don's report archive

Wellness in the Headlines
(Don's Report to the World)

Are Americans Crazy?
Sunday January 7, 2001

Recently, US Surgeon General David Satcher released an exhaustive review of research on mental health. The highlight of the report was that nearly one in five Americans has a mental disorder. If true, it means that 50 million citizens are playing with less than a full deck.

Of course, the real number depends on how you define a mental health disorder. I think anyone who lives an abusive lifestyle has a bit of a mental disorder. Don't you? In fact, based upon my own observations combined with double-blind, crossover studies of a longitudinal, horizontal, and dignified nature, I think Dr. Satcher seriously underestimates the incidence of mental illness. My perception is that he got the percentages backward: only one in five is healthy. The rest have gone around the bend, to one degree or another.

The main recommendation in Dr. Satcher's report is seek help if you have a mental health problem or think you have symptoms of a mental disorder, and encourage everyone else to be on the lookout for others with mental problems. Dr. Satcher also wants new laws to require insurance companies to treat mental and physical health problems equally, and President Clinton wants Congress to enact a law to this effect. Well, I wonder how long insurance companies will stay in business if that happens? Especially if my estimate is closer to reality that the Surgeon General's.

Mental health is described as an "ability to engage in productive activities, to fulfill relationships with others, adapt to change, and cope with adversity." So, go count on two hands the number of folks you work with who pass that test!

Next, think about the quality of relationships of people you know, their ability to adapt to change and cope with adversity and ask yourself: Is it one in five who meet the test of mentally ill, or four in five? If you did not select the latter, apply one more test: Does an ability to change and adapt not include a proven capacity to self-manage? The latter surely includes a record of having cared for one's well being, don't you think?

If I were the Surgeon General, I would have applied different criteria in order to estimate the percentage of Americans with a mental disorder. For starters, I would not include anyone in the mental disorder category who seemed capable of and living consistent with self-management. That is, I would eliminate from the mental disorder count anyone who has a proven capability to adapt and change, is not overfat, does not smoke, abuse alcohol, live in a destructive and unhappy relationship, or worry him or herself half to death, day in and day out.

I think that if you are doing just fine (and thus don't meet the mental disorder standard) if you can self-manage (i.e., change and cope), find ways to enjoy your work and manifest a sense of humor that allows you to fill your days with enjoyment and play. You are also in good shape if you employ effective and critical thinking in order not to be defrauded by promoters of useless products (e.g., alternative but bogus remedies or pills for better health), effectively communicate with honesty and candor and find ways to delight in the expression of your gifts and talents. These are not the full test for mental soundness, but they seem a good start.

What do you think? Are we talking about one in five Americans who, in your view, possess such change and adaptation skills, or four in five?

I suspect you agree that Dr. Satcher is not telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, namely, the reason most people are not living self-managing, wellness oriented lifestyles is because they are bloody crazy!

If still not convinced that Dr. Satcher inverted his percentages, think of the obsession that vast numbers of people have with college and/or professional sports teams, including such abominations as professional wrestling, tractor pulls, and demolition derbies! Then recall that Dave Barry, in an essay entitled "Sixteen Things That it Took Me 50 Years to Learn," included this as item number six: There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness." Along similar lines, Larry Dickerson quipped that, "People who believe in phrenology should have their heads examined." In one form or another, it looks like four in five are devout subscribers to phrenology or worse.

And lastly, let me ask if you can define the word "coprolalia" (kop-ruh-LAY-lee-uh)? It's a noun that means "the uncontrolled, often excessive use of obscene or scatological language that may accompany certain mental disorders, such as schizophrenia or Tourette's syndrome." Have you listened to a teen lately, or watched TV? Well, let me tell you, at LEAST four of every five has either schizophrenia or Tourette's syndrome! Add all the other mental conditions and it's clear that Dr. Satcher is an optimist.

Anyone in his or her right mind would realize that to adapt and cope, flourish, and prosper in this life, you must care for your body and mind. You must exercise vigorously nearly every day, dine wisely, be responsible for your own health and fate (even though you can be squashed like a bug through no "fault" of your own), find ways to make life in general -- and work in particular -- challenging and satisfying, and otherwise self manage to nourish your existence.

To change and adapt is the minimal requirement for mental health. Don't settle for simply not being crazy. Set your sights much higher, on your own terms. Seek performance realities that transcend the norm. The norm is set too low.

Not being crazy, however difficult for at least four out of five, is not at all worthy a goal for one of your potentials and good fortune, given among other things that you live in a mostly free society where so much choice is possible. It's nice not to be crazy, but you can do better.

(Ed. Note: Views expressed in this and other columns are those of the author and not necessarily those of the SeekWellness Editorial Board.)

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