I try to remember that there are worse diseases out there. I have seen plenty of people dying agonizing deaths from cancers, ALS, pulmonary fibrosis, etc. Just a couple days ago I saw a young mother in the hospital who had an inoperable brain tumor. She could barely speak. She was crying, but she couldn't even feel the tears on her face, because the nerves to her face are compressed by the tumor so she has no sensation on her face anymore.

Seeing stuff like that makes me feel really lucky that I 'only' have bipolar/mental illness. It helps put things into perspective, you know? We are unlucky compared to most people, but very lucky compared to some. Mental illness does not kill you or shorten your life span unless you commit suicide, and suicide is something you can prevent with the right treatment and support sysem. But there are some diseases (like ALS) where an untimely death is inevitable, and there is nothing you can do to prevent it or delay it.

I think volunteering with terminally ill patients (for example, with a hospice) will help you put your own illness into perspective as well. Some days, I wallow in self-pity. But most days, I just feel lucky that I'm alive and not terminally ill.