this post was submitted on 26 Feb 2025

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Life Goes On (lemmy.world)

submitted 1 week ago by Leydi@lemmy.world to c/comicstrips@lemmy.world

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[–] weker01@sh.itjust.works 54 points 6 days ago (3 children)

I do believe this was made with best intentions but it has major "just be happy" energy and is made from a position of privilege.

Just getting a therapist for example is a huge battle. Having supportive friends is not ubiquitous. Changing jobs is risky and in certain financial circumstances almost impossible, especially with dependents.

That said I approve of the message that without living there is no possibility of things getting better. My advice is to focus on small maybe even tiny victories daily making lifestyle changes where possible.

[–] CompassRed@discuss.tchncs.de 4 points 6 days ago (1 children)

I respectfully disagree. Its thesis is simply that you can have a better life if you stay alive. The "proof" is simply all the changes the artist went through in order to find a better life. The changes aren't supposed to be a recipe on how to make your life better - I don't think the artist is telling people to divorce their spouses. There isn't anything "just be happy" about getting a divorce.

[–] weker01@sh.itjust.works 4 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Fair enough, I think yours is also a valid interpretation.

I just want to clarify: with "just be happy" energy, I meant the tendency of people to suggest seemingly simple fixes to others struggling with mental health. Even, if they work for oneself and even if it works statistically (for example sport is a good habit against depression), it feels like talking the problem down. But that is highly subjective of course.

[–] CompassRed@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 5 days ago

Yeah. That makes sense. It is definitely a real problem.

[–] hierophant_nihilant@reddthat.com -2 points 6 days ago (1 children)

And I do believe, that it's not the comic that was made from the position of privilege, but your fucking comment. Who the hell are you to approve it or not and spread out your advice instead? Come on, check yourself first

[–] weker01@sh.itjust.works 2 points 6 days ago

Ok, what do you mean by checking myself first?

I just commented on how I personally perceived the comic. I also said that I believe that the comic was made with good intentions.

Ultimately, I am just someone on the Internet. I have no illusion that my comments here matter. Though, I do have first and second hand experience with depression and suicide if that matters, which it does not.

And yes in many ways I am extremely privileged when it comes to this topic, e.g. my healthcare insurance is not tied to my employer as I don't live in the US. I would like to know how that has anything to do with my comment above though.

[+] OsrsNeedsF2P@lemmy.ml -10 points 6 days ago (3 children)

Privilege? Risk? The guy was about to kill himself. He had nothing to lose. I see your point on kids, but barring significant hurdles (which most people don't actually have), most people motivated enough can significantly change their circumstances. They just don't want to.

[–] weker01@sh.itjust.works 13 points 6 days ago

What do you mean with "they just don't want to"?

Quitting your job, potentially losing your shelter and food supply is a hell of a risk. Presume one actually wants to get better, they first need to be well enough to handle such a risk. Otherwise, they are homeless and suicidal: A great recipe to get well /s

[–] Dasus@lemmy.world 11 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

I can upload some data for you.

I have a phone call a to crisis centers who told me "you don't have a crisis" and hung up on me. I have a recording of an on-call psychiatrist tossing me out of the ER after saying "don't try making this my responsibility" after I literally said I'm afraid I'll hurt myself or others, and asked what happens if I walk out of there and toss myself under a truck. "Don try making this my responsibility." Like, my man, it's literally your legal duty ffs.

I've got photos of an isolation cell the cops put me because they denied me my prescription meds and I went a bit cuckoo from the way they treated me. (absolutely no information of rights I didn't know if I was detained or arrested or to be put in prison), and I drew over 300 words in my own blood on the walls. No-one helped. Up for three days, supposedly under supervision. The only thing I got was them cutting off my water and snide remarks bullying me on the radio.

Several dozen doctors who've just dismissed me.

Literally all of my family and friends, when I even carefully try to talk about suicidal ideation, they'll cut me off for months and months. My mom hasn't rang me for several years to ask me how I am. Yet they all pretend it's my fault and my personal failing that I'm not getting help, because every single one thinks "not my responsibility", and that includes an on-call psychiatrist I told I'm afraid of harming people.

So yeah, kindly fuck off with your victim blaming.

[–] Snowclone@lemmy.world 7 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

"significant hurdles Which most people don't actually have"

Interesting argument against privilege... buddy, we know you've had an easy life so far, which is great for you, yet no one thinks this way due to careful observation of others.

[–] BuboScandiacus@mander.xyz 10 points 6 days ago (4 children)

Lemmy people are not happy because this guy is

[–] nomugisan@lemmy.dbzer0.com 10 points 6 days ago

Non-depressed Lemmy users when depressed people act depressed:

[–] mke@programming.dev 7 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

Misery likes company, not perspective. Fuck happiness, yeah?

[–] Snowclone@lemmy.world 3 points 6 days ago

People do prefer company to being told. I lost my brother to suicide, really messed me up bad. I did some volunteer work on a suicide prevention service, and people really just want a little bit of your time in the immediate sense, and social support structure long term. Most people have this with families, but it can get really bad when that falls apart due to anything negative in that space of their life.

I know the saying is supposed to mean ''you'd rather make other people miserable than work on yourself'' but in a social sense, company works a lot better than telling someone it's not working and walking away.

[–] ZombiFrancis@sh.itjust.works 2 points 6 days ago (1 children)

I think it has something to do with the guy saying he thought of his daughter.

Like, motherfucker, how was your child not at the forefront to begin with? If you were prepared to end your own life you were prepared to abandon your child.

I get it, though. It is sending a good message through a personal story. But it is fucked up, though much like the topic of suicide itself, so it is probably inescapable.

[–] rautapekoni@sopuli.xyz 4 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

I get it, though. It is sending a good message through a personal story. But it is fucked up, though much like the topic of suicide itself, so it is probably inescapable.

The message was botched, though. The cartoonist said they can show evidence that "we" (the passive you, whatever) can change our lives, but the only evidence was about themself. I believe they don't know shit about anyone elses life or problems and are falling on survivor bias saying "just do what I did!".

[–] OsrsNeedsF2P@lemmy.ml -3 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Wow you weren't kidding. Bunch of depressed commenters with a mentality of "change is hard" makes you understand how they got depressed to begin with.

[–] Snowclone@lemmy.world 3 points 6 days ago

Depression isn't caused by laziness. There's clinical trials and everything, fascinating stuff if you want to look into it.

[–] HalfSalesman@lemm.ee 3 points 6 days ago (2 children)

I think honestly another way to put it is that pain and suffering are merely unpleasant signals intended to actually prevent you from dying. Death itself is a lovecraftian horror.

I think I'll take the unpleasant signals.

[–] MelodiousFunk@slrpnk.net 6 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Death itself is a lovecraftian horror.

Death is what you make of it.

[–] HalfSalesman@lemm.ee -3 points 6 days ago

I'm not sure what you mean. But I suspect that is cope.

[–] Ziglin@lemmy.world 1 points 5 days ago (1 children)

That makes death sound far too attractive.

[–] HalfSalesman@lemm.ee 2 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Are you sure that's not some kind of kink of yours?

[–] Ziglin@lemmy.world 2 points 5 days ago

That if anything, I don't really like people in that way but even with a Lovecraftian horror I'd prefer just to cuddle with it and be friends and destroy the world together (not that I'd be very helpful with the latter).

[+] WorldsDumbestMan@lemmy.today -17 points 6 days ago (2 children)

[removed by mod]

[–] mke@programming.dev 6 points 6 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

Can you elaborate or offer some context?

[–] WorldsDumbestMan@lemmy.today 1 points 2 days ago

Alright, I believe that we are just matter and energy, consciousness and all, and that there's no reason the universe just came to be a billion or so years ago. It's more likely that we get hard reset for all eternity, which means you come into being again by chance.

If something can happen, it will happen. And if there's any chance of being alive again, you will be alive again.

You will experience every bad and good thing there is, be every bad and good thing there is.

You will be the villian, the hero, the nobody, the somebody.

The bug monster, the angel.

All of those things.

[–] ayyy@sh.itjust.works 3 points 6 days ago

Sure, bud

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