Is peace in Europe a symptom of an international mental disorder?

[PseuTonym]

“Things that remind a person of the traumatic event can trigger avoidance symptoms. These symptoms may cause a person to change his or her personal routine. For example, after a bad car accident, a person who usually drives may avoid driving or riding in a car.”

Avoidance as a symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder

It could be said that the Second World War was a traumatic event, and that the relatively peaceful situation in Europe since the end of the Second World War is a symptom of a post-traumatic stress disorder.

I presume that people who continue to pursue risky activities – without any avoidance symptoms whatsoever, even after those activities have been clearly identified as risky – are also suffering from a mental health problem.

The problem is: can we describe a state of mental health without relying upon arbitrary judgments of what is appropriate? In the absence of a concept of mental health, there is no such concept as mental illness.

People who refuse to participate in wars are suffering from cowardice or lack of patriotism, until problems that previously would have been resolved via warfare are resolved via peaceful methods, at which point the people who promote warfare are allegedly suffering from aggressive feelings.

What about people who work in the industry of manufacturing and selling weapons? They might not be suffering from aggressive feelings, but might simply be pursuing their economic interests.

 

[minkymurph]

“Things that remind a person of the traumatic event can trigger avoidance symptoms. These symptoms may cause a person to change his or her personal routine. For example, after a bad car accident, a person who usually drives may avoid driving or riding in a car.”

Avoidance as a symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder

It could be said that the Second World War was a traumatic event, and that the relatively peaceful situation in Europe since the end of the Second World War is a symptom of a post-traumatic stress disorder.

No this can’t be said. We cannot conclude the entire population of 44 countries - or even there leaders, are all suffering from PTSD.

We would also have to exclude many countries and peoples. We would have to exclude Northern Ireland, the Balkans, Basque separatists, former USSR states.

I presume that people who continue to pursue risky activities – without any avoidance symptoms whatsoever, even after those activities have been clearly identified as risky – are also suffering from a mental health problem.

We cannot presume people who pursue risky activities are suffering from mental health problems. ‘Thrill seekers’ like the adrenaline rush. This is not a symptom of mental illness.

The problem is: can we describe a state of mental health without relying upon arbitrary judgments of what is appropriate? In the absence of a concept of mental health, there is no such concept as mental illness.

I have heard of an Australian psychiatrist who argues mental illness is an exaggeration of what is normal.

People who refuse to participate in wars are suffering from cowardice or lack of patriotism, until problems that previously would have been resolved via warfare are resolved via peaceful methods, at which point the people who promote warfare are allegedly suffering from aggressive feelings.

War is rarely promoted in the absence of aggressive feelings, but in the majority of circumstances they are justified. Conscientious objectors have served in the medical core and thus cannot be said to be cowards or unpatriotic.

What about people who work in the industry of manufacturing and selling weapons? They might not be suffering from aggressive feelings, but might simply be pursuing their economic interests.

Yes - industrialists have made a fortune during war.