Author: Geoff B
Disclaimer
I am a licensed Mental Health Counselor and will be discussing mental health and potential mitigations for some of neoliberalism’s most insidious impacts on one’s psychological state. Still, none of what I mention here is medical advice and, if you are struggling, please reach out to the appropriate mental health or crisis services provider.
Additionally, while aspects of neoliberalism can affect and/or exacerbate psychological issues, the reality is that any mental health difficulty is influenced by a multitude of biopsychosocial factors, so even if capitalism falls overnight and tomorrow’s brilliant dawn heralds the beginning of the socialist utopia, you should still definitely talk to your doctor before chucking your Lexapro in the trash.
The Issue
Neoliberal Capitalism is wrecking our mental health and is a major contributor to stress, depression, burnout, and nihilism.
First, it’s important to lay out what exactly I am talking about when addressing neoliberal capitalism, the driving economic force globally since the tawdry, mid-80s affair between Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher. The Oxford English Dictionary defines it as “a type of liberalism which favours a global free market without government regulation, with reduction in government spending and businesses and industry controlled and run for profit by private owners.” On its surface, the definition is dry, boring, and seemingly innocuous. The most harmful aspects of neoliberalism, however, are seen in what it smuggles in, just under the surface: competition decides what or who is right; government market intervention is inherently destabilizing; humans are consumers; everything should be commodified; inequality is not just fair, but a virtue, as everyone, in the end, gets what they earn.
The financial and societal impacts of neoliberalism are clear to anyone paying attention. Extreme concentrations of wealth and power and catastrophic levels of inequality are pushing the most people into poverty, marginalization, and disenfranchisement. Just as damaging are the erosion of education systems and the weakening of trade unions. Then, of course, there are the financial catastrophes: From the Savings and Loan crisis in the mid-80s (all roads lead back to Ronnie) right through the 2008 Housing Correction to the ongoing post-pandemic inflation, the neoliberal system delivers a regular drumbeat of financial devastation for the common person alongside incredible opportunities for the upward redistribution of wealth. At this point, it is probably overkill to discuss the details of the numerous neoliberalism-induced wars, famines, and episodes of pestilence during that same period.
What doesn’t get enough press, however, is the psychological toll that all of the above takes on us as individuals. We struggle to stay financially afloat. It becomes difficult to envision a bright future for ourselves or our children. We are algorithmically corralled into isolation, consumerism, and disinformation – all designed to prop up the system. If one dares point these negative outcomes out, the system responds, “You didn’t grind hard enough, it’s your own fault,” or “You’re just being a snowflake.” But the truth is, the impact is substantial, measurable, and not grounded in personal failing.
The so-called deaths of despair – suicide, drug and alcohol overdoses, and alcohol-related liver and coronary disease – have doubled in the US since the 1980s and tripled since the post-war 1940s. The World Health Organization reports a 13% increase in reported mental health disorders over the past decade, indicating that domestic and global mental health trends coincide.
Some of the most worrisome examples of the damage done by a capitalistic system supercharged by neoliberal policy are the impacts on young people and children. For example, Jonathan Haidt, in his book The Anxious Generation, lays out a compelling argument that unregulated social media algorithms are directly responsible for the rapid increase in rates of depression, anxiety, and eating disorders in teens. (It would be dialectically biased for me to not mention, in their defense, that the algorithms monetizing our kids have driven some very healthy returns for investors.)
The Solution
Recognizing the impact of the Neoliberal Capitalist system can be overwhelming. There are, however, viable methods of engaging with the system in healthy, purposeful, and self-preserving ways. While perhaps not a panacea that guarantees bliss in an oppressive system, we can use practices and tactics found in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to reclaim some peace of mind.
ACT, in a nutshell, is the idea that: 1) the current situation is, the feelings arising from one’s existence in the situation are, and that one can accept those realities and the associated emotions without needing to endorse them; and 2) one can make a commitment to values-driven action to drive change. In practical terms, this can be understood in three overarching action items: Mindful Participation, Solidarity/Mutual Aid Building, and Efforts towards Change.
Mindful Participation
Despite our misgivings, despite seeing the injustices and the ugliness of the current system, our participation in it is (nearly) unavoidable. (I say “nearly” because while becoming a cave-dwelling hermit is still technically possible, it seems unnecessarily extreme and the WiFi sucks.) We live, mostly through no fault or choice of our own, in a world where the rent has to be paid, shopping has to be done, and, if you want to hedge against starving in your senior years, saving for retirement in an IRA or 401k is unavoidable.
We can, however, participate in ways that are mindful of our impact and as aligned as possible with our ethical values. Employers can be found that are more ethically tolerable than others. Mortgage payments, rent, and banking are unavoidable, but we do have some level of choice in who we do business with. And, despite still being embedded in an oppressive system, ethically focused investments can have fewer negative impacts on our world than purely profit/return-driven investing. We may not be able to step out of the system, but we can certainly be mindful of how we participate and evaluate our actions through the lens of our ethical and moral framework. Consider it behavioral harm reduction.
There can be a sense that participation is inherently collaboration, making the acceptance part of ACT a bitter pill to swallow. We can string together two ideas from Michel Foucault (don’t mistake respect for his philosophy as an endorsement of his alleged – ahem – unsavory behavior in his personal life). First, he wrote, “Power is exercised through networks, and individuals do not simply circulate in those networks; they are in a position to both submit to and exercise this power,” and in a related quote, “Where there is power, there is resistance.” That is to say, resistance can only exist within a system of power.
Our aforementioned hermit may have avoided the ethical pitfalls of participating in a corrupt system, but fails to take advantage of the power for resistance that is intrinsic to the system itself. (For example, the message of this essay is much more effectively delivered using a MacBook and the internet than it would be sending it via smoke signal from an ideologically-pure cave.)
Creating Solidarity/Mutual Aid
Nearly 1200 words into this and I haven’t brought out the big guns of theory, so let’s rectify that. Karl Marx, posits in The German Ideology, “Only in community [with others has each] individual the means of cultivating his gifts in all directions; only in the community, therefore, is personal freedom possible.” Herein lies the first of the two aspects of commitment that we can examine: the recognition that not only are we not alone in our suffering under this system, but that we will only emerge victorious by combining forces and assisting one another. (After all, as they say, you can’t do socialism without being social, baby!)
Like in our evaluation of mindful participation, we need to parse this through our ethical framework, as well as our individual capacity. What counts as helping or community building is nearly endless. If you’re outdoorsy, organize a hiking group; if you’re proud of those baking skills honed during lockdown, bring some cookies to your neighbors; if you can swing it, donate to a worthy local cause. One of my personal commitments to community building, as a further example, is to always engage the numerous people with whom I have micro-interactions (think cashiers, Uber drivers, receptionists) in a way that shows I see them as a person, not just as a robot performing a public-facing task. (Sometimes, they look at me like I’m a weirdo. Sometimes they spend five minutes giving me the down-and-dirty details as to why they’re having a bad day. So, if I am ever late to a meeting, it’s probably the latter, and certainly not my predilection for losing track of time.)
Additionally, it’s worth pointing out that community building and helping are two-way streets. None of us are in the position to always be the helper. Solidarity is likewise strengthened when one reaches out and asks for needed help.
A common sight, in the early morning hours, in many Southeast Asian countries, are the columns of orange-clad Buddhist monks, winding their way through dense Bangkok neighborhoods or remote Laotian villages. The faithful line the road, waiting their turn to fill the alms bowls, so as to generate good karma. But, according to Buddhist philosophy, you know who is really racking up the karmic merit points…the monks, by providing those villagers with an opportunity for giving and generosity.
Efforts towards Change
The final leg of the ACT stool we’re crafting is a commitment to collective action aimed at systemic change. There can be some overlap here with our community building, but these acts are more overtly political; more intentionally designed to upset, alter, or rework the system itself.
Constructing a new society demands focused, strategic, and coordinated effort. Plenty of hard work is required. Something as revolutionary as a just and democratic society won’t materialize from thoughts and good vibes. Luckily, the range of activities that qualify and move us forward is wide and deep.
-Have you gone to a general meeting and voted on something? You are a change agent and absolutely pushing us towards a better future.
-Have you worked a phone bank or marched in a protest rally? You are a legitimate paradigm-shifting Rock Star.
-Have you logged in to a DSA meeting via Zoom, listening and learning, trying to find where you can plug in to the organization? Well, my friend, you are a warrior for humaneness and should regard yourself as such!
As a warrior, you should certainly become familiar with the sage advice from everyone’s favorite Prussian General, Carl von Clausewitz, “Wearing down the enemy in a conflict means using the duration of the war to bring about a gradual exhaustion of his physical and moral resistance.” Every action that chips away at neoliberalism, no matter how small, matters.
The Wrap-Up
I am of the opinion that there is plenty in this world to inspire wonder and amazement, but concede that it sometimes feels like we are living through the worst timeline. We have borne witness to a steady decline in fairness, equality and the political agency of the common person. We have seen and experienced financial exploitation, social oppression, and the continued concentration of wealth and power into fewer and fewer hands. The modern age has driven a sense of psychological brutalism and strategic isolation.
Dogged, collective action is the singular means by which a more just and humane future society can be won. But, the strength required to carry out this action cannot exist without individual psychological resilience. Our ability to protest, organize, or lead is directly tied to our capacity to keep ourselves from succumbing to the immediate pressures of a brutal system. The coping skills and survivor mindset that can be cultivated with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy tools can not only make the day-to-day more bearable but also increase our ability to stay in the fight.
None of the actions suggested by the ACT framework are momentous. They can be executed in small chunks, step-by-step, inch-by-inch. Even if we’re moving an inch at a time, we’re still gaining ground, and, in good time, will arrive at a better place, personally and as a society. I am truly optimistic about that.