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Jun 20, 2010, 12:20 PM
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Member Since: Apr 2010
Location: Florida
Posts: 2,853
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Sunset-L said: "Sometimes people just don't understand how depressed you are. I tell people that I get depressed or feel uncomfortable hearing about other people's happiness & sucess in life. It seems to me that certain people do not understand my feelings or respect them... "
Ygrec23 replied: "Yes! How can a person who's never felt depression comprehend the terrible times through which a depressed person goes? There are some who have such wonderful empathic abilities that they DO understand. But they're a tiny, tiny minority. Most people have a lot to do simply understanding themselves, their family and their friends, let alone someone very different. The basic, species-wide human understanding of other people is very limited.
Even by the time they passed away, I don't think I understood my mother, my father or my brother Peter. And that's after spending many, many days consciously trying to do it. And they all suffered from some kinds of psychological problems which I can't even name, let alone understand. As for them understanding ME, it's literally ROFLOL!!!
I don't think that people are being disrespectful of anyone's sufferings. If the disability is visible people try to help. But mental sufferings are invisible to most. And unless they've been there too they just won't get it. I can't blame them for it. I guess none of our ancestors got an evolutionary advantage from being able to sniff out mental illness. And as far as VISIBLE mental illness is concerned (some types of schizophrenia, mania, etc.), they know something's wrong but it terrifies them because they haven't the faintest idea what it could be.
The only place where you'll be understood is right here at PC, surrounded by people with problems the same as or similar to what you've been suffering all along. Please accept my heartfelt sympathy and PM me any time if you want an understanding ear to listen to you. And I think most folks here would say the same.
Good luck and take care! 
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