> why were so many people able to function prior to psychotherapy? Were they? If you look at statistics for harmful behaviours like heavy drinking or interper

> why were so many people able to function prior to psychotherapy? Were they? If you look at statistics for harmful behaviours like heavy drinking or interpersonal violence, people in the West were absolute basket cases just 100 years ago by current standards. The incidence of such behaviours is much lower today than back then. A general awareness of psychology might be part of it. Not too long ago we were executing soldiers for cowardice after psychological breakdown due to PTSD. Think about how ignorant that is, compared to what we know today. Anecdotally, mental illness runs in my family. I have the same personality / emotional instability problem almost all males on my father's side of the family have. He did better than most else of ancestors and I've done much better. And I chalk some of it up to psychological awareness of my parents and teachers etc. about how to work with that kind of kid. Good feedback at all stages. I think I would simply have been expelled from school in an earlier era.