As a civilization, we've come to prioritize mental and emotional health, not only as an individual desire to rid ourselves of issues negatively impacting our lives, but also because, when viewed through a historical lens, there is an obvious correlation between our individual mental health and the mental health of our entire society.

A strong and stable society, made up of those who are well-adjusted and happy, is less apt to be swept by the tidal forces of propaganda and lies. We saw how those easily influenced were trained to first believe unthinkingly in one person and conditioned to follow unquestionably, even as the one idolized descended into noticeable dementia.

Before the habitats contained the last remnants of civilization, mental health had been considered a shameful occurrence, with those in the earliest of times either hounded as someone touched by an evil malevolence or treated as an animal. Even when mental health issues were considered mostly controllable, a social stigma existed, which precluded many from seeking help. Those who chose to ignore their emotional or mental issues likely inflicted emotional and even physical pain upon those they were around, and the cycle continued. (1)

As the population's mental and emotional health deteriorated, societal norms did as well. It became acceptable to promote violence on a casual basis. I remember a night on the surface when Kevin would be casually discussing something we'd seen on the news and telling me he'd like to shoot whatever right-wing politician was being discussed. He wasn't a violent man, and yet he could say he wanted to kill someone as easily and with as casual a tone as when he asked me what we were having for dinner. What should have been abhorrent and only considered under extreme circumstances was thought of casually. (2)

While we, as a species, have used our minds to move the world forward into an interconnected and technologically advanced society, we never even considered, much less tried to adapt our psyches to deal with the onslaught overtaking us.

Authoritarian governments and those aspiring to bring the same to their democratic countries restricted education, either by gender or by class. Instead of teaching children to use their minds, they were trained to parrot what they heard, creating armies of zombies ready to be used as a lever. For the masses, subjects requiring nuanced thought processes, such as philosophy, critical thinking, literature, science and engineering, were dumbed down or reserved only for those who already benefited from the built-in privileges of the wealthy. (3)

No one was prepared to believe lies could topple our society, yet we could not handle the onslaught of repetitious and increasingly ridiculous untruths being thrown around. Physically, neither our bodies nor our minds were ready for the constant shots of adrenaline and dopamine coursing through us.

Adrenaline had once served to keep us out of dangerous situations; now it was an almost constant feature for many, brought upon by anxiety and fear, regardless of whether circumstances were justified or manufactured. Whether triggered by repetitious lies or by warranted alarm at those who could not see the world as it actually was, stress causes untold physical damage to those under its influence and releases dopamine, another neurotransmitter. (4)

Many grew addicted to the dopamine rush brought on by stress, anger and paranoia, regardless of which political side they were on. Media of all kinds relied on the rush to generate visits and, thus, more ad revenue. Those addicted needed ever-increasing hits of anger and fear to bring about the dopamine effects they craved, and many in the media complied, shoving ever-increasing vitriol to their captive audiences. (5)

From the beginning, the concepts of health, as defined in the Charter, were viewed as holistic —encompassing healthy minds and bodies. Mental health professionals were a priority for recruitment and have been instrumental in advancing humanity. Mental health care eventually became just another tool meant to move society forward, rather than a stigma to be avoided at all costs.