Night Waves - 15/07/2008

Philip Dodd and guests explore whether we have become an emotionally incontinent society and ask if it is time we resurrected the stiff upper lip. Recent research suggests that those that did not talk about their experiences in the aftermath of 9/11 coped better psychologically than those that shared their grief, while a recent report into education in Britain argues that 'therapy culture' has invaded schools and universities, creating a generation of 'infantilised' students and lecturers unable to cope with rigorous academic life. Have we become an emotional incontinent society, obsessed by trauma? Would we all be psychologically healthier and more successful if we talked less, bottled it up more and just got on with it?