point I heard a counselor say how the mere body language of stooping over to focus on a phone is akin to the fetal position - a physical manifestation of depression. Action first, feelings follow.
“I don’t sing because I’m happy, I’m happy because I sing” - Williams James.

A lot of unhappy people now - who are not singing; and, I believe much of it is phone related.

 

Not really on point, but it reminds me of Eric From saying:
"I don't love you because I need you.
I need you because I love you."

 

If accurate, it seems that many middle-aged adults are using and self medicating as well.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/08/18/marijuana-hallucinogen-binge-drinking-vaping-study/70615245007/

Binge drinking, vaping, marijuana use and hallucinogen consumption reached an all-time high among adults in the U.S. last year, reflecting a significant upward trajectory in substance use in recent years, a new study shows.

New research from the University of Michigan's Monitoring the Future (MTF) panel revealed that middle-aged adults ages 35 to 50 are using marijuana and hallucinogens at record levels. Binge drinking had spiked to the "highest prevalence ... ever recorded for this age group," the panel study reported Thursday.

For younger adults ages 19 to 30, marijuana use and nicotine vaping saw a sharp increase in the past five years, climbing to their highest levels ever seen.

 

Yep, and their "cure" is to teach these young people to be gender neutral... and take experimental drugs when told to take them. Lol...

All kidding aside, I think there is a possibility that these numbers are incorrect. But why would someone "fix" these numbers to make is sound like there is mass metal illness in the Gen-Z people?

That is the question that when answered by these same people will reveal their true intentions.

 

This is very very true
Also true about mass shooting
The vast vast majority of guns will never be used in a mass shooting
The vast majority of gun owners will never be involved in a mass shooting.

 

I suspect when a large % don’t intentionally choose their religion, but are indoctrinated into it, they aren’t also intentionally using it as a self-help method either, but believing you can move on to a wonderful afterlife after physical death is a great built-in coping mechanism.

 

you mean how social conservatives “live and let live” but by their rules?

 

If you can look through the eyes of a young person today in our society, what areas give you hope?

Reminds me of this quote:

“It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.” - Jiddu Krishnamurti

 

I read both links. The title of the article is a little bit misleading but still concerning.

‘Dealing with’ does not equal diagnosis

Its a ‘survey’ not a study. Is the % too high? Seems like it.

Also lumping anxiety with PTSD seems unreliable.

Is ADHD a ‘mental’ condition?

‘ (ADHD), or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety’

more young people are being diagnosed, more are being treated which is probably better than no care.

I coach varsity sports, and there seems to be more anxiety (over past 2 decades).

 

Truth to that paradox too.

Larger point is that these two factors on their own aren't sufficient but we end up seeing them bandied about as "the cause." We have to think about what in addition to these factors and/or the combo of factors that might prompt individuals to kill a bunch of people. According to some good research, suicidal ideation is one of them. There also might be a copy-cat effect.

 

In grade school I remember bringing home a progress report that notated that I could be restless at times. No doubt I’d have been diagnosed and drugged in our time.

I also have a nephew who, when he was twelve or was diagnosed ADHD and prescribed Ritalin. His parents used the meds as punishment. Ex: “If you don’t calm down you’re going to have to take your meds!”

 

Agree with you on this!

 

it’s not a mental illness to be lazy. I read this today


Gen Z is so lazy that if you gave them a job sleeping they would wake up and still quit.