ALICE - There is a distinction b/w "Western" mental illnesses and those that are universal. For example, anorexia is simply not found in 3rd world countries where people are starving from lack of food. It is limited to richer countries. Depression, OCD anxiety, sexual paraphelias are worldwide, although some are experienced differently by different cultures.
MOJOPIN - The problems always existed, we just didn't acknowledge them as mental problems, or we blamed them on the devil or "evil spirits" or just ignored them. The first surgery that we have evidence of was called trepanning. It was done by cro-magnon and neanderthals as well. It is still done (shudder) in parts of the world today. The surgery involves making a hole through the skull to the surface of the brain to allow the "evil spirits" causing the mental problem to escape. Come to think of it, this may be the earliest direct evidence of religion fucking up people's lives!
NICKEYE - I've read that. The main thrust is that shcizophrenics see things differently than do "normal" people so they see solutions that others do not. While this is true, the functional ability of most schizophrenics to implement a solution is questionable. Certainly it is a far stretch to say it impacted our evolution.
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