Aeon+Psyche

Key takeaways from Chinese philosophy has long known that mental health is communal

The early Chinese philosophers knew that a healthy mind comes from a harmonious community, not a matter for individuals alone Open at source

280

Reader View

Made me smarter

Read later

Most highlighted

we should take to heart their point about how communally influenced features of our behaviour and attitudes can contribute to causing mental illness and must play a role in treatment.

As Confucius himself said: ‘The faults of an individual are in each case attributable to their group.’

Your notes & highlights

Save highlights in Reader View or with our Chrome extension.

This your link? Claim it

More like this
BBC Breaking News
Coronavirus: How to protect your mental healthBBC Breaking News
5 min read · 2020-03-16 · Advice on protecting your mental health during the coronavirus outbreak.
health
mental health
coronavirus
WIRED
Doomscrolling Is Slowly Eroding Your Mental HealthWIRED
5 min read · 2020-06-25 · Checking your phone for an extra two hours every night won’t stop the apocalypse—but it could stop you from being psychologically prepared for it.
mental health
social media
digital life
The Guardian
What we're getting wrong in the conversation about mental healthThe Guardian
6 min read · Mar 29th · Increased use of psychiatric language means ordinary distress is being medicalised, while the seriously ill are not being heard, says psychologist Lucy Foulkes
mental health
psychology
medical
Most highlighted
Evidently, since my friend’s acute distress passed within a few weeks, he didn’t sit clearly in the territory of what we might call “mental illness”. But he certainly wasn’t mentally healthy for those weeks either. Instead, I realised, he sat somewhere in the vast grey plains between the two.  Everything we might think of as a “symptom” of mental disorder – worry, low mood, binge eating, delusions – actually exists on a continuum throughout the population. For each symptom, we vary in terms of how often we experience it, how severe it is, how easily we can control it, and how much distress it causes. In the terrain of mental health, there is no objective border to cross that delineates the territory of disorder. On top of this, the thoughts, feelings and behaviours that appear temporarily as a natural response to hardship and stress – like when we’re heartbroken – exactly mimic those that, should they persist, are defining features of mental disorders. So blurry are these boundaries that some psychologists argue we shouldn’t use the terms “illness” or “disorder” at all, and should only view all of this as matters of degree.
The current conversation can be summed up as follows: you should notice, scrutinise and seek help for negative psychological experiences. Of course, for some people, this message will be essential. For those who are suicidal, it can be lifesaving. But the message misfires when it implies that all negative states are problems, health problems – and things that can and should be fixed. That’s not how life works.
Interpreting your low mood as a sign of depression, for example, can actually cause you to spiral into the very depression you’re worried about. We know this from research into mindfulness-based therapies for people with recurrent depression: learning to view low mood as “just” that, rather than as a start of a new depressive episode, can help reduce risk of relapse.
The Guardian
Lost touch: how a year without hugs affects our mental healthThe Guardian
6 min read · Jan 24th · Humans are designed to touch and be touched – which is why so many who live on their own have suffered during the pandemic. Will we ever fully recover?
psychology
mental health
Most highlighted
One set of fibres exists purely to register gentle, stroking touch: the C tactile afferents (CTs).
The highest density of CTs across the body are in the parts we can’t “groom” ourselves, such as the shoulders and back.
The Conversation
Writing can improve mental healthThe Conversation
4 min read · Jun 17th · Plus some prompts to get you started.
writing
mental health
writing tips
Most highlighted
Writing creatively offers a unique way to explore thoughts, feelings, ideas and beliefs. For instance, you could write a science fiction novel that represents your concerns about climate change or a children’s story that speaks to your beliefs about friendship. You could even write a poem from the perspective of an owl as a way to represent your insomnia.
Ernest Hemingway famously said that writers should “write hard and clear about what hurts”.
Each of these writing prompts will give you a chance to reflect on this past year, ask yourself important questions, and make creative choices. Spending just 15 minutes doing this may give you an opportunity to become more self-aware – which could lead to improvements in your mental health
WIRED
It’s Not Just You: Everyone’s Mental Health Is SufferingWIRED
2 min read · Jan 18th · If you’re thinking, “Oh, I just need to suck it up,” stop. What you’re feeling is real. Here’s how to cope.
psychology
Axios
Mental health is the next big workplace issueAxios
2 min read · Aug 16th · Firms that confront mental health are poised to win the war for talent.
psychology
mental health
Most highlighted
72% of U.S. employers say stigmas associated with mental health and addiction are keeping workers from seeking help, per The Hartford's study. The more we talk about it, the faster the stigma goes away, Swift says.
Without chance encounters at the water cooler, we can slip into the habit of only discussing work matters with colleagues.
Managers should regularly check in with workers and should themselves be responsible for fostering an environment in which workers feel comfortable discussing personal problems,
Quanta Magazine
Mitochondria May Hold Keys to Anxiety and Mental HealthQuanta Magazine
8 min read · 2020-08-10 · Research hints that the energy-generating organelles of cells may play a surprisingly pivotal role in mediating anxiety and depression.
psychology
mental health
BBC Breaking News
Mental health: Can you tell if someone is struggling?BBC Breaking News
1 min read · May 10th · Coronavirus has affected many people in different ways - how would you react if someone needed support?
mental health
psychology
scenarios
Most highlighted
Around one in five adults experienced some form of depression in the first few months of this year, more than twice as many as before the coronavirus pandemic struck.

More like this

The 5 most relevant links from around the web. With summaries + highlights.

Welcome back

Share link