More prosperous and mentally ill: how can that be?

We are more prosperous and mentally ill than ever. We are happier, but suffering more than ever. How can that be? In our latest Anders Denken Podcast, philosopher and psychiatrist Damiaan Denys answers.

Damiaan Denys (1965) is a philosopher and psychiatrist. He is professor of psychiatry at the University of Amsterdam and head of the department of psychiatry at the AmsterdamUMC. He treats anxiety and compulsive disorders, and lesser-known conditions such as Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), Body integrity identity disorder (BIID), and misophonia. In 2020, he was awarded the Ig Nobel Prize in Medicine for his discovery of misophonia.

More prosperous and mentally ill than ever

Denys wrote the book, "The Deficit of Excess," in which he argues that something crazy is going on: "Western countries have for years been among the happiest in the world. Never before has prosperity been higher, wealth greater and quality of life better. They lead the world in education, environment, health, safety and well-being. Yet four in 10 people suffer from mental illness in their lifetime, and one million people in the Netherlands undergo treatment for mental health issues each year. We are more prosperous, but mentally ill than ever. We are happier, but suffering more than ever. How can we understand these paradoxes?

Happy and anxious at the same time

According to Denys, we are currently happier but also more anxious than ever. 'The Netherlands ranks fifth in the World Happiness Index. At the same time, one in five Dutch people has an anxiety disorder. That has to do with our behavior. We no longer link fear not only to the experience of what we are experiencing in reality, but also to the expectation we have in our heads of that reality. In other words, the feeling of fear is related to our desire for control. Do you assume that the world is malleable? Then what is inconsistent with it is easily something that scares you.'

Are we too far removed from reality?

'A few generations ago, people were used to living in an unpredictable world,' Denys says. 'They had less need for control and therefore had less fear. In this day and age, we have a complete prediction of reality based on our technological knowledge. Does that deviate? Then we get scared.'

• Curious about remarkable real-life examples where people became anxious because they were too far removed from reality? Listen to the Different Thinking Podcast!

Give meaning to suffering

In addition, according to Denys, our world has also become a lot more complex. 'The amount of information coming at us is enormous, so the context in which we live has also become much more difficult for our brain. At the same time, we are more concerned than ever with our mental well-being. We think we should feel good, while being sad or anxious is an essential part of life. The idea is not to put that away or compensate for it. The idea is to experience those emotions and give meaning to that leading.'

The new sickness

According to Denys, because we don't know how to suffer properly, we like to stick the label 'illness' on it. 'In a society where you are not allowed to suffer, the predicate 'being sick' still legitimizes that suffering. If I go to my boss and tell him I feel intensely sad, I am not allowed to stay home for a week. But do I go to the family doctor and tell him I am not eating and sleeping well? Then he puts the label "depression" on that and I am allowed to stay home for three months. In other words, in our society illness is used to justify suffering that should no longer be suffered.'

• Learn more about our perception of happiness, leading and being sick? Listen to the Different Thinking Podcast!