There are three myths about mental health illness that can be dispelled by a single verse in the Qur'an:
وَابْيَضَّتْ عَيْنَاهُ مِنَ الْحُزْنِ فَهُوَ كَظِيمٌ
And his eyes turned white out of the grief he suppressed
Myth #1: A good Muslim doesn't suffer from depression, anxiety or other mental health illnesses
Yet, this verse clearly shows us that Prophet Ya'qub (upon him be peace) suffered a significant amount of grief over the loss of his son Yusuf (upon him be peace). Can anyone say that Ya'qub was not a devout believer?
Myth #2: Mental health illnesses aren't a big deal. Just get over it.
In this verse, Allah shows us how emotional pain can be so intense and commandeering that it can even manifest itself physically. Prophet Ya'qub suffers what is today called somatization. His sadness is literally so intense that it causes his eyesight to be lost. No one would say losing your eyesight isn't a big deal. Likewise, so much of our physical health is dictated by our emotional disposition (ulcers, heart disease, blood pressure, etc).
Myth #3: Therapy or talking about your problems can't help.
The end of the verse "فَهُوَ كَظِيمٌ" (i.e. "so he was of those who suppress") Allah explains in part why Prophet Ya'qub's pain was so intense.
Prophet Ya'qub had to swallow and suppress his pain. He had no one to speak to, since he had strong suspicions that his sons had something to do with Yusuf's disappearance. He had no one to speak to, or complain to, other than Allah. So he kept his grief suppressed from his family, which only made his pain worse.
Inversely we can understand from this verse that by speaking to others, we can relieve ourselves of some of the pain we carry. So many of the Prophetic Hadith encourages righteous companionship and friendship, no doubt in part because having a good companion that you can speak to can strengthen you mentally and spiritually.
The verse here by the way is Q 12:84.
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