Depression leads to more compassion towards others?

[mahon83050]

From someone who has suffered from anxiety/depression for over 1/2 of my life, I think this is a true statement.

Until you have felt it, I think there IS NOT GREATER HELL ON EARTH, then feeling depressed. I am not talking about a day or two here and there, but ongoing for atleast 2 weeks or more.

Why do you think most people kill themselves? It sure ain't because they have arthritis or broke a few bones and can't take the physical pain. It comes from a crushed spirit......

Since I have suffered from depression, I think it has caused me to show more emphathy towards other people and relate towards them. I sometimes wished I lacked emphathy since selfish, non-emphatetic people seem to get ahead in this world and always get what they want without feeling bad.

I guess on a spirtual level, becoming more compassionate towards others because of depression IS A BLESSING. However, if you look at it from an earthly and worldly viewpoint, it is a CURSE.

Those who lack compassion (like my father does sometimes) NEVER FEEL BAD or FEEL GUILTY about somebody elses suffering and it does not phase them one bit.

I want to hear from those who have suffered from depression at one time or currently are. Has your depression made you more compassionate and emphatetic? Do you think this is good or bad?

 

[Bvbidd]

It did at first, then I realized how nobody else gave a sh!t and decided to do the same.

 

[chevelle]

Hey bro, i just sent you a pm but your box is full. I know exactly what your talking about regarding depression. Clean out your inbox and i will try to send you another message.

I wouldn't wish depression on anybody! It hurts so bad!

 

[The Sperminator]

"Until you have felt it, I think there IS NOT GREATER HELL ON EARTH, then feeling depressed. I am not talking about a day or two here and there, but ongoing for atleast 2 weeks or more."

2 weeks is nothing. Some people go through it for years. Yeah it hurts. Depression eats you up little by little every day until theres nothing left. I've been depressed before and there were times when I didn't even want to wake up in the morning because I didn't think I had a reason to get up. But yeah I think it does make you more compassionate and kind hearted to people because
you went through depression and you know you would of appreciated it if someone was kind to you. Why would you feel bad about being more empathic towards people? The selfish will get what is coming to them in the end run. Most of those people are losers who live a lonely life. They aren't good people. You will notice your life gets a lot better when you help and are kind to others. All in all though I think me going through depression was good because it made me a stronger person, plus it makes me appreciate life a little more.

 

[mahon83050]

"Until you have felt it, I think there IS NOT GREATER HELL ON EARTH, then feeling depressed. I am not talking about a day or two here and there, but ongoing for atleast 2 weeks or more."

2 weeks is nothing. Some people go through it for years. Yeah it hurts. Depression eats you up little by little every day until theres nothing left. I've been depressed before and there were times when I didn't even want to wake up in the morning because I didn't think I had a reason to get up. But yeah I think it does make you more compassionate and kind hearted to people because
you went through depression and you know you would of appreciated it if someone was kind to you. Why would you feel bad about being more empathic towards people? The selfish will get what is coming to them in the end run. Most of those people are losers who live a lonely life. They aren't good people. You will notice your life gets a lot better when you help and are kind to others. All in all though I think me going through depression was good because it made me a stronger person, plus it makes me appreciate life a little more.

Well, I am not saying the longest I have had it was two weeks. And yes, there are times I wish I could sleep 18 hours a day and have no motivation to get up in the morning. I still deal with this today, sometimes I think all life is, is pain and suffering.

I agree with you about selfish people in what you are saying. However, ONLY caring about yourself most of the time makes you enjoy life more because others sufferings do not take you down or weigh on your mind at all.

I am trying to exercise 4-5 days a week, it supposed to WORK and BEAT depression.

 

[joekerr31]

being selfish doesn't get you ahead. this is a fallacy.

yes there are selfish people who do get ahead. guess what, there are also just as many, if not more, who are destroyed by their selfishness.

moreover, a lot of those who do get ahead, ultimately end up losing whatever they have down the road.

and even those who do get ahead, often its because they are very good at what they do. and as successful as they are, they would have been even MORE successful had they not been selfish pricks.

moreover, there are lots of peoplep who werent selfish pricks, got to the top, and then the power goes to their head and they become selfish pricks (and then things start to fall apart). so they didn't even get to the top being selfish, they became that way when they got the power.

its one of the biggest fallacies that being a cold hearted ruthless person will make you successful.

working hard, being passionate, and being respectful of others and most important being resiilient to life's adversities are the key to success. and there are way more successful people with these qualities than there are cut throat selfish people - its just that the selfish people stand out a lot more and catch our attention more.

 

[penkitten]

i deal with depressed people everyday in my line of work. there are 2 kinds.
1. usually most depressed people take everything out on other people and then blame their depression or just plain out blame the other person.
deep inside they have no idea how their depression effects them or others. to be honest, i don't even think most people really know what exactly depression is except for the characteristics that come out in an ad for the meds that talk about depression.
so if they don't know what depression really is , then they do not know what will make it worse or what will make it better.
these are the people that tend to fly off the handle over everything.
*** i believe this is a learned behavior.****

2. then there are the soft spoken ones. the ones too quiet for their own good, keeping their pain bottled up inside themselves in some sort of secret little box. you ask how they are and they answer meekly that it's all good, with a shiver or a tear they hope you didn't see.
they want to be invisible.... because they want their pain to be invisible.
if they saw you be nasty to someone, they would certainly hug that person you were nasty to and go home to pray for them.
certainly, i think they have more compassion for the human race than others.
they have been to therapy and counciling to deal with this depression/ocd. they are educated on what they have, what could have caused it and what will and will not help them. you don't see them use it as a crutch or excuse. they just simply don't mention it.
****i believe they can not help having the depression/ocd illness ***


ok thats my ten cents.