| It would appear that at some point after | | | | post-modern human being. Reasonable |
| World War I, real mental health became | | | | mental health will, therefore, have to |
| something of a luxury. The absence of | | | | be defined by the lack of gross |
| any real mental disease like | | | | disorders. A good standard for judging |
| schizophrenia or dementia certainly is | | | | this would be the one apparently |
| not an indicator of complete mental | | | | employed by health insurance companies, |
| health any longer. The boom in knowledge | | | | who are reluctant to pay for mental |
| of human psychology that began in the | | | | disorders that do not result in complete |
| 1960s has made that eminently clear. | | | | breakdown of normal life for the |
| Truthfully speaking, even basic | | | | individual. |
| functionality can no longer be | | | | The diseases that indicate a major |
| automatically assumed for a human being | | | | disruption in mental health would today |
| living in the present age. There are an | | | | include Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, |
| unprecedented number of Americans and | | | | or a major depressive disorder. Further |
| Europeans undertaking psychotherapy | | | | mental disorders that may or may not be |
| today - what started off as a fad now | | | | considered as mere a lack of fine tuning |
| seems to have become a necessity of | | | | by authorities may include |
| daily living. The pressures of the rat | | | | obsessive-compulsive disorders, alcohol |
| race are overwhelming. The number of | | | | or drug addiction, or stress-induced |
| situations and triggers for mental | | | | nervous breakdown. |
| disorders has multiplied significantly. | | | | Mental health in the twenty-first |
| The stress levels are extremely high. | | | | century means a reasonable quality of |
| We are, therefore, reduced to defining | | | | life and functionality in individuals, |
| acceptable mental health in very broad | | | | despite the overwhelming odds against |
| terms. A certain degree of aberration is | | | | them. |
| to be expected in almost every | | | | |