NB:Thismaynotbeaword-for-wordtranscript.
MentalIllnessand‘ReasonstoLive’
Whenwearefeelingwellinourminds,wehardlynoticethatwemightbeharbouringinourselvesanythingasformalorasdramatic-soundingas‘reasonstolive.’Wesimplyassumethatwelikelifeitselfandthatitmustbenaturalandinevitabletodoso.Andyetabroadappetiteforlifeis,oncloseinspection,neversimplythat;ourapparentlygeneralbuoyancymustcovertlyrestonarangeofspecificelementsthat,whilewemaynotbothertoitemisethem,havetheirownanddistinctidentities,nevertheless.
It’sonlywhenacrisishitsandourmoodstartstodropthatwemayforthefirsttimestarttofeel,withacutesorrow,whatthese‘reasonstolive’mighthavebeenallalong;it’sasweloseourreasonsthatweunderstandthemwithun