The Best Mental Health Advice I’ve Ever Heard – Johann Hari

Now in a second ‘lock-down’, I am keen to share this email I sent to our support group in July 2020…

Yes, it is the same story as Natalie was referring to on 30^th Dec 2018. Here, on YouTube, is the same story from 11th Oct 2019… If only time to listen to one talk today, I suggest this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MB5IX-np5fE

Especially listen 16m 30s, “We live in a machine that is designed to get us to forget what’s important in our life.” and 19m 00s, “your pain doesn’t mean anything………………… no……. it is there to tell you something.”

This is the slightly shorter version with advertising added at the end… 18th June 2020

It is a good story worth repeating and, for me, very relevant to my current situation. My emotional difficulties are undoubtedly closely coupled to things going on in the real world and I feel not to be dismissed as ‘all in my head’ / ‘a chemical imbalance’. It is not as simple as just loneliness or as simple as me berating myself for mistakes made. It is a complex mix of so many things. A mix that cannot be resolved by any prescription medication.