Mental Illness, etc

Talk to just about anyone you know under the age of 50, and they will identify as having some form of mental illness:  anxiety, depression, OCD, addiction ...

Talk to just about anyone you know under 25, and they will identify as having some form of mental illness, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, OCD, addiction, or simply a generalized version of "not being happy with their life". 

Why is this?  What has society (or the individuals therein) done to create such a panic in people?  Are we actually broken?  Is society systematically breaking us?  Are we just pussies compared to generations which came before?  Are we all basically the same as generations past, but we are less capable of dealing with everyday problems?  Is society predatory in nature?

I believe the answer is "all of the above". 

I also the believe the answer comes down to education and money, both together and independently.  Young people are inundated with the belief that they have to mortgage their futures to attend college, and older people are still under the financial duress of college loans (plus mortgages, children, and living expenses). 

It's time to stop the madness.  Simplicity has a place in 2019.  College is NOT a necessity for everyone.  Owning a home does NOT make a person happier.  Having children is great IF the choice is totally personal and not socially pressured, AND one has the money to support their decision.

Oh, and let's not forget MARRIAGE, which is (probably) the number 5 reason for depression and poverty in America. 

I wish I could go back and tell the younger version of me not to listen to all the bullshit spewed by adults.  I wish I would have listened to my inner voice that said, "you don't want to be married - it's a social construct, intended to make sure everyone is tied down".  I wish I would have been more frugal with money while I still had the opportunity to do that. 

But here we all are, medicated and placated, doing exactly what The Man wanted us to do. 

Cheers to all the people who live their lives on their own terms and listen to themselves.