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Aug 17, 2025, 09:58 AM
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Desert Kitty hates titles
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Member Since: Jul 2008
Location: TARDIS
Posts: 12,816
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fairy Fountain
@ nonightowl You're right. I've heard several stories about just how terribly people with mental illnesses get treated throughout Asian countries, along with other places across the globe. I think in Western culture, mental health seems to be used for a lot of marketing these days. Band aid solutions and expensive health trends on social media. Like one big advertisement. I think this only got worse with social media. But many people seem more depressed these days. Just like you mentioned with covid. I think whenever there's a discussion on mental health, most people rarely get to the root of the problem.
And thank you so much for your response. You're right about the pressure to conform. This is one of the reasons why I left social media. It only created more anxiety, and I began feeling worse about myself. I also understand how you feel about your neighbors. I've got loud neighbors, too. It's horrible lol. I'm feeling somewhat better today. Hope you're doing well. |
 I like your member name, it reminds me of the fantasy books I read. I also know in Latin cultures, depression or anxiety is seen as a weakness. In the West, mental health seems to be about just "having a positive attitude." It's way over rated and makes saying/thinking ANYTHING "negative" something "wrong". I once made an acquaintance of a man who cut me off, saying, "No negativity, no negativity. Good vibes only". I was merely saying something about how the senior center can do some things better. And that's negative. Well, that conversation ended quickly.
Alluding to the title of your thread, I don't feel like I fit in at the senior center. Everyone is much older than me, or seems to be. But the worse part is everybody seems to have a spouse, grandkids, etc. and they talk about it. They expect me to have this too.
At a time when we really need each other (like during Covid), we are more divided than ever in this country. I'm in the US. Covid divided us like never before, and now this administration. Supposedly, there's a global loneliness epidemic going on, but no solutions.  The pressure to appear cheerful and smiling in the US is unbearable to me now. That meaningless phrase, "How are you?" is killing me. You're supposed to say you're great, what bs. You can't be honest and say what you really feel. I think people can't handle depth; the US is certainly a shallow/superficial culture. It's soul crushing, and I don't get why people think it's better here.
I never did social media and never want to. I don't get this oversharing stuff, but I didn't grow up with it. This is the only forum I do, only one feeling relatively safe. Oh, social media would definitely make me feel worse. I don't have pictures of my smiling family to post, no family at all. And not all families are warm and fuzzy either.
Oh, you made my day just by thanking me for my response. For the most part, anything I say or do, whether online or in real life, I don't get thanks for. Or acknowledgement of any kind. I'm not sure sometimes whether to post in a thread or not; this site is not nearly as busy as it once was.
We have a problem with package theft, like many places. I once grabbed a package for my neighbor, putting it by her door. I left a sticky note that she seems to be out of town and this way it won't get stolen, sitting in the lobby. She didn't thank me so I never did it again. On the flip side, I did it for another neighbor (the one who lived there before her), and HE thanked me by writing a brief note.
I don't do or say things just to get thanks, but they are nice to get. That way I know I didn't waste my time or effort.
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