According to the “World Mental Health Survey” conducted by the World Health Organization and sampled in Beijing and Shanghai, common mental disorder patients in China, including anxiety disorders, mood disorders, substance-induced mental disorders due to alcohol and drug use, and impulse control disorders, have an annual prevalence rate of 7%, with at least 63 million people nationwide.
Data from the Mental Health Center of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that neuropsychiatric diseases now rank first in the total disease burden in China, accounting for about 20% of the overall burden, and this ratio is expected to rise to 1/4 by 2020.
When we see many psychological symptoms affecting ourselves, have we ever thought about where this pain really comes from?
I remember Masatake Morita (a Japanese psychiatrist and psychologist who suffered from severe psychological problems in his early years) advocated to
As for Nash, he was ultimately lucky, with his wife’s unwavering companionship and attentive care, and his unique strengths
I believe many people think that part of Nash’s luck led him to meet a loving wife, and part of it had to do with him never giving up on himself, so much so that in the end, he could still see those illusions.
It’s like the line from the movie A Beautiful Mind, many psychology enthusiasts probably know, the protagonist Nash’s prototype is actually the famous mathematician and Nobel Prize winner John Nash.
Over several decades, he was haunted by three people (his three delusions). He knew they weren’t real, but couldn’t convince himself to believe it because they could appear in front of him at any time.
For Nash, in addition to being a patient, he was also a genius, utilizing his strengths in the right places is like what Masatake Morita said – to let things happen naturally, he indeed became himself, perhaps this self is different from others.
Playing God with “dice”? Between life and death, conflict and order, good and evil, there exists a bridge allowing for different ways of thinking, by trying a “different” perspective, one can positively channel negative emotions and solve many problems effortlessly.
We know that nobody is perfect, even though depression is very painful, it’s essential to understand that people with depression have a heightened perception of things, which explains why many talented artists have depressive tendencies.
If a person unfortunately experiences many psychological disorders, they may blame the unfairness of destiny, but it’s crucial to remember that just as in creating people there isn’t a fixed pattern – much like rolling dice, each of us has strengths and weaknesses, just as there’s winter and summer seasons, and one cannot definitively say which is better. What truly matters is whether you can utilize your resources effectively and even transform those unpleasant aspects, perhaps these “flaws” have turned into your strengths?
Like in the movie God of Gamblers, there’s a phrase that has left a lasting impression on me:
The “treasure” behind mental symptoms
Many people suffering from severe psychological issues (such as depression, anxiety, OCD) often say, “They would rather have cancer than suffer from such dreadful mental illnesses.”
It must be acknowledged, psychological disorders indeed have their unique sorrows, as psychotherapy expert Milton Erickson once said:
Thus, we should discern the positive significance behind symptoms, understand the purpose of their occurrence, and solve problems rather than simply fighting against mental illnesses.
On this point, it coincides with the views of Dr. Masatake Morita, as Dr. Huang Lihong said:
Psychologists once gathered two groups of volunteers who felt happiness and sadness, asking them to judge the truthfulness of a range of urban myths and rumors. The results showed that those feeling sad tend to be more skeptical.
Happy or sad emotions can fundamentally change how the brain processes information. When you’re happy, your brain is more likely to subconsciously rely on familiar experiences and knowledge, such as what’s written in books, to make decisions.
We’ve always thought that a person being critical and pessimistic may not be good, for example, those with depression are typical “pessimists” who are also “nitpickers,” naturally, these traits might be seen as flaws in character.
However, scientists once conducted an experiment using volunteers who were stimulated to feel disgust, sadness, happiness, anger, surprise, fear, and various other emotions. When the time was right, they engaged in a money-sharing game to test their sense of fairness.
The results showed that people with happy emotions tended to give themselves more, while the volunteers with negative emotions preferred an equal distribution.
Dr. Huang Lihong explained that
Even disorders like OCD can be very distressing, but if OCD patients can accept themselves, those meticulous and perfectionist traits can actually shape their strengths in executing tasks.
For instance, “Apple’s father” Steve Jobs was an extreme perfectionist, with very severe OCD. He demanded that certain machine circuits be treated like artworks, to a certain extent, you could say he was “abnormal,” but it was precisely this characteristic that truly changed the world, altering our lifestyles according to his thoughts.
No wonder the chapter “Wisdom of Madmen” in the book Outliers says:
Rationally recognizing oneself
Of course, this isn’t to say all problems are good or that we should accept all symptoms (for instance, some personality disorders involve harming others and deviant behaviors).
Just as there isn’t a universal theory or concept that fits all, I’ve observed many psychological disorders exhibit a similar situation: if they are informed that they “have anxiety or depression,” they feel abnormal. At this point, it’s necessary to gently remind them that anxiety also has benefits, and feeling low also has meaning. The appearance of these symptoms doesn’t necessarily indicate that there’s something wrong with certain parts of their body,
It’s not only for individuals with psychological disorders to rationally recognize themselves; every one of us should acknowledge our unique traits because nothing is absolute.
As inscribed on the walls of the Apollo temple in Delphi, Greece – “Know Yourself.” The ancient Greek philosopher Socrates always claimed ignorance, and his famous words were those few – “Know Yourself.”
However, severe mental disorders should still be addressed with medical treatment first, with the help of professionals, perhaps looking at oneself from a different perspective might unveil a different horizon.
