Mental suffering

Psychological distress is a subjectively difficult emotional or cognitive state that may reduce well-being and daily functioning.

Definition

Psychological distress may include sadness, anxiety, despair, tension, loss of meaning, overload, or inner pain. Not all suffering indicates a mental disorder, but if it is intense, long-lasting or interferes with sleep, work, relationships or safety, it is worth seeking professional support. A reliable description of suffering should neither pathologize nor downplay it.

Key ideas

Missing key ideas.

Practice and life

Name the condition as specifically as possible: what I feel, since when, how it affects sleep, eating, relationships and action.

Common misunderstanding

It is a mistake to pretend that mental suffering is a weakness. The second mistake is to replace specialist help with reflection alone when the symptoms are serious.

Questions for self-reflection

No questions for self-reflection.

Sources

No sources.