By Dr. Sawraj Singh
Robin Williams tragically joined a long list of celebrities who committed suicide, attempted suicide or had thoughts of suicide. Western capitalism has taken a big toll on mental health. It may not be an exaggeration to state that depression is the most prevalent disease in the western capitalism era.
Insecurity, stress, anxiety and depression are so common under western capitalism that they seem to have become integral parts of the system. Some celebrities who became legends either committed direct suicide like Marilyn Monroe, Ernest Hemingway, Kurt Cobain, and now Robin Williams; others like Elvis Presley, Heath Ledger, and Michael Jackson died of drug overdose, an indirect form of suicide. However, for one such high-profile case, there are many who either attempt but did not succeed or have thoughts of committing suicide. There is plenty of evidence that the incidence of depression is rising. The annual suicide rate in the US is almost double the homicide rate: more than 39,000. More than 100 people die from suicide every day. Suicide is the leading cause of death amongst males in the middle age group in the UK.
Mental health issues carry a stigma unseen in other illnesses. Why is it that a person with a broken arm or leg gets sympathy and support while someone suffering from depression or other mental illness is turned away and stigmatized? To make matters worse, states across the US are cutting their healthcare costs by closing down mental health treatment centers and reducing beds in in-patient mental health facilities. Where can people with mental illness go?
Many psychiatrists, psychologists, and psychotherapists have openly spoken about the growing problem of depression and suicide in America. They are hoping that Robin Williams’s death will help to focus on the problem. It is the ultimate tragedy that a person such as Robin Williams, who made millions laugh, himself died of depression and suicide. Like many others, I still remember him in Mork and Mindy, the alien who brought joy to our planet. Besides this TV show, he became very famous in movies such as Good Morning, Vietnam and Mrs. Doubtfire. It will be no exaggeration to say that he became one of the most famous comedians of our time. He evolved his own, unique style of comedy. His suicide is an even a bigger tragedy because he had a different image than many other comedians. His role in Mork and Mindy made him different and set him apart from other comedians.
In Punjab, we see a very different group of people who have become victims of western capitalism. With the growing penetration of capitalism in the agriculture sector, more and more peasants are being marginalized. Poor peasants, burdened by their unpaid debts, have become the most common group to commit suicide. Almost every day, you can read in the newspapers that a poor peasant has committed suicide. Capitalism is taking its toll on both the celebrities at the top and the poor peasants at the bottom. Is there anything in common between these two groups? I feel that western capitalist consumer culture is the main cause of depression and suicide. It has, for all practical purposes, limited life to the material aspect only and weakened the spiritual aspect of life, which is almost non-existent now.
I feel that the main cause of depression is that on one hand, western capitalist consumer culture has increased stress; whereas on the other hand, it has reduced a person’s ability to cope with stress. This dual attack ultimately breaks a person. Western capitalist consumer culture promotes the concept of living to fulfill desires instead of fulfilling needs. Desires can neither be defined nor fulfilled. Therefore, when we embark on the desire pathway, the end result is bound to be dissatisfaction and frustration. To make matters worse, weakening or a lack of the spiritual aspect of life has reduced our ability to handle dissatisfaction and frustration. The end result is depression which can lead to suicide.
Whether it is Punjab or America, a definite relation between growth of consumer culture and incidence of depression and suicide can be established. For example, Punjab has become an epicenter of consumerism in India. The peasantry of Punjab has been victimized by western capitalist consumer culture more than in any other state, thanks to the so-called Green Revolution. The incidence of depression, suicide, and instability in Punjab’s peasantry is much higher than even in the neighboring states of Punjab.
There is a very big difference between the older generation and the younger generation as far as their attitude toward consumerism is concerned. Generally, the older generation is much thriftier. They want to save something for a rainy day (hard time). The younger generation, on the other hand, wants to spend money on things it does not need with money that it does not have. It feels no qualms about borrowing money to spend on things which are not absolutely needed. With the constant increase in the influence of consumer culture and weakening of the spiritual aspect of life, the level of frustration and instability continues to grow. One may ask the question that how can celebrities become victims of consumer culture since they have so much money? However, the general principle that desires can never be fulfilled also applies to them. Their desires grow at a rate faster than their assets. Moreover, the weakening of the spiritual aspect of life equally applies to them. Therefore, the net result is increased stress and depression.
Another factor which applies to celebrities is that they face much larger stresses to stay on the top. As they climb the ladder of success higher and higher, the greater is the competition to stay there. There is still another factor which is responsible for increased stress. Western capitalism deliberately increases insecurity in the mistaken belief that people do their best when they are under stress and are insecure, because that pumps their adrenaline. On the other hand, if you give them job security, then they become complacent and less productive. This one misconception has done more damage to society than anything else. This has made the majority of the population sick. Almost everyone suffers from anxiety and depression. We call people mentally sick when they are no longer able to function. However, the reality is that everyone is standing on the edge. Any stressful situation such as a loss of job or divorce can push them to the category of mental sickness. It can be safely said that in the entire history of mankind, no other society has made so many people sick as western capitalist society has.
Even in America, there are so many studies which demonstrate that spiritual people are less likely to be depressed and spirituality helps with recovery from depression. A spiritual revival can help to counter many ill effects of western capitalist culture. Sri Guru Granth Sahib teaches us that the essence of human existence is spiritual and not material. Without spiritual awakening, the purpose of life is incomplete. Sri Guru Granth Sahib promotes the concept of maintaining a balance between material and spiritual aspects of life. The message of Sri Guru Granth Sahib helps to cope with stress and anxiety. It helps to prevent depression and to come out of depression. The message is not for Sikhs alone but is universal and is for the whole mankind. The world needs a spiritual revival and Sri Guru Granth Sahib is a great resource for that.
Robin Williams’s death is a tragic result of multiple failures within society and the system. To honor his memory, we must advocate for the thousands of other un-named people who are suffering as he did, we must re-think our attitudes towards mental illness, increase our compassion and societal awareness, emphasize government responsibilities for providing mental healthcare treatment, and work to remove the stigma attached to mental illness.
Dr. Sawraj Singh, MD F.I.C.S. is the Chairman of the Washington State Network for Human Rights and Chairman of the Central Washington Coalition for Social Justice. He can be reached at [email protected].
