MENTAL HEALTH IN THE HEART OF MAUN

Interview with Dr. Arturo José Sánchez Hernández On the completion of his book:  “ Widowhood:Pain, Transformation, and Hope " 🌿 1. Initial Motivation —What inspired you to write about widowhood? This book was born out of encounters with men and women who were going through one of life’s deepest sorrows — the loss of a partner. Throughout my professional practice, I have witnessed interrupted love stories, difficult silences, and journeys of reconstruction that deserved to be told with respect. I also understand that path on a personal level. Having experienced widowhood myself allowed me to see others’ suffering with new eyes — not from theory, but from the empathy that only comes through lived experience. —What led you to turn that understanding into a book? I felt the need to offer a calm and compassionate guide — a voice that could accompany without imposing, that could explain without diminishing the depth of human feeling. I wanted people in grief to find a space wh...

🌿 When someone loses their spouse, their inner world falls apart—but so does their outer world. Suddenly, friends, neighbors, and even close relatives seem unsure of how to act. Some avoid the topic altogether; others try to cheer them up too quickly; and some, with the best of intentions, say things that unintentionally hurt. There’s no manual on how to comfort a grieving person, but anyone who’s lost someone can clearly sense one thing: the discomfort of others. That uneasy feeling when people don’t know what to say, how to look at you, or how to approach you. And in the middle of that discomfort, the widow or widower may end up feeling even more alone. 🌧 When Silence Becomes Distance After a loss, many people withdraw out of fear of “saying the wrong thing.” That distance, though well-intentioned, still hurts. The silence of others can feel like abandonment—right at the moment when companionship is most needed. Sometimes the grieving person stops being invited to gathe...

💖 All relationships have conflicts . It is inevitable. But what truly matters is not the number of disagreements but how they are handled. Some couples distance themselves after an argument, while others manage to strengthen their bond and emerge even more united. 🔥 The art of resolving conflicts without damaging the relationship or extinguishing passion lies in learning to argue with respect , manage differences with maturity, and find ways to reconnect after a disagreement. 💬 Arguing Without Damaging the Relationship Arguments do not have to be destructive. When approached with empathy and effective communication , they can be an opportunity to improve the relationship. 🔹 Avoid Personal Attacks : It's very different to say, "I would like you to pay more attention when I talk to you" than to say, "You never listen to me; you are indifferent." How we express our concerns can make the difference between solving a problem or escalating the conflict. ...

Love is not just about feelings; it is also expressed and strengthened through communication . A relationship where both partners feel understood, valued, and heard has a greater chance of thriving over time. Emotional closeness does not appear out of nowhere. It is built through the way we speak, listen, and connect with our partner. Without affective communication , even the most intense relationships can become fragile and distant. Listening and Being Heard: The Key to Emotional Closeness Talking about love is easy, but demonstrating it through communication requires effort and attention. Exchanging words is not enough; both partners must feel truly understood . 🔹 Listening is more than hearing: Often, we are so focused on what we want to say that we forget to genuinely pay attention to what our partner is expressing. Active listening is key to strengthening the connection. 🔹 Emotional validation is essential: It’s not just about giving advice or solving problems but a...

💔 Sexual abuse is a devastating experience that leaves deep emotional scars. As friends, we can play a crucial role in the healing process of a survivor. Today, I want to share what I learned from supporting a friend who experienced sexual abuse and how friendship can become a refuge during such difficult times. 🤝💙 🛑 First: Listen without judgment One of the greatest gifts you can offer a friend who has experienced abuse is your ability to listen without judgment . Allow them to express their emotions, fears, and frustrations. It’s not always about offering solutions, but about being a constant, reliable presence. 🙏👂 🌱 Be patient: Healing takes time Understanding that the healing process has no set timeline is essential. Some wounds take time to heal, and there will be good days and more difficult ones. Patience and understanding are key to being a good support. 💪⏳ 🌟 Avoid minimizing what happened It is crucial never to minimize the experience of abuse or make comments that...

Not everyone starts from the same place or under the same conditions—and that matters. We live in a culture that constantly invites comparison: who achieved more, who got there first, who’s “winning.” But this competitive mindset forgets something essential: every person begins from a different starting point, with a different backpack and a unique inner landscape. You can’t compare yourself to someone who had different opportunities, a different story, or different wounds… Because each journey is one-of-a-kind. And so, the rhythm must be too. 🌍 We’re all walking… but on different paths Some people are born with privileges: family support, access to education, emotional stability. Others begin life overcoming obstacles: poverty, trauma, abandonment, illness, inner or outer battles. So how can we measure everyone with the same ruler? 📌 It’s not fair, not realistic, and not compassionate. What seems like a small milestone for one person might be a monumental victory for anot...

Sometimes, our relationships with others can be complicated and it's not always clear what our duties and rights are. So, how should we behave in these situations? In these cases, we can be guided by the famous Golden Rule of morality. This rule has a positive version: "Treat others as you would like to be treated"; and a negative version: "Do not do to others what you would not like them to do to you." Confucius called this the "rule of the square or double meter" and explained it as follows: - "What a man dislikes in his superiors, he should not practice in his dealings with his inferiors; what he dislikes in his inferiors, he should not practice in the services he provides to his superiors; what he dislikes in those in front of him, he should not practice with those behind him; what he dislikes in those who follow him, he should not practice with those who precede him; what he dislikes in those to his right, he should not practice with those to...

Tolerance is a Difficult Learning, but Possible and Necessary Home Page  -  Spanish  - Setswana Every human being has to face, from birth, ways of thinking, feeling, and acting different from their own, so it is necessary to learn to live with diversity, which is a difficult learning, although not impossible. - Tolerance is not innate; it is learned. Inappropriate attitudes towards these differences include seeing them as errors to be eliminated or punished. - To the intolerant, difference is an error, error is a wrong, and wrong must be eradicated. - The intolerant seeks to replicate themselves endlessly by molding the rest of humanity in their image. But this rejection is not genetic; it originates in ignorance of the other, the belief that one holds the only valid perspective of reality and therefore an "absolute truth," and a fear that this truth will be affected by others' differences. - The intolerant doesn't say: "I don't share your opinion," but ...