Posted by lonelygirl on March 19, 2004, at 23:46:34
In reply to Re: Depression as response to reality, posted by Tancred62 on March 17, 2004, at 8:05:33
You know, I really identify with a lot of what you have said. (One exception is that I am sort of a "devout Catholic," which I put in quotes because I generally go through the motions, but I'm not sure why. I try to convince myself to believe in all of it, but I never quite can. Somehow, no matter how much people say it, I just don't feel like Jesus loves me that much.)
I definitely know what you mean about being suspicious of "happy people." You know those motivational posters? They make me SICK. I have a hard time understanding how anyone can actually take them seriously. I thoroughly enjoy http://www.despair.com (actually, I just placed an order there a couple of days ago).
Also, you know the "uplifting stories" people forward around by e-mail for no reason? Well, the only use I have for them is to forward them to an e-mail discussion group where they are labeled as "glurge" and publicly mocked (see http://www.snopes.com/glurge/glurge.asp).
I think that there are just some people in this world who can somehow, I don't know, trick themselves into getting inspired/uplifted by this stuff. I don't know why. I don't know how. I'm sure they are happier for it, but that doesn't mean that I can do the same thing. I'll bet that you have been told to "have a positive attitude" or "learn to love yourself" or something in that vein -- as though you can just decide one day, "Gee, I think I'll have a positive attitude now!" I could say that, but it wouldn't work, because I would KNOW that I was trying to trick myself; I would KNOW it wasn't real.
Same thing goes for the meds... I have discussed this in other posts, but I really resent having meds shoved down my throat as though they will just solve all of my problems. Some of them have never even considered that the reason I am unhappy (or as they would put it, "depressed") is that I have ACTUAL, real-life problems that can't be solved with a pill, unless there is a pill I don't know about that will, say, make people be nicer to me.
As far as "trading in accurate to be happy," I don't know. Maybe I would rather be happy and unrealistic than realistic and sad, but is that really a choice? I don't think it is.
Anyway, just my 2 cents.
P.S. I hope this didn't offend anyone... If so, I am really, really sorry.
poster:lonelygirl
thread:324687
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20040313/msgs/326317.html