T rauma, anxiety and depression have long been thought of as individual illnesses, with various degrees of adverse experiences sadly impinging on many separate people in recent times. Many cases of depression and anxiety are secondary to experiencing trauma, and with it, symptoms of helpless, hopelessness, fearfulness and inability to cope. But, recently more individuals have been diagnosed with PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), with some estimates up to 5,000 a day in the U.S. This makes it sound like it could be contagious, as if traumatic emotions and associated emotions associated with PTSD, such as to depression (hopelessness) and anxiety (hypervigilance) are spreading. That is not a surprise, since, with the political and social turmoil in the U.S. in recent times, it is likely that many people do absorb contagious dark emotions related to traumatization.

Do psychiatrists realize what is going on? Do they realize that emotions, dark emotions such as hate, anger, fear, anxiety, dysphoria, gloom, despair, pessimism and cynicism related to the dark times we live in can be contagious and spread to others? Do they know that emotional contagion exists? With the many traumatic events, including many deaths in wars, mass shootings, and other travesties, happening daily, spreading many dark emotions to others, causing serious dysfunctionality, do any psychiatrists not realize that it is much, much more than biochemical imbalances, which don’t really exist anyway, and much more than an endogenous illness? Do they think we live in a vacuum without influences on us?

Even if people do not have actual PTSD, they may have PTSS (Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms), meaning that they have some symptoms of PTSD but not severe enough to qualify for the full diagnosis of PTSD. And similarly, even if people do not have depression, they may have dysphoria or dysthymia. And even if people do not have anxiety, or panic disorder, they may have uncertainty or worry. In other words, they may carry symptoms showing that they have encountered and absorbed contagious emotions related to these conditions, stemming from traumatization, that affect their emotional, behavioral and physical health negatively. And if they build up, they become depression and anxiety, reactive conditions to the noxious events in the US., in Iran, Ukraine, and much of the world.

Under these circumstances, it wouldn’t take many experiences related to unemployment and many other social, familial, economic, educational and relationship breakdowns to put such a person into the area of significant frustration, helplessness, loneliness, aggravation or others which could lead to a DSM-5-TR diagnosis of illness or psychopathology. This so-called illness is not an illness at all in many cases, but is really a natural reaction to the political, economic and social turmoil in American society. Are psychiatrists aware that susceptible people can absorb dark emotions from others when times are tough? Do they know there is a good chance that many such people absorb contagious dark emotions from others in a traumatized society? Are they aware that there is more loneliness and family breakdown than before? Or do they see it only as an illness? And do they only see the cure as one pharmaceutical after another pharmaceutical when the first one doesn’t work? Do they not see other solutions? Like emotional regulation? Like decision-making skills? Like psychosocial adjustments? Like wise, effective decision-making? Or even geographical cures?

And, more to the point, is the U.S. feeling the effects of chronic and pervasive traumatization from the large number of atrocities in the country over the last two to three decades, up to 25 years by my count?

Are people aware that drug companies get rich from the psychiatrist’s prescribing anti-depressants to treat the influx of depressive emotions being absorbed by people from contagious emotions like cynicism, fear, demoralization, pessimism, helplessness, sadness, and other dark emotions similar to depression but which have their source in the political turmoil in the country? Are they aware that feelings of hopelessness, despair, disillusionment that mimic depression stem from social, economic and political turmoil, including corruption, shootings, and a renegade President? Are psychiatrist’s only solutions for the epidemic of depression in this traumatized society to add more medications when the initial ones, unsurprisingly to most …