Depression & Anxiety- Mental Illness?

“Mental illness needs to be reframed urgently. Even the phrase must change. Surely there is enough evidence by now to replace that phrase simply with the human condition”. (Rhodes 2018)

I was so delighted to hear James Rhodes* share his views on mental illness.
Over the past twenty years in my counselling practice I have heard very many people share their stories.

Always I have thought to myself, no wonder you are feeling depressed, anxious or whatever.

It seems to me a perfectly normal response to what has been experienced.
What has that got to do with mental illness?

“We cannot expect always to be happy neither can we accept feeling down or anxious for too long”. (Rhodes 2018)

There is a reason for everything.

It can be so worthwhile and insightful to find meaning to your depression, anxiety etc., to work through your issues and find freedom to live more freely and authentically.

I invite you to avoid being labelled with terms like mental illness, or even depression or anxiety

Good News.

What you are struggling with could be a perfectly normal response to earlier trauma and can be worked through with a suitably qualified and experienced counsellor.

* James Rhodes, Viewsnight on Newsnight. Broadcast on BBC2 on Friday 11th January 2018. I recommend you watch his short talk on BBC i- Player.