The language we use to describe our internal lives has shifted dramatically over the last decade. Terms that were once reserved for diagnostic manuals and clinical supervision have drifted into our living rooms and daily conversations. We no longer just say we are stressed; we say we are burnt out. We rarely say we are sad; we say we are depressed. We do not just have a habit of checking the stove; we joke that we are being OCD.
While this expansion of vocabulary has done wonders for destigmatising mental health, it has introduced a new complexity. We are drifting toward a culture that medicalises the standard human experience. In our desire to understand our pain, we often rush to pathologise it. This leaves many people wondering where the line lies between a difficult season of life and a clinical condition that requires treatment.
The Appeal of the Label
It is entirely understandable why we seek out clinical labels for our struggles. Life in the modern world is ambiguous and often overwhelming. When we are feeling a deep sense of unease or an inability to cope, finding a specific name for that experience offers a sense of containment. A diagnosis suggests a clear cause and, by extension, a clear solution.
However, viewing every instance of suffering through a medical lens can inadvertently strip away the context of our lives. If we decide that our anxiety is solely a malfunction of brain chemistry, we might stop looking at the external factors causing it. We might ignore the fact that we are navigating a high pressure job, a relationship breakdown, or the general economic uncertainty that defines so much of our reality.
By pathologising normal reactions, we risk viewing ourselves as broken machines in need of repair, rather than resilient humans adapting to a challenging environment.
Distress Is Often Functional
One of the most important distinctions to make is that emotional distress is not always a sign of illness. Frequently, it is a sign of health. Our emotions are a feedback system designed to keep us safe and help us navigate our social world.
Anxiety is often a mobilisation of energy to help us prepare for a challenge or avoid a threat. Sadness allows us to slow down and process loss. Anger can be a powerful indicator that a boundary has been violated. These feelings are uncomfortable, but they are functional.
When we treat these emotions as symptoms to be eliminated, we lose the opportunity to understand what they are trying to tell us. The goal of psychological health is not to feel happy all the time. The goal is to feel appropriate emotions in response to reality and to have the capacity to move through them without getting stuck.
The Context of Our Environment
We also have to be realistic about the environment we live in. Living in South Africa comes with a unique set of stressors. We manage concerns about safety, the economy, and the future on a daily basis.
If you find yourself feeling hypervigilant or struggling to sleep, it is worth asking if this is a disorder or if it is a rational response to the world around you. If you are exhausted after working long hours to secure your family’s financial future, that is not necessarily a mood disorder. That is a reasonable reaction to a high demand lifestyle.
When we locate the problem entirely inside the individual, we absolve the environment. Sometimes the healthiest thing we can do is acknowledge that we are trying to function in a system that is inherently stressful.
Building Tolerance for Discomfort
A significant part of mental wellness involves building our tolerance for discomfort. We need to learn that we can feel bad and still be okay.
This is particularly relevant for parents. It is natural to want to shield children from pain, but when we rush to fix every moment of sadness or worry, we rob them of the chance to build resilience. We need to teach ourselves and our families that negative emotions are safe to feel. They are like the weather in Cape Town; they might be intense, but they eventually pass.
When to Seek Professional Support
Acknowledging the normality of suffering does not mean we should dismiss clinical conditions. Mental illness is real and it requires professional care. The distinction generally comes down to intensity, duration, and impairment.
If your low mood persists for weeks without lifting and prevents you from functioning in your daily life, that is significant. If your anxiety is so overwhelming that you cannot leave the house or maintain relationships, that requires intervention. If your coping mechanisms are causing harm to your physical health, it is time to seek help.
My role is to help you distinguish between the two. Sometimes that means offering therapy for a clinical disorder. Other times, it means providing a space to simply unpack the weight of being human, without needing to give it a medical name.
Permission to Be Human
We need to give ourselves permission to struggle without assuming we are unwell. You are allowed to have days where you feel flat. You are allowed to feel grief when things change. You are allowed to be tired.
If you are navigating a difficult time and are unsure if what you are feeling is a normal reaction or something that needs clinical support, I am here to help you work through it. My practice in Cape Town offers a space to explore these questions with curiosity and care, ensuring you get the right support for your specific situation.