Guest Blogger Alex Pattakos--

The search for meaning is a “megatrend” of the 21^st Century.  Think about it.  Have you ever wondered if there was more to “life” than what you were experiencing?  You know: Is that all there is?  Have you ever felt like “bad” things just happened to you, challenging situations that were out of your control?  O.K., let’s stop for a moment and take a deep breath!  And especially during such a critical and volatile election year with all of the uncertainty and promised change surrounding it, I propose that each of us view this moment in time as an opportunity to reflect upon what really matters in life--in our life, in the lives of others, and in the world at large. 

Some 50 years ago, the world-renown psychiatrist and Nazi concentration camp survivor, Dr. Viktor Frankl, called attention to three major societal ills: aggression, addiction, and depression.  He termed these problems the “mass neurotic triad,” a kind of psychological axis of evil in today’s parlance.  Significantly, this triad comprised more than targets for psychiatric intervention (the views of Tom Cruise and Scientology notwithstanding). The mass neurotic triad was symptomatic of a contemporary world that was missing something; indeed, something vitally important to the nature of human existence itself.  To Dr. Frankl, the problems of aggression, addiction, and depression could be traced, in large part, to an “existential vacuum” or perception that one’s life, including one’s work life, appeared to be meaningless.  He observed that the existential vacuum was a widespread phenomenon of the 20^th Century and underscored that these conditions were not truly understandable, let alone “treatable,” unless the existential vacuum underlying them was recognized.

If Viktor Frankl was alive today, I’m sure that he would still be concerned about this mass neurotic triad.  In fact, he would probably argue that the problems of aggression, addiction, and depression are worse now than when he first wrote about them after World War II.

For example, when it comes to aggression, we see it manifest itself in ways that Dr. Frankl may not even recognize. Besides overt aggressive behaviors, like road rage, air rage, parking lot rage, and “desk” rage (e.g., work stress that leads people to engage in counterproductive workplace behaviors that cost employers billions of dollars in lost productivity, insurance payments, and increased security), postmodern society also must confront increasing levels of relationally aggressive behaviors (e.g., research evidence suggests that aggressive children in school are perceived as being more “popular” than meeker students).  And these illustrations of aggression say nothing about the “shock and awe” mentality that plagues societies in the 21^st Century on an international scale with wars and rumors of wars.

Insofar as addiction and addictive behaviors are concerned, the situation, I would argue, is very similar.  And we’re not just talking about the alarming increases in substance abuse, both the “legal” and illegal kinds, which concern our modern age.  The new millennium has brought us new kinds of addictive behaviors, such as those associated with shopping, telecommunications and the Internet, along with new forms of work (“workaholic”), gambling (“day-trading”), and sexual addictions.  Indeed, there is no person left behind when it comes to the powerful reach of the addictive mind.

And to close the loop on the mass neurotic triad, it is a simple fact that depression is occurring more often and at earlier stages than in decades past; that is, when Dr. Frankl first called our attention to this phenomenon. Indeed, the statistics are staggering: 

16 percent of adults will experience depression at some point in their life

97 percent of those reporting depression also reported that their work, home life, and relationships suffered as a result

Women are twice as likely to experience depression as men

Depression is the leading cause of disability in women

One in seven men will develop depression within 6 months of becoming unemployed; and so on.  

Once again, these statistics point primarily to the manifestations and effects of depression on individuals; they don’t even begin to describe the fall-out that comes “naturally” with depression at the family, community, and nation-state levels. Indeed, the implications of depression on such a macro-level can be, and usually are, profound.

The persistence of the mass neurotic triad in the 21^st Century suggests, as I mentioned earlier, that we are facing a “crisis of meaning” that will not go away on its own, nor will it disappear solely through the pursuit of power (i.e., a correlate of aggression) or pleasure (i.e., a correlate of addiction). But where there is a crisis, there is also opportunity. Hence, a crisis of meaning is also a call for meaning--in our personal lives, in our work, and even in our public policies (I hope that all candidates for political office, including those seeking the Presidency, pay attention to this window of opportunity).  And in the midst of the personal and collective suffering that surrounds us, there is still hope for a better, more meaning-full future for all.

And, ultimately, as Dr. Frankl would say, it is meaning that sustains us throughout our lives no matter how little or how much power and pleasure come our way.  It is meaning that can help us address the problems of aggression, addiction, and depression.  It is meaning that will sustain us as we face the challenges of everyday life in our relationships, at work, and with society as a whole.  However, it is up to each and every one of us to find this deeper meaning in order to reach the levels of human evolution and enlightenment, as well as quality of life, which still await us.

Related: Is It The Baby Blues or Postpartum Depression?

              Being Pregnant Does Not Mean You Need To Be Depressed

              Can You Get Control of Your Drinking?

Update on Mar 28, 2008 by Editor

Seen At Reuters!    Summize!