Suffering is not an illness

At this year’s Mind Summit, the largest event on mental health and human potential in Latin America, held in São Paulo, psychiatrist Daniel de Barros issued an uncomfortable and necessary invitation: separate what is pain in life from what is mental disorder. Not to belittle anyone, but to take better care of them.

— Suffering is not synonymous with being sick — he said. He is the author of the book “Suffering is not an illness: not all pain needs medication, but all pain deserves care” (Editora Sextante).

We live in a time of accelerated uncertainty: changes in work, fear of losing space to artificial intelligence, pressure for productivity, constant comparison on networks. Our brain likes predictability: when the future seems cloudy, anxiety increases. In this scenario, it is natural to feel fear, frustration, fatigue. The problem begins when all sadness turns into “depression”, all fear turns into “panic”, all exhaustion turns into “burnout”.

According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), around 1 billion people worldwide suffer from mental disorders. There are a lot of people. But it also means that billions of people are suffering without necessarily being sick. Excessive medicalization can even bring momentary relief: “ah, so there’s a name for that”, but it comes at a price:

— When everything becomes illness, we lose the ability to manage what is in life — warns Daniel.

The other extreme, however, is just as dangerous: thinking that everything is “fresh” or “in sync.” According to the psychiatrist, multicontinental studies show a deficit in care. Of those who have a mental disorder, only about half know it. Of those who know, only a part asks for help. And among those who request it, many do not receive adequate treatment. Ultimately, less than 10% receive adequate care. In other words: too many people are treated as sick without needing to be, and too many people become sick without treatment.

This is where a phrase from Cicely Saunders, pioneer of palliative care, takes on weight: “Suffering is only unbearable when no one takes care of it,” says the English doctor and nurse.

Daniel emphasizes that caring is not just about prescribing medication or recommending therapy. It’s also about listening without judgment, adjusting expectations, reviewing environments that make you sick. He says that in automatic tasks, suffering does not necessarily reduce performance. But in complex activities, which require reasoning, creativity and managing difficult people, the impact is enormous. An overloaded mind draws its energy precisely from the most sophisticated part of the brain.

Technology enters this scenario as a promise and a risk. On the one hand, digital tools can support people suffering from mild to moderate suffering, by offering information, exercises and quality screening. On the other hand, Daniel makes an important counterpoint:

— Technology can be a big help, but it doesn’t replace interpersonal experience.

He compares it to music: listening to perfect sound at home is nice, but it’s not the same as attending a live performance. In mental health, the human presence remains irreplaceable.

Speaking of burnout, he points out that medicine has already changed its mind on many labels. “Nostalgia,” for example, was once considered a disease. Today we understand differently. Something similar happens with burnout: it is a response to chronic stress at work and not an individual flaw. The question is no longer “what’s wrong with you?” “” and becomes “What’s wrong with the context you’re in?” »

Ultimately, the specialist suggests an adult balance: recognizing that suffering is part of the human condition, without pathologizing everything, and at the same time taking the signs of illness seriously — especially when the suffering is intense, prolonged and begins to steal sleep, appetite, connections, meaning.

— It’s not a question of romanticizing suffering, it’s a question of putting everything in its place — he summarizes.

For those who arrive exhausted at the end of the year, the message is twofold. Relief: You are not “broken” because you feel bad in a difficult world. Responsibility: We cannot ignore when the weight goes too far. As he sums it up:

— Mental health is not about never suffering. Mental health is about having resources, people and contexts that help us overcome suffering without getting sick.

Perhaps the best end-of-year gift is this: swapping guilt for curiosity. Instead of asking yourself “what’s wrong with me?” ”, ask yourself “what do I need right now?” » And, if necessary, seek qualified help.