It has nothing to do with weakness," said Professor Lupin sharply, as though he had read Harry's mind. "The Dementors affect you worse than the others because there are horrors in your past that others don't have."

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

I'm watching Harry Potter, and it reminded me of the above quote that I took along to @whocaresscot Harry Potter Book Club, with @NicolaSturgeon at Bute House.

We discussed various themes and quotations from the books which were important to us as care experienced people & fans

The context of the quote comes from Harry's reaction to the Dementors. These ghoul-like creatures suck the happiness from anyone they come across. Harry finds that they cause him to experience flashbacks to his parents being murdered, which affects him so badly that he passes out

For many readers, the symbolism is clear. The Dementors represent negative thoughts; anxiety, depression, etc.

"Get too near a Dementor and every good feeling, every happy memory will be sucked out of you”.

Harry is ashamed of his reaction to the Dementors and is bullied about it at school. But Lupin teaches Harry not to be ashamed of his reaction, because this stems from traumatic events in his childhood.

Lupin was one of the first 'trauma-informed' teachers that I ever knew.

I brought this quote along to the First Minister to help explain why I supported the work ongoing in Scotland to recognise the lifelong impacts of childhood trauma and why I wanted to see services delivered in a way that is trauma-informed to help support vulnerable people.

That seems especially pertinent today in the context of lockdown; the talk of the ’new normal’ and a news cycle which seems designed to perpetuate and worsen the mental health of people who already live their lives coping with constant low-level existential dread and/or anxiety.

Those who have experienced significant childhood trauma are more likely to suffer from these conditions. Those who have experience of care, where the state effectively controls your life, might find that current restrictions trigger feelings they thought they might have overcome

In the books, Harry must focus on his happiest memories in order to use the Patronus charm to defend himself. The Patronus is 'pure, protective magical concentration of happiness and hope', according to @jk_rowling.

A beam of light is shot toward the dementors, banishing them.

So, to anyone who needs this today, please keep going. Some days the dementors are stronger than others, and on those days it’s most important that we remember to focus on the positives to help expel the darkness.

On #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek2020 and always, I stand with you.

Because through that concentration of happiness and hope, however far away that might feel now, we can overcome anything that they throw at us.

That's something I that try to remind myself every day.