Crazy Like Us “Crazy Like Us” is a enlightening book written by San Francisco journalist, Ethan Watters, in which he contends that the exportation of typical American psychological disorders included in the DSM to other countries is an ineffective approach at attempting to aid mental health patients in those countries. Watters educates readers about the dangers of applying American mental disorders to individuals in other countries due to differences in diets, culture, and social norms. He documents a series of case studies in which victims of mental health disorders in various countries are affected by culture and societal norms. He argues that classifying a mental illness under a generic American disorder is dangerous and downright inappropriate. American mental disorders are not “one size fits all” and exportation of them can cause significant damage to the people in the countries who suffer from mental health disorders. I concur with Watters’ chief point that cultural specificity must be accounted for and significant cultural differences exist throughout the globe, particularly in the field of mental health.
The first case involves anorexia in Hong Kong, in which a 14-year old girl died suddenly. When reporters investigated her death, they entered her symptoms into the Google search bar to attribute a cause of death. The results configured symptoms very similar to American anorexia. Due to this revelation, the media orchestrated awareness campaigns, which stimulated an increase in the amount of women who reported suffering from anorexia in Hong Kong. By way of this example, Watters sheds light on the cultural differences that play a crucial role in the misapplication of anorexia and how critical these misattributions can be. He introduces the work of Dr. Lee who worked closely with some of the women who intentionally starved themselves and discovered that