Jewish Wisdom for Mental Health: Understanding Suffering and Emotional Resilience

The number of people suffering from mental illness is remarkably high. Many individuals who lived their lives emotionally stable, confident, and capable suddenly find themselves grappling with excessive and irrational anxieties, imaginary fears, painful depression, and other emotional breakdowns.

In only few cases do mental health issues appear without an identifiable cause. More often, they are triggered by a powerful personal crisis that shocks the system and leads to emotional instability. However, just as preventive care helps maintain physical health and keeps illness at bay, the same applies to mental well-being. The more we train ourselves and our children- especially during good times when life feels stable- to live wisely and understand the meaning and purpose behind challenges and struggles, the better equipped we’ll be to handle them when they inevitably arise.

Let’s explore mental and emotional preventive care from a Jewish perspective- practices that can not only ease suffering during difficult times but, in some cases, even bring about full emotional healing.

Modern Psychiatry and the Human Soul

The following ideas are general insights based on foundational Jewish principles and are intended for the average person. In cases of serious mental illness requiring personal attention, one should consult a qualified, G-d-fearing professional.

Sadly, many current approaches to mental health reflect one of modern society’s gravest errors of viewing the human being as nothing more than a sophisticated animal. This perspective which is contrary to Torah values, has led to treatments that fail to honor the infinite depth of the human soul. Freudian psychology and modern psychiatry often draw comparisons between humans and animals (especially in the field of comparative psychology, heavily influenced by Darwin and his student George John Romanes, who attempted to prove that animals have “basic human-like consciousness”), when in truth, the human being is the crown of creation, endowed with a soul of endless complexity and spiritual depth.

Too often, the clinical approach to mental illness is cold, detached, or even cruel. One day, humanity may look back with outrage at some of the treatment methods accepted today. While it is certainly necessary to restrain a person who becomes dangerously unstable, treatments such as electric shocks and excessive chemical sedation should never be the first response. Anyone working in psychiatry must first and foremost be a compassionate human being, who approaches each patient with reverence, because, like the therapist, the patient is also a person created in the image of G-d.

Four Foundations for Sustaining Mental Health

1. Understanding the Purpose of Suffering

2. Avoiding Unnecessary and Harmful Stress

3. Balanced Responses to the Shortcomings of Others

4. Spending Time in Nature

Mental Wellness Principle #1: Understanding the Role of Suffering

The main reason behind many mental breakdowns is a sense of helplessness in the face of prolonged or sudden suffering. When a person feels completely overwhelmed and there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel, they can descend into fear, isolation, and eventually emotional collapse.

Surprisingly, even highly educated, rational individuals with leadership experience can fall into these traps of imaginary fears and anxiety.

It’s easier to prevent an emotional crisis than to recover from one. Through the right mindset, we can reduce the stress that leads to breakdown and even ease the suffering of someone already in pain. The key lies in preparing the soul to handle hardship, by teaching it to see the deeper meaning of life’s struggles, to trust that all pain has a purpose, and to believe that even what appears bad may contain hidden good.

Judaism’s approach helps pave the path to inner peace and joy. Its foundation is the belief in Divine Providence- that G-d watches over every detail of creation and orchestrates everything for the ultimate good.

A person who internalizes that the world was created for human benefit and that nothing is random, understands that the Creator, who sees the future and knows what’s truly good for each individual, always acts for their well-being, even if that good is hidden.

A person might not understand why their business failed. However if it had succeeded, perhaps the resulting wealth would have harmed their children or even endangered their own life. Similarly, someone born with a physical defect or who develops a chronic illness later in life might never consider that their soul requested this challenge before birth, in order to repair a previous life’s shortcomings.

The human being must trust that their Creator loves them and wants what’s best. Therefore, if they are suffering, there must be a reason that is ultimately for their good.