Debating Modern Therapy Culture & Gen Z - Abigail Shrier - #773

**Chris Williamson** (0:00)
Hello, everybody. welcome back to the show. My guest today is Abigail Shrier. She's a journalist, writer for The Wall Street Journal and an author. Therapy use is becoming more prevalent while mental health is getting worse. The question is, are these two things causing each other or just happening at the same time? It's a lively one today as I try to get to the bottom of this. Expect to learn what is happening with modern mental health, the typical timeframe of mental health for young people, what the current statistics are around therapy, what kinds of people see therapists the most, if there are any dangers to psychotherapy, why there might be an overdiagnosis and pathologization of normal human emotions happening, why Abigail thinks there is such an increase in mental health disorders, and much more. If you're like me, you probably struggle to read or study or work with music on, but you probably want something in the background giving you a little bit more energy and drowning out any noise that's coming from your environment. Which is why I've partnered with Brain FM, a science-backed music app specifically made to help you focus. I love Brain FM because I can't work with music on. It's too distracting and I can't focus. This is the perfect balance between something that gives you additional energy and drowns out whatever's happening in your environment and isn't so distracting and is purpose-built for focus, that means you actually get more work done. Brain FM uses gentle rhythmic pulses that are scientifically proven to support sustained attention, all while blending into the background. They also have sleep sounds to help with deep sleep, which has been a game changer, especially if you are traveling. Brain FM has made a real difference in my productivity and sleep quality, and you can try it out for yourself and get a full month for free. Right now, by going to brain.fm slash modern wisdom. That's brain.fm slash modern wisdom to get 30 days of completely free access. I've been loving my cold plunge and sauna from the team over at Plunge. I literally use them every single week because the benefits of hot and cold contrast therapy make me feel fantastic. I have more energy during the day, sleep better at night and recover faster after hard workouts. Plunge's Evolve collection includes four brand new offerings made to fit your lifestyle, space, and goals. The new Plunge Pure Pro Chiller uses state-of-the-art technology to filter water and chill it at the same time. The all new Plunge Air is amazing if you're looking for a lightweight, space-efficient option. You can connect it to the Plunge Pop-Up for maximum portability and affordability, or go with the XL Plunge Pro for their signature style. Best of all, they offer a 30-day return policy, so you can buy it and try it and get cold for 29 days, and if you do not like it for any reason, you can send it back. Head to plunge.com/modernwisdom and use the code MW150 for $150 off any purchase. That's plunge.com/modernwisdom and MW150. A checkout. This episode is brought to you by Surfshark VPN. Protect your browsing online and get access to the entire world's Netflix library for less than the price of a cup of coffee per month. If you use a public Wi-Fi network like a cafeteria or a library or an airport, regularly that internet admin can see all of the data going back and forth between your computer and the internet. Your internet service provider is selling your data to companies that target you with ads and phishing websites are trying to steal everything from you at all times. All of this is fixed with a VPN and it is available across unlimited devices. So it protects your phone, your iPad, your laptop and even your smart TV. And it's got a 30 day money back guarantee. So you can buy it and try it for 29 days. And if you do not like it, they will give you your money back. Head to surfshark.deals slash modern wisdom for an exclusive discount plus that 30 day money back guarantee. That's surfshark.deals slash modern wisdom.
But now, ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Abigail Shrier.
How would you categorize what is happening with modern mental health?

**Abigail Shrier** (4:09)
Oh gosh, we're making it worse with too much treatment, too much diagnosis, and way too much psych meds, and convincing people who are otherwise well, that they are unwell, that they have a mental health problem.

**Chris Williamson** (4:26)
Right, yeah, apocalyptic, apocalyptic start there. So take me through, how much of this is an adult problem? How much of this is a kid problem? Are there some cohorts that this is worse and better in?