Societal Dropout: D.C. Copeland on the Millennial Crisis, Gender, and Finding Mental Peace Outside the System

What if your mental struggle isn't a personal failure, but a logical reaction to a broken society?

This week on A Mental Health Break, we are joined by poet, playwright, Yale graduate, and cultural critic D.C. Copeland, author of the forthcoming book, Societal Dropout: A Culture Manifesto for the New Millennium. D.C. brings a unique, potent voice to the show, leveraging the philosophy of Jung, Freud, and Nietzsche to dissect our modern anxieties.

In this profound and provocative discussion, we dive deep into:

• The Societal Roots of Illness: We tackle the core question: How do we fundamentally remove the negative stigmatization about mental illness by shifting the focus from individual flaw to systemic failure?
• The Millennial Divide: D.C. offers a compelling analysis of the generation caught between extremes—why are Millennials either doing incredibly well or struggling with housing insecurity, and what does this financial anxiety do to their mental health?
• Gender and Constraint: We dissect a powerful quote from D.C.'s book: "My experience of the feminine is one of deep pain and glorious power." We explore how rigid gender constraints limit not only art, but the soul, and why finding power requires creating outside those boundaries.
• Life Beyond the Line: D.C. defines what "dropping out of society" truly means—is it a physical exit, or a necessary philosophical break to protect your well-being?

If you've ever felt that you don't fit into the demands of modern life, this episode is your permission slip to rethink the system and prioritize your own mental freedom.

Find D.C. Copeland's upcoming book, Societal Dropout: A Culture Manifesto for the New Millennium, on Amazon today.