There was an interesting event aboard the Belgian Polar Expedition of 1898. There was mass insanity while the ship was trapped in Antarctic polar ice for thirteen months. All but one man recovered when they worked outside for three months to chop the ship out of the ice. Dr Cook, ships physician, published an account in his book, “Through the First Antarctic Night.” His description of the symptoms resembles depression.

He blamed darkness during the Antarctic winter and then blamed constant sunlight when the symptoms increased with the return of the sun in the Antarctic summer.

But the actual cause was Subliminal Distraction. When many people are confined in too-small single-room situations they have an increased opportunity for SD exposure. The symptoms are fear, paranoia, panic attacks, depression and thoughts of suicide.

Cook described the cramped working situation, “The cabin is well aft; like the Commandant’s room, and the kitchen, it is on deck. … It is as if eight men stood up around a small table, and a box were built around them, the corners and walls and ceiling being lined with books and instruments.”

The recovery when they worked outside, rather than sitting together daydreaming in confined quarters, points to Subliminal Distraction. There was one case of permanent insanity in this incident. That suggests Subliminal Distraction as a major cause of mental illness.

When people compare the mountain of mania to the abyss of depression, it leads to trouble!

there is a upwards blip in the frequency of suicidality in April/May, as there is one in October as well. Environment is one factor to illness, and why people forget this is, well, sad.