It's so important that we figure out a way of moving beyond the

The wise and compassionate Tina Smith, speaking with the voice of both reason and mercy, once declared: “It’s so important that we figure out a way of moving beyond the stigma that still exists around treatment for mental health.” Though her words are simple, their roots reach deep into the ancient soil of human struggle. For what she speaks of is not merely illness or medicine—it is the dignity of the soul itself. To move beyond stigma is to restore compassion to the wounded spirit, to remember that the mind, like the body, can suffer, and that to seek healing is not shame but strength.

In the days of our ancestors, the inner world of sorrow and fear was often misunderstood. Those who suffered unseen wounds of the spirit were called cursed, weak, or even possessed. Their cries were met not with comfort but with judgment, their pain hidden in silence. Even now, in our age of progress, this stigma lingers like a shadow over the heart. People whisper about mental health, as though to speak of it aloud would invite disgrace. Yet Tina Smith calls us to awaken—to break the silence and see the humanity that lies within the suffering. Her words are not only a call to compassion, but to courage, for it takes courage to heal what cannot be seen.

Consider the life of Abraham Lincoln, whose greatness was tempered by deep melancholy. He carried within him a sorrow that would have crushed lesser men. Yet, through that pain, he learned empathy, humility, and wisdom. He once said, “I am the most miserable man living.” And yet from that brokenness, he led a nation through its darkest hour. If mental anguish could touch even such a towering spirit, should we not see it as part of the human condition rather than a flaw? The stigma that surrounds mental health treatment blinds us to this truth: that pain of the mind is not a weakness, but a signal—a call for care, for connection, for healing.

The origin of Smith’s words lies in the modern struggle between knowledge and prejudice. We have medicines, therapies, and understanding far beyond what the ancients dreamed of, and yet many still suffer in silence, chained by fear of judgment. Society often honors the warrior who fights external battles but forgets to honor those who fight their battles within. To seek treatment for the mind is not to confess defeat—it is to wield the weapon of self-awareness against the forces of despair. The true healer is not ashamed of their wound; they are wise enough to tend it.

The stigma that Smith speaks of is a wall built from ignorance and fear, and it stands between the sufferer and salvation. It tells the broken, “Hide your pain,” when they most need to cry out. It teaches the weary to pretend, when honesty would bring healing. The ancients would have called this wall an illusion—a false barrier between the human and the divine. For to acknowledge one’s brokenness is the first step toward wholeness. The philosopher Epictetus said, “No great thing is created suddenly.” So it is with recovery—it requires time, patience, and the acceptance that healing is not weakness, but wisdom in action.

In our time, we have begun to see light breaking through the old shadows. Voices once silenced now speak openly; hearts once hidden now find fellowship. Yet the journey is not complete. Each of us must become a bearer of light, a keeper of understanding. If a friend confides in you their pain, do not meet it with distance or discomfort—meet it with presence, with listening, with love. This is how we move beyond stigma: not through laws or speeches alone, but through the daily practice of compassion.

The lesson, then, is clear and eternal: healing begins when shame ends. Let no one fear to seek help; let no one be judged for their pain. Remember that the mind, like the body, can falter, and that asking for help is not surrender but strength. Each time we speak openly of mental health, we tear down another stone of that ancient wall of misunderstanding. Each act of kindness, each word of empathy, becomes a torch against the darkness.

So, O children of the present and guardians of the future, heed the wisdom of Tina Smith. Do not let silence win where words can heal. Be gentle with yourselves and with others. Honor the battles fought within unseen hearts. For when the day comes that all may seek treatment for mental health without fear or shame, then humanity will have taken one of its greatest steps toward wholeness—not merely of mind, but of spirit. And on that day, we shall know that compassion has triumphed over ignorance, and that love, at last, has healed the wounded soul of humankind.