3 ms·
Could it be that everything we call mental illness is just natural variation of people's psyche, at the ends of the bell curve? Many of the mental illnesses ar
by mwidell 1y ago
Could it be that everything we call mental illness is just natural variation of people's psyche, at the ends of the bell curve?
Many of the mental illnesses are of course bad, but in an evolutionary perspective it makes sense that we have these variations in a population, to optimise adaptation.
- AlecSchueler 1y agoWhat do you mean by "natural variation?" A great many of mental health issues develop as a result of trauma. You could say that a broken leg is a natural variation of a leg, as it happens naturally as the result of physical trauma, but does that help you understand it or treat it better?
- mwidell 1y agoI mean natural variation as in genes. Trauma often triggers mental health problems, but there usually needs to be genetic susceptibility as a foundation for it to happen.
- Fraterkes 1y agoI mean, sickle cell is arguably a "natural genetic variation" but we very much treat it like a disease.