My Support Forums - View Single Post - Does it ever seem rather self-indulgent?

madisgram · Dec 14, 2008, 01:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SoSadMom

Hi all,

I guess I'm being judgemental, and I'm mostly judging myself. I think about how I (and many of us here) have an intelligent mind, a roof over our heads, enough to eat today, social support if we do not provide those things for ourselves, and yet we still have mental health issues. I'm feeling like a whiner, that I don't have any good reasons to feel badly, and I should just suck it up. Does anyone feel like that? I look forward to my therapy sessions and being listened to, but I feel like "oh poor me, I'm depressed" but there is no good reason. Some of you may have seen that 20/20 program where they talked about which countries have the happiest and unhappiest people ... and a country like India, where they are desperately poor and don't know if their children will even live to the age of 5, they are remarkably happy people. There is no time for depression, bipolar, etc. when you're talking about basic survival. It sometimes seems that those of us from wealthy countries have too much time on our hands to microanalyze everything.

i can certainly see your point about our overindulgence of self in america. yet...
i don't know the answer to your question but i do know that when my bipolar has me and i don't have "it" my entire life is unmangeable. i guess i'd have to say i'm grateful that in america i was able to seek and receive help. otherwise my life wouldn't have been about being a productive human being.
i had to work hard to get to this point of being better-therapy, honesty about what i was feeling with my pdoc and therapist, proper medication after trial and error, trial and error,etc. so the end result has been good for me and i feel i earned every inch of the way. so yes sometimes i will have a day a little down but my gratitude for where i've come from puts it in proper perspective for me. i have too much to be grateful for to let myself down today. i had to fight hard for my very life and fight hard i did. if by some chance i must do that all over again i will fight back again because one day some years ago i chose life.
on the other hand i do realize that many are not as fortunate as me and still struggle with their depression, etc on a daily basis. i am truly sorry they cannot experience what i've found in this new "life" of mine. i wish everyone who still suffers could find relief and solace...and most importantly true peace of mind.