John donne Quote by Kay Redfield Jamison
““ No amount of love can cure madness or unblacken one's dark moods. Love can help, it can make the pain more tolerable, but, always, one is beholden to medication that may or may not always work and may or may not be bearable… But if love is not the cure, it certainly can act as a strong medicine. As John Donne has written, it is not so abstract as one might have thought and wished, but it does endure, and it does grow.””
About This Quote
Source Book: An Unquiet Mind by Kay Redfield Jamison, 1995
Love eases but does not eliminate mental illness; medication remains essential, though love can be a powerful adjunct.
In simple terms: Love helps but medication is needed.
Key Takeaway
Combine love support with proper treatment.
Themes
mental health
love
medication
support
limitations
Mood
hopeful
realistic
empathetic
Type
advice
reflective
When to use this quote
- therapy sessions
- family support
- hospital recovery
- daily coping
- peer groups
Key Concepts
psychology
pharmacology
interpersonal relationships
Questions to Reflect On
- How can loved ones best support someone on medication?
- What boundaries protect both patient and supporter?
A Different Perspective
Love cannot replace clinical care; reliance on love alone may delay needed treatment.
![“...even though [my psychiatrist] understood mor than anyone how much I felt I was losing--in energy, vivacity, and originality--by taking medication, he never was seduced into losing sight of the overall perspective of how costly, damaging, and life threatening my illness was. He was at ease with…” quote by Kay Redfield Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/57f/kay-redfield-jamison-1826_life_even-though-my-psychiatrist-understood-m_3399.jpg)
