Picture life without mental health struggles. Imagine everyone’s mental well-being shining bright. No depression, no anxiety, no addictions of any kind. No phobias, no nervous tension, no panic attacks. No grudges, no narcissism, no toxic people of any kind… Can you imagine it? I have! I’ve envisioned life as happier, easier, and more beautiful!
But upon reflection… unfortunately, I realized that life might not necessarily become more beautiful or anything like that. It might even lead to a point where there is no life at all.
No, this article isn’t about the famous cliché of “we need to see the monster to appreciate the beauty”… even though it’s true… but that’s not our focus here!
The truth is, that having mental health issues in our lives is very important. It’s a very natural thing and part of our basic nature!
Let me tell you something more shocking. We are originally meant to live our lives filled with continuous physical and mental challenges… It’s God who told us that. “And We have certainly created man into hardship.”
You might say, “Well, there are people who don’t have any hardships or anything. Their life is smooth sailing!”
Whether you think this way or not, it will hinder you a lot in your life… but let me try!
I’ll tell you three very simple things: Firstly, since God is just… 1) People won’t be judged the way you think they will be judged… 2) The challenges they go through don’t have to be visible… 3) Even if you see them, you’ll never feel them the way they feel them… 4) Please look at yourself and mind your own business because your focus on others will never make you happier in any way!
This explains how mental illnesses and other challenges we face every day are an integral part of our lives!
But still, that’s not the whole story!
Because it doesn’t explain why mental illnesses are important and why the absence of mental illnesses could lead to the collapse of the already miserable planet!
But in order to understand why mental illnesses are important, and why their absence could lead to the collapse of the planet, we need to understand the following:
What are the main causes of mental illnesses?
The first cause: is very physical, coming from within (beyond our control): like your genes and family history, or an imbalance in brain chemistry for any organic reason, and so on.
The second cause: is very psychological, coming from outside (also beyond our control): like having a serious medical condition, whether you or someone you love. Your harsh life experiences like stress or abuse, especially in childhood. Alcohol and drugs, lack of friends, feeling lonely, and so on…
So, mental illnesses – whatever their cause – are the result of the psychological problems that a person encountered in their life and how they received and dealt with them.
- Okay, does this mean that if two people are exposed to the same psychological pressures, they will suffer equally? Or will they get the same illness?
- No! Because each of us is designed from within (and from outside) in a completely different way from the other! And the ability of shocks to affect us varies from one person to another.
- Okay, does this mean that the more affected one is weaker than the other?
- No, because personalities are much more complex than simply classifying them as strong or weak!
Let’s go back to the theory that says: Mental illnesses are the result of the development of psychological problems that a person encountered in their life through their life experiences and their handling of them in an unhealthy way (whether willingly or unwillingly), which leads to the development of mental illnesses.
- So, my mental illness is my problem and I caused it?
- No… Stop blaming yourself! 🙂 I just said whether willingly or unwillingly!
In simple terms, our psychological problems, whether they develop into mental illnesses or not – among many other strong things – are considered an integral part of our personalities that we must accept, understand, and, if necessary, treat, to deal with them.
Here – just to be clear in our minds – we need to clarify:
The difference between a common mental problem and a mental illness.
A psychological problem is the ordinary challenges that people face in life, like shyness, for example. Shyness might prevent you from confessing your love to someone, or it might make you confess but in a hesitant manner. Or you might speak well but sweat and feel terrible! Okay? These are symptoms of shyness! Okay?
A mental illness, according to the World Health Organization’s definition, is a condition that prevents you from functioning in your life normally. So, if we take shyness as an example, then shyness would prevent you from doing a job interview. Or it might prevent you from meeting new people… or it might prevent you from even leaving your house. These are symptoms of social phobia or social anxiety disorder, not just shyness.
The VERY Thin Line Between Mental Illness and Creativity
Or as they say, between madness and creativity! 😀
Throughout the past centuries, many psychologists and researchers have discussed the daily relationship they see between creativity and mental health, and with confidence, we can say, based on studies conducted, that there is a significant relationship between creativity and mental disorders, the most important of which are bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and ADHD.
Many studies have shown a relationship between creative professions and people with mental illness. And some studies confirm that mental illness plays a role in the creative process. But still, all studies agree that generally, there doesn’t have to be a mental illness for there to be creativity. This means you can be creative and sane at the same time! 😄
Beethoven had bipolar disorder. Michelangelo had a spectrum of autism. Charles Dickens had depression. Darwin had agoraphobia and he was originally one of the most important geologists (imagine that!). Churchill was bipolar too. Isaac Newton, one of the most important physicists in the world, had autism, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder! (Ah, together)!
If there were no mental illnesses, it would mean that we don’t have life experiences at all, like Jim Carrey in The Truman Show.
If there were no mental illnesses, our personalities would all be the same, and the universe would be destroyed because the main reason for the existence of the universe is our differences from each other!
If there were no mental illnesses, a question similar in strength to my question to the Arabic teacher in elementary school would be: “Why didn’t God create us all rich?” And the one who answered it and brilliantly: “If we were all rich and had a lot of money, who would grow the food we eat?” The answer was strong enough for me at the time.. But when I grew up a bit, I understood that, if we all became rich, we would all be poor.
If there were no such thing as mental illness, life experiences, upbringing, genes, physical and mental problems, people you know, the harsh and sweet circumstances you’ve been through… These are the things that make you, you!
And what is required of you is simply to try to be better.
With the tools you have.
With your mind, your money, your ambition, your religion, your friends, your family.
With what you can do!
And we’re with you 🙂
