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Since class, I have been trying to reconcile my emotions with my thoughts. It seemed to me, and still seems, that some of this talk is stigma related. Of course we grow and change through pain, of course it changes us, of course it helps us develop. Of course it is an inherent part of our life as humans, and unavoidable. Still, I truly don't think people would be as willing to suggest learning to tolerate pain that was physical or enviromental, or pain that was easily solved. Emotional and mental pain seem mysterious, perhaps always will *be* mysterious, but if there were such things as antibiotics for depression, medications that consistently worked and lightened the brunt, would we advocate avoiding them? And if there never can be, well, let's just do our best with what we have.

Here is how I can reconcile the value of pain tolerance/growth through pain with mental health: Alcohol Anonymous' serenity prayer. I have heard from a few clinicians, separated both from the idea of God and of direct substance abuse, how imporant it can be for patients to be able to ask for "the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference." I think to ask for people to recognize there are no easy answers is crucial, to ask for people to accept that there will ALWAYS be pain is crucial, to ask that people try to learn that half the battle is tolerating these upsetting emotions is crucial. But I feel no more comfortable espousing a Buddhist philosophy for general treatment of mental health than I do any other religious philosophy. (Why not channel hedonists instead?)