Mental health has quietly become one of the defining issues of our time. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 1 billion people worldwide live with mental health conditions, and mental disorders are among the leading causes of disability globally. Korea is no exception. Depression, anxiety, burnout and loneliness are discussed more openly today than ever before. This alone is progress. For generations, mental health was often shrouded in stigma and silence. Seeking help was considered a sign of weakness rather than strength. Today, many Koreans are finally acknowledging that emotional suffering deserves attention and treatment. Walk around Gangnam Station in southern Seoul, and you will find plenty of mental health clinics promoting their services, alongside the area’s many plastic surgery clinics. Yet as awareness grows, I sometimes wonder whether we risk becoming too eager to label every form of distress as a medical condition. To be clear, medication saves countless lives worldwide. Psychiatrists, psychologists and mental health professionals provide essential