A review by abstract_amber77
Crazy Like Us: The Globalization of the American Psyche by Ethan Watters

5.0

Though this was an assigned reading for my Abnormal Psych class, I was really taken in by this book and Watters' expressed experiencess. Watters chooses to investigate 4 different diagnoses in the DSM-IV, and how the symptoms present and the disease is viewed in other cultures. He takes a look at anorexia in Hong Kong, PTSD in Sri Lanka, schizophrenia in Zanzibar, and depression in Japan. Historically each of these regions held their own views of each respective "disorder," and as a result the symptoms and treatment of each disorder were different from what we know here in the U.S. Over time, however, Western thinking has creeped and influenced the way each of these cultures view these illnesses. In the case of Japan, it is particularly disturbing as it is a pharmaceutical company that came in and promoted the reframing of what depression looked like to them. With a philosophical slant, this book was intended to get the reader to think about the Western influence and how it is gradually "fixing" systems that were never broken in the first place. If you are interested in mental health, geography, cultural differences, or the impact of Western thinking, I highly recommend reading this book. Not only is it an informational read, but it's entertaining as well.