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mister_XYZ42 t1_jcxpmh6 wrote

Reply to comment by Denaton_ in We created a society that is so hard to live in, that in order to not live in a constant state of anxiety, we need Marijuana or anti-depressants. by Adventurous-6981

Back then people had to work hard, physical jobs in order to survive and were less depressed.

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Pimp_Daddy_Patty t1_jcxpvhz wrote

No, they just got violently drunk and went home to beat their wives and kids

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robbage24 t1_jcxq1su wrote

I’ve read a little about how much people used to drink….and it seems maybe a tad excessive, like a bottle of whiskey a day? Like was everyone just an alcoholic for like several hundred years?

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Pimp_Daddy_Patty t1_jcxq5u3 wrote

Not that I agree with prohibition, but part of the reason it happened in the States is due to domestic violence.

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Tanagrabelle t1_jcxr89c wrote

And their wives went to doctors who prescribed various things such as trepanning, leeches, laudanum...

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BeenThere_DidNothing t1_jcxq4ic wrote

Were they? Or did they not have an understanding like we do of mental health? Lots of alcoholism, spousal abuse, people leaving to "go west". The main reason we know we have more depression is that we have learned so much more about it. Our awareness level exists where as 100 years ago it didn't

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mister_XYZ42 t1_jcxrx17 wrote

Spousal abuse is present nowadays as well as back hundreds of years ago. Good people existed back then as they do now. Harsher law punishment might prevent some violence now but morality exists within us and people actually knew to differ right from wrong without anyone telling them so.

Alcoholism is a big problem nowadays too with people knowing that they are depressed. I agree that awareness is higher and medication makes a big difference today but still a lot of people choose drugs and alcohol (not always because they are depressed though).

My point in the first comment was that out of physical exhaustion people easily fell asleep at night and didn't have time to overthink things. They kinda had to live in the moment. Science today does say that physical exercise reduce anxiety levels and depression. I agree that back then depression definetely existed....I just think it was less present.

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