Robin Williams death got me thinking...

[J Shuttlesworth]

You can have damn near everything. All the power and money in the world, a beautiful wife, kids, be beloved by the entire world...

And it's still not enough to keep some people happy throughout a life time. Depression is a powerful thing. Loneliness isn't all about being around people, but more so having people who can relate to your struggles. It's something strong enough to lead a man (who most people dream to be as successful as) to hanging himself.

I think about my problems a lot. I'm currently single, just have a few close friends, somewhat anti-social, but god be damned if I even ponder the thought of hanging myself. I have nowhere near as much money or fame as Robin Williams had, yet I'm clearly much happier than he was. It really puts into perspective what happiness is. I used to think money not being able to buy happiness was bullshit because money buys you financial security, which seems like it would take away stress for a lot of people. Guys like Robin Williams prove the "Money can't buy happiness" quote to be true.

Normally celebrity deaths don't make me think about things like this. Something about a guy like Robin Williams hanging himself just really put things into perspective. I guess when you read into his backstory and see he was addicted to drugs/alcohol at various points in his life, it doesn't seem to shocking.

I'm honestly going to try to make a more conscious effort to think about things that make me happy in life, and work on improving those instead of dwelling about shit that is depressing. Music, family, work is really all I need to be happy and stable... A little NBA doesn't hurt either :cheers:

Sorry for the rant... Not sure if anyone will read it lol

[oh the horror]

I think the important thing is to recognize when your thoughts become negative. Catch yourself and refocus on the good. As cliche as that sounds it's important.

[Swaggin916]

Eventually people have money for so long that it no longer feels like security... just something they have and can easily get more of if need be. I think Robin with a mind that worked as quickly as his did was a blessing and a curse. I don't know the details... but another thing too is that when you experience such highs as he did, it can be tough knowing that you will never reach them again. Again don't know if that had anything to do with it, but those are some of the things I thought about when I heard it.

[b1imtf]

If I had the money he did I would've died earlier.

[BrainDead]

I'm honestly going to try to make a more conscious effort to think about things that make me happy in life, and work on improving those instead of dwelling about shit that is depressing. Music, family, work is really all I need to be happy and stable... A little NBA doesn't hurt either :cheers:

This is basically where I'm at in my life right now.

[OncePerMonth]

I think that it is potentially easier to kill yourself when you have everything. If you get depressed, you tell yourself "I have everything I ever wanted and I still don't want to live." Compare that to a person who is down on his luck that can say "I hate my life. It is such a struggle. Maybe someday I'll get that promotion I want and with the money I'll have a better life."

[Rake2204]

I think about my problems a lot. I'm currently single, just have a few close friends, somewhat anti-social, but god be damned if I even ponder the thought of hanging myself. I have nowhere near as much money or fame as Robin Williams had, yet I'm clearly much happier than he was. It really puts into perspective what happiness is. I used to think money not being able to buy happiness was bullshit because money buys you financial security, which seems like it would take away stress for a lot of people. Guys like Robin Williams prove the "Money can't buy happiness" quote to be true. I think I've read studies that suggest money can buy happiness, but most likely in the form of experiences (i.e. using money on traveling vs. purchasing numerous fancy cars to showcase). I think I've also read about reports where money yields an increase in happiness, but only up to a certain level of earning.

Either way, yes, I think the point remains. Depression is a different beast altogether (and henceforth "Just be more thankful and happy" isn't a feasible solution). But in my own life, I think I've been pretty cognizant of the limited happiness associated with my physical belongings. There's been times where I've felt like, "Man! If I only had that! Then things would be awesome!" And when I get that possession, things are awesome, but then I acclimate myself to that possession and everything normalizes again.

I suppose that's kind of what I felt being rich might be like for me. Buying a Ferrari would be crazy. But at some point, wouldn't I eventually adjust to having it and accept it as a simple truth, as opposed to it being an absolute luxury that should forever appreciated and cherished?

Long story short, I think it's important to appreciate what it is we have, but more does not always mean better, as I'm certain many have already concluded. But it's a good thing to keep in mind from time to time.

[JohnFreeman]

get rich or die trying

[9erempiree]

"Money is not everything but it makes dreams come true." -9erempiree

[BasedTom]

Good post, OP.

[9erempiree]

I think I've read studies that suggest money can buy happiness, but most likely in the form of experiences (i.e. using money on traveling vs. purchasing numerous fancy cars to showcase). I think I've also read about reports where money yields an increase in happiness, but only up to a certain level of earning.

Either way, yes, I think the point remains. Depression is a different beast altogether (and henceforth "Just be more thankful and happy" isn't a feasible solution). But in my own life, I think I've been pretty cognizant of the limited happiness associated with my physical belongings. There's been times where I've felt like, "Man! If I only had that! Then things would be awesome!" And when I get that possession, things are awesome, but then I acclimate myself to that possession and everything normalizes again.

I suppose that's kind of what I felt being rich might be like for me. Buying a Ferrari would be crazy. But at some point, wouldn't I eventually adjust to having it and accept it as a simple truth, as opposed to it being an absolute luxury that should forever appreciated and cherished?

Long story short, I think it's important to appreciate what it is we have, but more does not always mean better, as I'm certain many have already concluded. But it's a good thing to keep in mind from time to time.

Basically what I mean when I say it makes dreams happen. For example, I love traveling and one of my goals is to visit every country in the world, minus the war torn countries and other nations deemed not safe but anyways in order for that to happen, one must have some security such as money.

[J Shuttlesworth]

Basically what I mean when I say it makes dreams happen. For example, I love traveling and one of my goals is to visit every country in the world, minus the war torn countries and other nations deemed not safe but anyways in order for that to happen, one must have some security such as money.
Money can buy experiences, but the experience itself doesn't necessarily make you happy. I'm sure Robin Williams has taken plenty of vacations and look where he ended up. I don't think it's the physical nature of going somewhere beautiful on vacation that makes you happy, but just the ability to get away from the stresses in your life momentarily. You can do this without spending money. Vacations that involve working aren't nearly as enjoyable as ones that are just free time away from your normal routine.

[DCL]

does a person even need a reason to be depressed?

i mean, can a person have everything he ever wanted and still be depressed due to some messed up wiring in the brain? is that how some depression works?

that would f--king suck if nothing in the world can make you happy.

[bdreason]

I suffered a severe clinical depression in my mid 20's. I lost over a year of my life to it. Depression is difficult to deal with because you isolate yourself from your friends and family, and the longer you stay in isolation, the more depressed you become. Throughout my depression I never considered taking my own life, but I understood why someone would. Every day I woke up with no desire. No desire to eat, to talk, to play, to do anything. It's like everything in the world was dead to me, and no matter how hard I tried to care, I simply didn't. I had mornings when I would get in the shower and just cry. I would think about all the things I used to love to do, and wonder when I would feel that love again. It's like your soul is trapped in a cage, and you can't figure out how to get it out... and nobody else can figure it out for you.


Anyways, before suffering my depression I was one of those people that probably would have looked at someone with depression as weak minded. It's an impossible disease to understand unless you experience it yourself. How I ended up getting better was returning to school to get my Real Estate license. The return to education really helped me gain a new focus in my life, and I've been working in Real Estate ever since (2005). For anyone who is suffering from depression, my advice is to just recognize that you're not alone, and that things WILL get better. Try to focus on something positive, and stick with it, even though the activity may feel joyless.

[J Shuttlesworth]

I suffered a severe clinical depression in my mid 20's. I lost over a year of my life to it. Depression is difficult to deal with because you isolate yourself from your friends and family, and the longer you stay in isolation, the more depressed you become. Throughout my depression I never considered taking my own life, but I understood why someone would. Every day I woke up with no desire. No desire to eat, to talk, to play, to do anything. It's like everything in the world was dead to me, and no matter how hard I tried to care, I simply didn't. I had mornings when I would get in the shower and just cry. I would think about all the things I used to love to do, and wonder when I would feel that love again. It's like your soul is trapped in a cage, and you can't figure out how to get it out... and nobody else can figure it out for you.


Anyways, before suffering my depression I was one of those people that probably would have looked at someone with depression as weak minded. It's an impossible disease to understand unless you experience it yourself. How I ended up getting better was returning to school to get my Real Estate license. The return to education really helped me gain a new focus in my life, and I've been working in Real Estate ever since (2005). For anyone who is suffering from depression, my advice is to just recognize that you're not alone, and that things WILL get better. Try to focus on something positive, and stick with it, even though the activity may feel joyless.
Damn that was pretty emotional to read. I can't imagine waking up with no desire for anything. I mean I have moments here and there where I feel like crying about something, but can't imagine feeling that constantly. Glad you were able to figure it out and overcome it. True Warrior (pun intended) :rockon:

Just curious... What gets you going now? What are your desires? What do you look forward to when you wake up?

Also, when you were depressed, what was your life like? I know you said you isolated from friends and family... to what extent? How often would you see them? Did you have a significant other at the time?

[DCL]

but i always thought depression was something else... like an inexplicable feeling when you're just down all the time for no reason at all and you can't even analyze it.

i don't know if it should be labeled as a disease though if there's some strong reason behind it... like someone got fired and lost their dream job, maybe they got marriage/relationship issues, health problems, financial setbacks, or maybe a loved one left, etc. when these things happen, i think it's actually quite normal and human nature to be depressed. i mean, if these circumstances lead to depression, then i think just about anyone can have depression.

but do some people really get depressed for no reason at all other than abnormal wiring of the brain??

[Dresta]

No shit sherlock. If you can't understand how someone rich can become suicidal then you must be pretty shallow.

But of course money can't 'buy' happiness: it can buy temporary pleasure and enjoyment, and perhaps even satisfaction, but it will not buy the non-existent ideal of continuous happiness.

[russwest0]

I had severe depression after my first semester at college and it was horrible. I'd stay up every night crying and usually only ended up getting 2-3hrs of sleep before classes or or work.

Mine wasn't drug related or anything, but rather a matter of circumstance. I had fallen in love with a cold hearted bitch who had been dragging me through the mud for a year making me think she loved me but now would refuse to answer my calls but would still send me signals through texts and shit... And I had failed my first semester when I wasn't even ready to go to college yet but was forced to by my family... And to make matters worse I was living at my grandmas who would always tell me how big of a fukk up I was, while I was also getting angry calls from my mother (who I had pulled aside a year earlier and told her I wanted to wait a year before going to college but she stupidly bitched at me and told me that EVERYONE who waits never goes...) and other family members calling me a failure...

The end result was me checking into therapy, and me being too depressed and ashamed to tell my therapist anything so the therapist tried to prescribe me shit to take to make me feel better but I declined and just took some time alone and after about 6 months of tuning all of the talking heads around me out I finally felt better.

I thought about suicide all the time but thankfully never went forth with any plan to kill myself. It definitely seemed like one of the only options at the time though.

[russwest0]

Also, that therapist I checked into was definitely well attractive for her age (probably early 40s) and every session she would always flirt with me.

She would say stuff like "Hey, I'm just an ugly old lady, but I really do believe that you are a really attractive young man. You need more confidence." At the time I didn't realize she was using those open ended comments to try and lure me in to responding with some sort of flirtatious statement back. I felt so shitty that I basically missed every signal from everyone trying to be nice or flirtatious with me at that time.

I could have definitely hit that, and I know this because my grandma told me that she actually heard from one of her neighbors that that therapist was having an affair with some college kid at a nearby college a few years back.

[longtime lurker]

Depression is real folks. The key is to get help and surround yourself with a good support system. If you know someone who's depressed encourage them to get help and realize that it's not something you can just snap out of.

[BigBoss]

I think what people's problem is that they always want more. After money, then what? Is this really what life has to offer? That could depress a lot of people.

[~primetime~]

Robin Williams battled addiction problems and had bipolar disorder as well. Mental illness like that can't see your money or family. It also isn't normal depression, people with bipolar disorder have high suicide rates.

[BigBoss]

I had severe depression after my first semester at college and it was horrible. I'd stay up every night crying and usually only ended up getting 2-3hrs of sleep before classes or or work.

Mine wasn't drug related or anything, but rather a matter of circumstance. I had fallen in love with a cold hearted bitch who had been dragging me through the mud for a year making me think she loved me but now would refuse to answer my calls but would still send me signals through texts and shit... And I had failed my first semester when I wasn't even ready to go to college yet but was forced to by my family... And to make matters worse I was living at my grandmas who would always tell me how big of a fukk up I was, while I was also getting angry calls from my mother (who I had pulled aside a year earlier and told her I wanted to wait a year before going to college but she stupidly bitched at me and told me that EVERYONE who waits never goes...) and other family members calling me a failure...

The end result was me checking into therapy, and me being too depressed and ashamed to tell my therapist anything so the therapist tried to prescribe me shit to take to make me feel better but I declined and just took some time alone and after about 6 months of tuning all of the talking heads around me out I finally felt better.

I thought about suicide all the time but thankfully never went forth with any plan to kill myself. It definitely seemed like one of the only options at the time though.

Sorry to hear that dude, but you survived and what you experienced is normal and part of being human. Stay away from medication there isn't long term research on it and the mental health industry thrives through pharmaceuticals, so they're quick to prescribe shit which is a quick fix but doesn't solve underlying problems which takes a lot of work i.e cognitive restructuring/positive thinking, setting goals, and cleaning up your act. Now you've made some threads about moving out with friends, drug use, lacking discipline at times, etc so i believe you want to be a better person but have not fully committed to it yet which is fine, but at a certain point you need to really get yourself in gear and not perpetuate or bring back those negative emotions you have felt. Depression will just come back and own you again. Peace of mind is necessary to maximize your potential as is sacrifice i.e. Partying, being one of the guys.

Thanks for sharing that ive been through tough patches myself a few years ago and im all about personal greatness/development these days :cheers:

[niko]

I've never had depression. I used to get locked on thoughts though, essentially there'd be a problem my brain was telling me NEEDED to be fixed which it didn't really. It made things difficult till I learned to get past it. It basically made me feel "off" to the point I was distracted. The brain can be a bad thing when it's not working for you.

That's one thing about chemicals, some of you are in love with them but you need to be careful because drugs/drinking sometimes mask your problems, and also make your mood swings too high and too low. It's not a coincidence that people killing themselves often have both the depression and the chemical issues. It's a really bad combination.

If you ever just can't break the funk past the time it should be broken it might be a point to make sure you're ok and it's that you really are sad and not just that you can't pass it.

[niko]

but i always thought depression was something else... like an inexplicable feeling when you're just down all the time for no reason at all and you can't even analyze it.

i don't know if it should be labeled as a disease though if there's some strong reason behind it... like someone got fired and lost their dream job, maybe they got marriage/relationship issues, health problems, financial setbacks, or maybe a loved one left, etc. when these things happen, i think it's actually quite normal and human nature to be depressed. i mean, if these circumstances lead to depression, then i think just about anyone can have depression.

but do some people really get depressed for no reason at all other than abnormal wiring of the brain??

For sure. We have a friend like that. She brought the kids over to me one day and just told me that she just can't function, it feels like something is wrong, can i watch them? Which sounds bad but is actually pretty smart. She's been getting help now, she's better.

[Akrazotile]

You can have damn near everything. All the power and money in the world, a beautiful wife, kids, be beloved by the entire world...

And it's still not enough to keep some people happy throughout a life time. Depression is a powerful thing. Loneliness isn't all about being around people, but more so having people who can relate to your struggles. It's something strong enough to lead a man (who most people dream to be as successful as) to hanging himself.

I think about my problems a lot. I'm currently single, just have a few close friends, somewhat anti-social, but god be damned if I even ponder the thought of hanging myself. I have nowhere near as much money or fame as Robin Williams had, yet I'm clearly much happier than he was. It really puts into perspective what happiness is. I used to think money not being able to buy happiness was bullshit because money buys you financial security, which seems like it would take away stress for a lot of people. Guys like Robin Williams prove the "Money can't buy happiness" quote to be true.

Normally celebrity deaths don't make me think about things like this. Something about a guy like Robin Williams hanging himself just really put things into perspective. I guess when you read into his backstory and see he was addicted to drugs/alcohol at various points in his life, it doesn't seem to shocking.

I'm honestly going to try to make a more conscious effort to think about things that make me happy in life, and work on improving those instead of dwelling about shit that is depressing. Music, family, work is really all I need to be happy and stable... A little NBA doesn't hurt either :cheers:

Sorry for the rant... Not sure if anyone will read it lol


I get the gist of your post and all, but I do remember reading that Robin Williams only went back to television recently bc he was in debt and needed money. So it may not necessarily be the case that he did have financial stability/security. That could have been one of the reasons he took the step he did.

But of course your general premise that money isnt everything is very true.

[riseagainst]

so sad.

That's why I try to help whomever I can.
I always lend out a reaching hand.

We need to spread the love in this world.
It'll make our hearts swirl.

[Heavincent]

He faced "serious money troubles" before death

http://pagesix.com/2014/08/12/robin-williams-faced-serious-money-troubles-before-death/?_ga=1.122245645.761812182.1403019775

[~primetime~]

ah so he wasn't rich at all...financial stress has been shown to increase suicide rates a great deal.

I'm guessing that is why he has 4 movies coming out, he was having to work hard to make ends meet. So he probably wasn't acting for the love of acting he was doing it for money.

[DCL]

He faced "serious money troubles" before death

http://pagesix.com/2014/08/12/robin-williams-faced-serious-money-troubles-before-death/?_ga=1.122245645.761812182.1403019775


if that article is true, it doesn't seem as mysterious anymore.

it sounded like he wasn't really anywhere close to having everything.

[J Shuttlesworth]

Damn, interesting. Didn't know he was facing financial struggles

[DCL]

having money might not buy you happiness (unless you're that lucky bastard from instagram, dan bilzerian.) lol

but having NO MONEY will most likely buy you nothing but stress and a lot of sleepless nights.

[tmacattack33]

Interesting post, but there's been many other examples of celebs going wild and not being happy.

[~primetime~]

having money might not buy you happiness (unless you're that lucky bastard from instagram, dan bilzerian.) lol

but having NO MONEY will most likely buy you nothing but stress and a lot of sleepless nights.
There are multiple studies that have linked money and happiness...there is usually a tipping point though, like the "happiness level" is maxed out at $100k a year or something.

Anyone denying the link is in denial, clearly the Kardashians and Hiltons are happier than the average family in Haiti and it has everything to do with money.

[JohnnySic]

Depression is mostly bull_shit. Go tell a starving kid in the 3rd world that you feel depressed.

[DCL]

There are multiple studies that have linked money and happiness...there is usually a tipping point though, like the "happiness level" is maxed out at $100k a year or something.

Anyone denying the link is in denial, clearly the Kardashians and Hiltons are happier than the average family in Haiti and it has everything to do with money.

i think the state of happiness has many components. of course money is linked to happiness in some form, but it's not the ultimate thing. i mean, donald sterling is selling a team for $2 billion. he's rich as fk, i don't have a fraction of a fraction of what he has, but i wouldn't be happy to trade places with him. and i bet i wake up a lot happier than he does these days.

[~primetime~]

i think the state of happiness has many components. of course money is linked to happiness in some form, but it's not the ultimate thing. i mean, donald sterling is selling a team for $2 billion. he's rich as fk, i don't have a fraction of a fraction of what he has, but i wouldn't be happy to trade places with him. and i bet i wake up a lot happier than he does these days.
Right money doesn't GUARANTEE happiness obviously, and being in poverty doesn't guarantee sadness...but they both up the odds for each a great deal, a wealthy man is much more likely to be "happy" than a man of equal age and health who is struggling financially.

Donald Sterling is 80 years old, but odds are he has lived out a happier life than the average male working hard labor and using food stamps to eat.

[russwest0]

Depression is mostly bull_shit. Go tell a starving kid in the 3rd world that you feel depressed.

:oldlol: :facepalm

[InfiniteBaskets]

There are multiple studies that have linked money and happiness...there is usually a tipping point though, like the "happiness level" is maxed out at $100k a year or something.

Anyone denying the link is in denial, clearly the Kardashians and Hiltons are happier than the average family in Haiti and it has everything to do with money.

It's true, but the Hiltons / Kardashians come from a long lineage of properly managing money and being disciplined with their spending.

There's various studies that show the average lottery winner goes broke within 10 years of winning. They have all these people showing up trying to con them, rob them, kidnap their loved ones, seeing their loved ones turn against them. Even if you are a non-depressed fully adjusted individual, having the whole world against you day after day is taxing.

Typically, the rich individuals that are happiest are the ones who have the right values ingrained in their mindset. Compared to celebrities that came upon wealth with no background (Spears, Lohan, Bieber) Kim and Paris actually adapt quite well in society, and these are likely the most misbehaving of their families.

I guess my larger point is, for the average person typically more money = more freedom. But if that money you're making crosses a large threshold, like $1M or so, there will be tons of external forces working against your happiness that would have not been there when you were just middle class or poor.

[~primetime~]

It's true, but the Hiltons / Kardashians come from a long lineage of properly managing money and being disciplined with their spending.

There's various studies that show the average lottery winner goes broke within 10 years of winning. They have all these people showing up trying to con them, rob them, kidnap their loved ones, seeing their loved ones turn against them. Even if you are a non-depressed fully adjusted individual, having the whole world against you day after day is taxing.

Typically, the rich individuals that are happiest are the ones who have the right values ingrained in their mindset. Compared to celebrities that came upon wealth with no background (Spears, Lohan, Bieber) Kim and Paris actually adapt quite well in society, and these are likely the most misbehaving of their families.

I guess my larger point is, for the average person typically more money = more freedom. But if that money you're making crosses a large threshold, like $1M or so, there will be tons of external forces working against your happiness that would have not been there when you were just middle class or poor.
Lotto winners are a rare breed, I remember reading that 95% of them go broke within 5 years. They are usually poor and uneducated people that don't understand they shouldn't spend any of their actual winnings, they should just spend the 8% that money could bring them each year which is still a ton.

Checking the "pay full amount over 30 years" box would serve most lotto winners right...but they are greedy and would rather have half of it NOW smh

[ILLsmak]

I think I've read studies that suggest money can buy happiness, but most likely in the form of experiences (i.e. using money on traveling vs. purchasing numerous fancy cars to showcase). I think I've also read about reports where money yields an increase in happiness, but only up to a certain level of earning.

Either way, yes, I think the point remains. Depression is a different beast altogether (and henceforth "Just be more thankful and happy" isn't a feasible solution). But in my own life, I think I've been pretty cognizant of the limited happiness associated with my physical belongings. There's been times where I've felt like, "Man! If I only had that! Then things would be awesome!" And when I get that possession, things are awesome, but then I acclimate myself to that possession and everything normalizes again.

I suppose that's kind of what I felt being rich might be like for me. Buying a Ferrari would be crazy. But at s::)ome point, wouldn't I eventually adjust to having it and accept it as a simple truth, as opposed to it being an absolute luxury that should forever appreciated and cherished?

Long story short, I think it's important to appreciate what it is we have, but more does not always mean better, as I'm certain many have already concluded. But it's a good thing to keep in mind from time to time.

Science is annoying. We're.progressed too far with studies that basically exonerate people for being the pieces of shit they are.

Cheating is natural! It's totally alright to be greedy, everyone wants to be happy.

Depression is more when you realize nothing will make you happy, the world won't change.

I think those feelings start early. Then you maybe do substance abuse or other escapism. Then you get old enough where you can't cope anymore. You realize your life is only getting worse...

Still, hanging. David foster wallace hung himself too. Maybe it has to do with symbolism, but I can't imagine doing that.

-Smak

[Patrick Chewing]

I still don't understand how a man with this much happiness and joy around him can do this.

This is a video of him and Koko the Gorilla:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GorgFtCqPEs


http://thalmaray.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2014/08/media_xl_4315550.jpg

[jaybee682]

I don't believe he murdered himself. But that aside money can't do anything for you if your inner being is not right. Just like being a vegetarian wont guarantee you living a disease free life.

[Orlando Magic]

Depression is a real thing.

You can become depressed from nothing other than dwelling on negative thoughts. Happiness is a choice. Not everyone understands that and it takes a lot of people a long time to figure it out, but... it's true.

You can have $5 billion in the bank, be married with healthy kids, in great shape, and doing whatever it is that you want to do with life. If you dwell on negative thoughts, you are going to be unhappy.

If you are negative for too long, it can turn into a chemical imbalance in your brain which can only be corrected temporarily by medication(to mask the issue... it doesn't actually correct it) and correct thinking(which does correct the problem).

The good news is... the opposite also rings true. You can owe someone millions, be a widower with no kids and dying of cancer... and you can be happy. You have to choose to be happy.

Granted, it's a much easier choice for a lot of people to be happy when your life is "easy" but it is a choice. I can't stress that enough. It's a choice. It's often times a difficult choice, but it is a choice.

That doesn't mean that you should go around being happy 100% of the time, because that's impossible. We're humans, not robots. Know when it's appropriate when to be sad and when to entertain that emotion, etc... if it goes on for too long, you need to scale it back.

The problem is some people don't recognize this and develop thought patterns that create "pathways" in their brain that make it easier and easier to be negative as time goes on because you condition yourself to thinking that way... it's your choice.

But hey, I'm no doctor, and I'm sure there are SOME cases of depression and other issues that are not JUST a result of negative/wrong thinking, but they are the MAJORITY of cases.

[OncePerMonth]

Also, that therapist I checked into was definitely well attractive for her age (probably early 40s) and every session she would always flirt with me.

She would say stuff like "Hey, I'm just an ugly old lady, but I really do believe that you are a really attractive young man. You need more confidence." At the time I didn't realize she was using those open ended comments to try and lure me in to responding with some sort of flirtatious statement back. I felt so shitty that I basically missed every signal from everyone trying to be nice or flirtatious with me at that time.

I could have definitely hit that, and I know this because my grandma told me that she actually heard from one of her neighbors that that therapist was having an affair with some college kid at a nearby college a few years back.

I don't believe you.

[Orlando Magic]

Even if you don't believe in God, these are wise words.

Phillipans 4:4-9

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable

[tpols]

The problem is some people don't recognize this and develop thought patterns that create "pathways" in their brain that make it easier and easier to be negative as time goes on because you condition yourself to thinking that way... it's your choice.
.

But what if someone has a problem they're constantly reminded of in daily life.. like say you have chronic pain from cancer or some other physical ailment that just hits you randomly throughout your day and triggers those thoughts? What should you do?

[Orlando Magic]

But what if someone has a problem they're constantly reminded of in daily life.. like say you have chronic pain from cancer or some other physical ailment that just hits you randomly throughout your day and triggers those thoughts? What should you do?

I full well acknowledged that certain people are put into situations that make it easier or more difficult to think positively, but it still boils down to choice.

As soon as those thoughts are triggered, you make the choice not to dwell on them. It's that simple. And when I say simple, I don't mean easy. Because it isn't.

[Crimsonrain777]

i'm getting from several sites that his net worth is close to 50 million. and that's not including any royalties that have yet to come in for him