The bottom line: Love is a fundamental human experience that supports emotional connection, resilience, and well being, including for people living with mental health issues. Practising love through everyday relationships, routines, and self care can help individuals cope with grief, loss, and ongoing psychological challenges by grounding them in the present. For mental health practice and care, this reinforces the value of compassion, meaningful connection, and daily stability as core elements of recovery and quality of life.
Love is always around us. In front, behind, to the left, to the right. It exists in quiet moments and in life changing ones. Love is a feeling of deep affection and care for another person, but it is also more than a feeling. It is built on respect, trust, and understanding, and it grows as people grow together. Love can be emotional, mental, and deeply human. It can be a virtue, a habit, a bond, or simply a source of comfort and pleasure.
People living with mental health issues love in much the same way as anyone else. We fall in love. We hug and kiss. We marry, raise children, welcome grandchildren, divorce, and sometimes spend decades together. Love does not exclude anyone. It remains powerful and present for all of us. In that sense, love is not rare or reserved. It is available every day.
To love someone is to become a meaningful part of each other’s life. Love brings joy, purpose, and a sense of belonging. It encourages two people to be their best selves, not through pressure, but through care. At its core, love reflects loyalty, kindness, and concern for another person’s well-being. It has long been central to art, music, and storytelling, because it captures something essential about the human experience. When two people love each other, their connection can be deeply sustaining. Like music and emotion, love tends to find its own harmony. Enough said about metaphors.
Valentine’s Day is often treated as a celebration of love, but my partner and I never attached special meaning to it. To us, it was no different from any other date on the calendar. No rituals, no gifts, no extra expense. Our view was simple. Love does not belong to one day. It belongs to all of them.
Love has the power to shift how we think and feel, sometimes without warning. Stories of love have shaped history, film, and television. Characters such as Tony and Maria from Romeo and Juliet, or Jack and Rose from Titanic, represent what is often called star crossed love. These are relationships shaped by forces beyond the individuals themselves, where external circumstances make lasting union impossible. The idea comes from the belief that destiny controls human connection. Some loves, for reasons we may never fully understand, are not meant to endure.
There are many forms of love. Affection reflects tenderness and closeness. Attachment brings devotion and emotional warmth. Concern shows itself through care for another’s welfare. Attraction involves desire and connection. Commitment is the conscious choice to act lovingly, even when it is difficult. Then there is true love. It often arrives quietly and uniquely. When it appears, it may not return in the same way again. True love goes beyond surface feelings. It involves acceptance, patience, and an understanding of each other’s differences.
Love should not be taken lightly. Its presence can change our emotional landscape quickly and sometimes dramatically. Emotional upheaval does occur, and that is part of being human. This does not mean love is harmful, but it does mean it has weight and consequence.
Over time, I have learned that life cannot revolve around love alone. Each day must be handled as it comes, without living too far in the past or the future. Focusing on the present is often the most practical option. Positive thinking, when used honestly rather than as denial, has helped me through difficult periods.
In my life, I believe I experienced one true love. True love, to me, is a deep and lasting bond between partners who share affection, passion, and contentment. From 2003 until 2015, that love was Maureen. She was my partner, my Sweetie, my love sweet love. I never had another true love before her, and I have not had one since. On June 12, 2015, Maureen passed away. With her passing, something fundamental in my life changed. My love remained, but its form was altered forever. I do not know whether true love will return in my later years. None of us can know what lies ahead.
After grief, it becomes necessary to move forward, even when that feels uncomfortable. For me, this has meant focusing on one day at a time. Alcoholics Anonymous uses many affirming ideas, including the intention to be a better version of oneself. What that means is personal and evolving. Love itself is a process. Becoming a better person is not about perfection, but persistence. I try not to let anything or anyone block that effort.
At one point, I set myself an ambitious goal of having five new or different experiences each day. It was unrealistic. When I failed to meet it, I felt frustrated and disappointed. Still, I did not quit. There is a difference between giving in and giving up. Giving in means surrendering. Giving up means abandoning effort entirely. Neither serves love, healing, or growth.
Eventually, I adjusted the goal. One new or different action each day became enough. Sometimes it is small. Sometimes it is simply choosing a different approach to something familiar. When I manage more than one, I feel a sense of genuine achievement. Small progress matters.
Love, in general, is a positive force. It strengthens emotional bonds, offers support, and improves overall well-being. When love is healthy, it brings happiness, fulfilment, and companionship that can last a lifetime. Love may be idealistic. It may also be imperfect. Still, it remains something worth valuing.
Love is all around us. It is not abstract or distant. It is personal, ordinary, painful, joyful, and necessary. In my view, it is not just good. It is essential.
To my dear Maureen, my Sweetie: I love you. I miss you. For all our years together and always, I still wish you were here.
Howard Diamond is currently not employed due to nerve damage affecting both legs from the waist down, which makes walking difficult. He also experiences visual problems that cause severe headaches.