It's Not Just In Your Head

A listener emailed us about how politically polarized their family was, and how painful this was for everyone to experience. Harriet and Max comment on what may have caused this phenomenon historically and economically. Email us if your family is politically polarized and whether this causes you distress or if you're fine with this abeing your family dynamic. Do you avoid political conversations? Do you just listen to family members? Have you cut them off permanently due to their views?

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ATTENTION! This is a Boring Dystopia/Obligatory 'don't sue us' message:  This podcast provides numerous different perspectives and criticisms of  the mental health space, however, it should not be considered medical  advice. Please consult your medical professional with regards to any  health decisions or management.

Get early access to this episode at patreon.com/itsnotjustinyourhead

In this solocast episode, Max offers some critiques of the depoliticized and McDonaldized way #mentalhealth is discussed on social media. When he saw a recent CIA recruitment video that included a millennial Latinx CIA agent identifying as being diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and listening to some nearby 20-somethings use a bucket full of DSM-5 and pop-psych jargon, he began wondering why #mentalhealth content has become so #relateable to the millennial and zoomer generations. He did some research and found that the hashtag #TikTokTherapy has 50 million posts on TikTok , then decided to lecture you for 40 minutes about it. The gist is: Marx's theory of alienation is important, the top social media therapist influencers should use their platforms to historicize and politicize young adults' internal experiences and connect them larger social, political, and economic forces, and everyone should read "Coming Up Short: Working Class Adulthood In An Age Of Uncertainty" by Jennifer Silva.

https://www.tiktok.com/@evolveandbloom/video/6867622435034877190?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1

https://www.tiktok.com/@dylan_sessler/video/6976381439843568901?lang=en&is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1

ATTENTION! This is a Boring Dystopia/Obligatory 'don't sue us' message:  This podcast provides numerous different perspectives and criticisms of  the mental health space, however, it should not be considered medical  advice. Please consult your medical professional with regards to any  health decisions or management.

Get early access to the full episode unironically at patreon.com/itsnotjustinyourhead

Do you ever feel guilty or ashamed for having climbed or been born into a more "middle class" or "upper class" position on the socioeconomic ladder? Harriet and Max call this phenomenon "class guilt," and define it separately from other forms of "privilege guilt" such as white guilt and male guilt. Harriet complicates "class" by reminding us of the Marxian definition. Some argue there are multiple classes in society denoted by amounts of money or types of jobs, but on a basic level there are ultimately two major classes: the ownership class who owns the means of production and accumulates wealth through ownership, and the working class who do not own the means of production and can only survive through wage labor.

Both therapists offer insights around whether such a sense of guilt, and any form of "privilege" based guilt, is helpful or harmful. Harriet encourages listeners of all backgrounds to simply ask themselves if they stand with those who exploit for a living or if they stand with those who wish to transform the economy into an equitable, sustainable one based on cooperation and democracy. Max encourages listeners to go beyond cognitively believing oneself to "be on a side" and to become active members of organizations intending to build and expand working class power, long-term.

ATTENTION! This is a Boring Dystopia/Obligatory 'don't sue us' message:  This podcast provides numerous different perspectives and criticisms of  the mental health space, however, it should not be considered medical  advice. Please consult your medical professional with regards to any  health decisions or management.

Get early access to the full episode, monthly reading groups, and the patron-only discord server at patreon.com/itsnotjustinyourhead

Harriet and Max "wrap up" on identity politics so they can move on to other topics. [email protected], patreon.com/itsnotjustinyourhead.

Full episode at patreon.com/itsnotjustinyourhead. Please give us feedback / reactions to our conversations at [email protected] or anonymously here: https://forms.gle/cafw3KxpQ9XjK9xJ8

Youtuber and podcaster Angie Speaks joins us to talk about what inspired her recent video "How Validation Ruined Your Life: Narcissism and Social Justice."  In this episode we discuss (and debate) whether there is value to identifying or allying with certain groups along lines of gender, race, ethnicity, immigration status, etc. Angie argues that most  identification to this effect has been twisted into pseudo-political culture wars that produce more infighting and political ineffectiveness. Harriet argues that identity is often a starting point for people to become politicized and later develop class politics (ie, through Blackness, woman-ness, trans-ness, etc). A debate breaks out about whether a "class identity" is an appropriate way to talk about moving toward class unity. Max acknowledges the psychological need most people have to develop a sense of personal and collective identity, but questions whether this identity development process in our current culture leads to class politics or has become designed to become hostile toward it.

ATTENTION! This is a Boring Dystopia/Obligatory 'don't sue us' message:  This podcast provides numerous different perspectives and criticisms of  the mental health space, however, it should not be considered medical  advice. Please consult your medical professional with regards to any  health decisions or management.

Clip of an upcoming episode with Youtuber Angie Speaks. Check out her work here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUtloyZ_Iu4BJekIqPLc_fQ