My Trend Story

 I sat gazing over this chart from yesterday.  What the data shows....of college graduates....not high-school level...that some trend is showing a high level of undergraduates having a diagnosis of 'some' type of mental illness.

It didn't break it down into men versus women.  It didn't say people with electrical engineering degrees versus people with journalism degrees.  It didn't say undergraduates from Portland versus Little Rock.

So yeah, it's just a half-ass study, as far as I'm concerned.

What does bother me...the trend continues upward...meaning that depression-wise, it'll pass the 25-percent point by the end of 2024.  Panic or anxiety?  That will pass 30-percent point by the end of this year.

In both cases....what do you do as a time-limited mental health consultant?  You prescribe happy-pills.

Marvin, in his first year of college....on happy-pills, and working on a teaching degree....probably is going to be blitzed about six hours a day, and graduate from college in four years....being less intelligent  than he was in high school.

Judy?  In her second year of college, will seek help for panic attacks, getting Benzodiazepines.  She'll develop memory loss in the 3rd year of college, and fall asleep in half of the morning classes.  She'll marginally graduate and end up at some school....barely teaching  kids and making $40,000 a year.

All of this brings me to the idea....maybe we were always mentally screwed-up, and prior to 2000....we just sipped through a case of beer each weekend and accepted the fact that life was rather rough.  

I end this discussion with this odd feeling.  If the trend holds....somewhere around 2075 (I will have passed on)....the vast majority of undergraduates will be royally fu**ed-up, and unable to function in a valued way. Other than being a Uber-driver, hauling hay, or being a dim-witted Senator....there's no hope for your work-future.