20 phrases to reflect on World Mental Health Day

This Tuesday, October 10, World Mental Health Day is celebrated, a day that the World Health Organization (WHO) established to increase awareness that a full life is not possible without mental health. This year the theme, proposed by the World Federation for Mental Health, it is mental health as a universal human right and the focus is on raising awareness among the entire population and promoting measures that promote and protect mental health as a universal human right.

The WHO emphasizes that mental health is not characterized solely by the absence of mental disorders, but by «a state of well-being in which the person realizes his or her capabilities and is able to cope with the normal stresses of life, work, and contribute to his or her community«.

World mental health day: why celebrate it

One in 8 people in the world suffers from a mental health problemsomething that can have a major impact on your physical health, well-being and relationships, as well as your survival mode.

In this sense, the WHO emphasizes that «Everyone, no matter who they are or where they are, has the right to the highest attainable level of mental health.which includes the right to be protected from mental health risks; the right to available, accessible, dignified and quality care; and the right to freedom, independence and integration into their social environment«.

As highlighted by the WHO, human rights are universal and serve to protect people’s right to dignity, autonomy and inclusion in the community. No person, because they suffer from a mental health problem, should be deprived of their human rights. or excluded from decisions about their own health. But the truth is that, around the world, there are many people who see their human rights limited: some are discriminated against or excluded from community life, others do not have the mental health services they need and others receive care that does not respect their human rights.

World Mental Health Day: increasingly necessary

It has been detected for some time that More and more adolescents and young people present with mental health problemssomething that is especially worrying. The volume of internet searches for information related to stress, depression and, above all, anxiety has continued to increase in recent years. According to the WHO, in the world, one in seven young people from 10 to 19 years old suffers from a mental disorder and Depression is emerging as the main cause of illness and disability among adolescents.

The pandemic worsened this situation, increasing mental disorders in minors by up to 47%, according to the Spanish Mental Health Confederation. With this year’s theme for World Mental Health Day, the goal is to raise awareness about the fact that Good mental health is an integral part of our health and well-being general, at all stages of life, and that mental disorders are a significant threat to the well-being of young people.

20 phrases about depression and mental health to reflect on

Philosophers, thinkers, psychologists and writers have reflected on the need to focus on mental health. These phrases invite us to reflect on one of the most prevalent diseases, depression.

We have selected eloquent statements from writers, artists, psychiatrists, psychologists and activists who offer different perspectives on mental health and illness. The phrases open doors to articles and books where you can delve deeper.

Together they make up a puzzle that provides a complete image. Self-knowledge, reflection, reading, resilience, empowerment They appear as tools that contribute to mental health.

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«Therapy is not about crying with the patient. It is about giving warmth and also hope.» Dr. David D. Burns

Dr. David D. Burns draws attention to the tendency of depressed patients to become dependent on their negative emotions, as if they suffered from an addiction. Something similar happens with drugs.

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«Depression is a hellish price to wake up to life.» Matt Haig

The British writer Matt Haig wrote an autobiographical book explaining how he experienced the depression he suffered at the age of 24. In those moments, writing and books became his refuge. His reflections and phrases have helped many people who have experienced similar situations.

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«Not all sadness is a depressive disorder.» Allen Frances

Allen Frances – psychiatrist, researcher and writer – analyzes a new and fearsome disease: the medicalization of normality based on new psychiatric and general medicine ‘fashions’ that are generating systematic overdiagnosis. Not all sadness can be classified as depression.

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«Arguing with reality is painful.» Byron Katie

Byron Katie explains how to question what you think to live fully. For this he has a method, which he has called «The Work» and that anyone can learn. The questions that Katie invites you to ask yourself helped her, in 1986, to get out of a depression that locked her in her California home for several years.

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“Depression is not romantic: it is shit.” Brigitte Vasallo

Activist Brigitte Vasallo believes that talking about depression does not guarantee a way out of it, but that silence is not the solution. These are his first words written on this topic. His words invite us to reflect on the concept of depression that prevails in society.

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«Your psychiatrist doesn’t tell you everything.» Javier Carreno

The more psychiatry advances, the more mental illnesses there are. And when a person enters any psychiatric service, they leave with a diagnosis and treatment. The psychiatrist and psychonalist Javier Carreño invites us to question why this is so.

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«Your depression is not a technical problem, it is a sign. Listen to it.» Johann Hari

The writer and journalist Johann Hari is a writer and journalist who, after suffering from deep depression, decided to investigate the causes that lead to suffering from this illness. His investigations led him to a clear conclusion: The factors that have been shown to cause depression and anxiety are not in our biology. That means, for this author, that we must look for the causes that are leading us to suffer from depression.

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«Nothing will change if you don’t change.» Gio Zararri

With his books, the writer and popularizer Gio Zarrari has helped us better understand anxiety and depression. Consider that the most important task that we as people have is take care of ourselves to ourselves, because Only in this way will we be able to maintain harmony and keep problems and pain away from our lives.

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»Depression no longer controls my life.» Rafael Narbona

After suffering from depression, the philosopher and literary Rafael Narbona considers that It’s hard to come out unscathed after suffering from deep depression. Although he also thinks that it is possible to continue living and do so with renewed convictions and knowledge.

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«Physical activity and social contact are the two great antidepressants.» Christophe André

Christophe André is a French psychiatrist and psychotherapist. Reading Freud’s work at a very early age led him to dedicate himself to research into the mind and clinical practice. Currently he is one of the most influential students of emotions and believes that both playing sports and being in contact with people These are measures that can greatly reduce the risk of suffering from depression.

11. «Depression is like a bruise that never goes away. A bruise on the mind. You just have to be careful not to touch where it hurts. But it’s always there.» Jeffrey Eugenides

This quote from American novelist Jeffrey Eugenides captures the idea that depression can leave a lasting impact on one’s mental and emotional state, and is a reminder of the challenges that people with depression can continue to face even when they do not experience acute symptoms.

12. «There are wounds that are never seen on the body and that are deeper and more painful than any that bleeds.» Laurell K. Hamilton

This quote reminds us that not all pain and suffering can be seen with the naked eye and that emotional or psychological wounds can be deeper and more painful than physical ones.

13. «If you know someone who is depressed, never ask them why. Depression is not a direct response to a bad situation. Depression is just… like the weather.» Stephen Fry

The renowned British actor, writer and director emphasizes here the need for empathy, sensitivity and understanding when interacting with someone suffering from depression. Remember that we should not make assumptions about the causes of depression and instead it is important to offer support and compassion to those who may be struggling with this mental health issue.

14. «A human being can survive almost anything, as long as he sees the end in sight. But depression is so insidious and worsens daily that it is impossible to see the end.» Elizabeth Wurtzel

The writer Elizabeth Wurtzel dared to address the taboo subject of depression in 1994 in the book “Prozac Nation,” which quickly became a best-seller. In this phrase he offers us a moving description of what it means to live with depression.

15. «Mental pain is less dramatic than physical pain, but it is more common and also more difficult to bear. The frequent attempt to hide mental pain increases the burden: it is easier to say ‘My tooth hurts‘ that ‘I have a broken heart‘” C.S. Lewis

British writer CS Lewis emphasizes the importance of becoming aware of the impact that mental pain has on the lives of those who suffer from it and the difficulties associated with talking about it. It also highlights the need to end the stigma surrounding mental health problems.

16. «Mental health issues don’t define who you are. They are something you experience. You walk in the rain and you feel the rain, but most importantly, you are not the rain.» Matt Haig

This phrase conveys an essential message about the relationship between the person and their mental health problems and emphasizes the importance of recognizing that they are experiences that people go through, but that they do not determine everything they are as individuals. It is important to promote understanding, support and eradication of the stigma surrounding mental health problems.

17. “In addition to my numerous acquaintances, I have one more close confidant… My depression is the most faithful lover I have ever known; it is no wonder, then, that I love her back.” Soren…