The article is an opinion piece by Ana Poltera, a businesswoman and mentor in Fertility & Identity, published by Incomparáveis Agency in September, the month of mental health awareness and suicide prevention. In the text, Poltera reflects on how emotional suffering is not always visible, manifesting itself in silence, isolation, and subtle behavioral changes. She argues that the most important question to ask someone is not "are you okay?" but rather "how are you really doing?", and that mental health should be a topic for every day of the year, not just in September.
The author highlights the specific challenges of the immigrant community, mentioning the distance from family, homesickness, loneliness, learning a new language, cultural differences, and the silent pressure to show success to those left behind. She emphasizes that a person can be in a beautiful place and surrounded by people, yet still feel deeply alone and not truly seen.
Poltera shares her personal experience from 2010, when she faced a severe crisis after going bankrupt with a luxury store that accumulated over a million in losses. She describes a moment when she was on the balcony of her penthouse and heard an inner voice telling her to jump. During that period, she reports having believed self-deprecating thoughts, but managed to understand that there was a crucial difference between "failing at something" and "being a failure." It was at that moment that she decided to give herself a chance and began rebuilding her life.
The author also mentions a 2010 study by Austrian researcher Thomas Niederkrotenthaler on the Papageno Effect, which demonstrates the protective potential of narratives showing people facing crises and finding constructive ways to cope with them. Based on this, Poltera announces the "Switzerland Global Connection – Yellow September Edition" event, which will take place on September 25, 26, and 27 in Lausanne, featuring lectures, talk shows, and stories focused on mental health, prevention, and support. The event aims to create an international network connecting Switzerland, Portugal, and Brazil, with the purpose that "connecting is also saving lives."
