The Battle for Our Minds: Mental Health in the Age of False Ideals

Exploring the roots of today’s mental health crisis and the paths toward authentic recovery

Photo by Ümit Bulut on Unsplash

America is in the midst of a mental health crisis. By almost every measure, depression, anxiety, suicide, and substance misuse are worse today than in previous generations. The U.S. Surgeon General has called loneliness an epidemic. Suicide rates are at historic highs. Among teenagers and young adults, depression and anxiety have surged dramatically in the past decade.

The question is: why? What’s driving this crisis, and how do we begin to solve it?

Carl Jung and the burden of false ideals

Carl Jung once warned that identifying with masks, roles, and false ideals instead of our authentic inner selves could lead to neurosis, even psychosis. While he didn’t use modern terms like “social media comparison,” his insight applies directly to today’s reality.

Think about this for a moment. Suppose you spend most of your day comparing yourself to the false ideals portrayed by celebrities and influencers on social media. In that case, it’s no surprise you’d start to feel bad in comparison.

Theodore Roosevelt said it well, “Comparison is…