Today is World Mental Health Day. This site is usually about drums, maqams and 808s, but today I want to write about something I have kept to myself for a long time.
Written by M III D O · 10 October 2026
World Mental Health Day falls on 10 October every year. The World Federation for Mental Health sets its theme, and for 2026 the theme is "Lived Experiences Heard: Real Voices, Real Change." The idea is simple: listen to people who have lived through it, because their voices should shape the help that exists. So here is mine.
I went through severe psychological disorders and breakdowns, and in the middle of all of it I was alone.
By the grace of God, I managed to overcome some of the difficulties. Not all of them, and not in one go. Step by step I started trying to live a normal life again. I am here, and I am writing this.
"A person is his own doctor."
I believe that. For me it means nobody can do the work for you. You have to notice what is happening inside you, be honest with yourself, and choose the small things that keep you standing, day after day.
But a good doctor also knows when a case needs a second opinion. Being your own doctor does not mean being alone. If I could tell my younger self one thing, it would be this: fighting alone is not the same as being strong. Asking for help is part of the treatment, not the opposite of it.
Too many men are taught to carry everything and say nothing. I carried a lot of mine alone. The numbers show how many young men are struggling.
The World Health Organization says suicide is a leading cause of death among young people in every country, rich or poor. Behind every one of those numbers there was a person.
So if you are a young man reading this and something feels wrong, it is not weakness. Tell one person. A friend, your brother, your mother, a doctor, a helpline. Say it out loud once and it gets lighter.
World Federation for Mental Health: World Mental Health Day 2026 · WHO: Over a billion people living with mental health conditions (2 September 2025) · WHO fact sheet: Suicide · ONS: Suicides in England and Wales, 2024 registrations (3 October 2025) · Egypt Independent: Egypt expands mental health support (13 April 2026) · Samaritans: Contact us. My story and my views are my own.