150. The Globalization of the American Psyche w/ Ethan Watters

On Episode 150 of the Radically Genuine Podcast I interview Ethan Watters an investigative journalist and author. He is most widely known for his book “Crazy Like Us: The Globalization of the American Psyche” published in 2010. He has also appeared on a number of media outlets such as Good Morning America, Talk of the Nation, and CNN and written articles published in The New York Times Magazine, Spin, Details, Mother Jones, Glamour, GQ, Esquire, and the San Francisco Chronicle Magazine.  Does our western conceptualization of mental illness actually create more harm than good? We explore how the export of Western mental health concepts is changing the nature of mental illness globally, examining the impact of Western narratives on depression, schizophrenia and PTSD in non-Western societies. The conversation critiques the assumption that Western therapy is universally applicable and discusses the medicalization of emotional distress in Western cultures. Chapters 00:00 The Globalization of Mental Health 09:28 The Cultural Construction of Mental Illness 18:40 Altering Cultural Responses to Suffering 25:52 The Importance of Cultural Context in Mental Health 39:32 The Impact of Western Narratives on Trauma 43:16 The Limitations of Western Notions of Healing 45:30 The Medicalization of Emotional Distress in Western Societies 47:48 Challenging the Immediate Intervention Paradigm 53:19 Culture's Influence on Mental Health and Individual Choice RADICALLY GENUINE PODCAST Dr. Roger McFillin / Radically Genuine Website YouTube @RadicallyGenuine Dr. Roger McFillin (@DrMcFillin) / X Substack | Radically Genuine | Dr. Roger McFillin Instagram @radicallygenuine Contact Radically Genuine Conscious Clinician Collective PLEASE SUPPORT OUR PARTNERS 15% Off Pure Spectrum CBD (Code: RadicallyGenuine) 10% off Lovetuner click here —----------- FREE DOWNLOAD! DISTRESS TOLERANCE SKILLS