# Does depression and anxiety make you a stronger person?



## Saaar (May 9, 2011)

I think for me it has, I've had to deal with a lot on my own, whereas others may go to a friend etc for support.


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## lad (Sep 26, 2011)

But how do you know you wouldn't be strong anyway?


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## tehuti88 (Jun 19, 2005)

As much as I'd love to be able to say someday that it has, right now I think it just makes me weaker. The whole "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" mentality never seems to fit me.

I do believe it's made me more self-aware, maybe more thoughtful and empathic, and I sure know that it's made me a decent writer since I have nothing better to do with my time than understand grammar and put together lots and lots of sentences, but stronger?...I don't think so.


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## BlazingLazer (Jul 16, 2011)

tehuti88 said:


> As much as I'd love to be able to say someday that it has, right now I think it just makes me weaker.


Exactly how I would say it. I'd like to convince myself that it's made me stronger, but then I don't need to keep throwing delusions at myself. I'd rather be strong and not have this at all, never mind trying to rationalize the depression with any 'benefits' that I could think it give me, as a means of being thankful that I have it for some reason.



> I do believe it's made me more self-aware, maybe more thoughtful and empathic...


Yeah, that's about what I could come up with myself for advantages myself. But then again, I don't think I would be that significantly less self-aware, thoughtful, and empathic if I never had depression in the first place.



> The whole "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" mentality never seems to fit me.


"_That which does not kill me may sever my spinal cord, crush my rib cage, cave in my skull and leave me helpless and paralyzed, soaking in a puddle of my own waste._"

- Rabbi Carlin


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## Stormclouds (Mar 8, 2011)

I think I must be strong to have survived all the bull**** I've put up with over the years due to my mental problems. The average "sane" or "normal" person would have gone stark raving mad by now if they had to live the way I do, think the way I do, even for one week.


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## AmericanZero (Apr 17, 2012)

Absolutely, if you survive the depression. Basically, you learn exactly how strong you are and how much you can take without the support of others. Not that everyone with depression has no support, but I pretty much went through it alone.

You'll also discover the best and worst of yourself...that's always fun .


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## Fima (Mar 17, 2012)

Depression is a bad thing? I love depression, its the only time, when I really don't give a **** about anything, my dreams gets supper vivid, and I can write for days, songs, books, love letters. but I guess its something for the poets, and there is not much out there...
depresion sure made me strong, though anxiety makes me weak, its the only thing that makes me feel like "I am not worth it" so I am trying to get lost of it, as fast as I can


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## ToucanSam (Mar 22, 2012)

tehuti88 said:


> As much as I'd love to be able to say someday that it has, right now I think it just makes me weaker. The whole "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" mentality never seems to fit me.


yeah, saying that a tormented mind makes me stronger is like saying that crippled legs would make me stronger.


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## ChrissyQ (Apr 15, 2009)

Mental illness I don't think it makes me stronger but It makes me realize how strong i really am to survive it!


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## RelinquishedHell (Apr 10, 2012)

I'm not a stronger person. I'm a complete nervous wreck.


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## Reclus (Jan 11, 2012)

Yes - I have been through @#$% because of anxiety and depression that would have pushed a lot of "normal" people off the edge. I know that consequently I can take a whole lot more pressure than they can ever withstand.


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## anonymid (Oct 16, 2005)

No, pretty much everything about depression and anxiety makes me feel like a weaker person than I'd be otherwise. I give up on things easily, I back down from confrontations, and I run from challenges. I can't think of any way in which depression or anxiety has given me more strength than I'd have without it.


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## candycandy (Apr 17, 2012)

I think it will have to take more than just my anxiety and depression to think I'm stronger because of it. Perhaps it's out of frustration regarding the issue but... in all honesty, I feel really pissed off because these issues are what make me have certain f-ed up annoying qualities. Like feeling like I'm almost always out of place, feeling like I can't go out with the usual big groups of friends I used to hang out with because my anxiety's gotten worse since then. 
By the people who do listen to me though, I'm told that i'm a very deep-minded person, but I'd say this is sort of because where there's pain, you feel the broken area hurting. Sort of like how you realize almost the entire inner structure of your thumb when you smash it accidentally..


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## Mauricio5 (Jun 19, 2012)

It has certainly made me angrier.


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## baynrw92 (Jul 3, 2012)

I think it will in the long run, right now I can't say it has, but 2 weeks ago I felt stronger than I ever have before because the anxiety symptoms started to ware off, then the anxiety came back because I stupidly drank too much on a night out. But when you recover, and you will if you put your mind and your body to it; then you will appreciate life so much more and feel stronger as a person and feel that because you've defeated this terrible illness you can go through life facing anything unless it kills you


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## iNeedtoRelax (Jul 1, 2012)

Yes, in some ways it does. I've learned to be an individual and not rely on others for support.


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## PeachyAlice (Feb 8, 2012)

I think I'm strong for having survived as long as I have with all my issues, but I also think all my issues make me weak. I can't even go to the ****ing grocery store without having a panic attack and today I spent two hours crying because I don't wanna start taking meds for my bipolar. I also left my...uhm, dear-friend-that-I'm-kinda-into's house crying because I wanted to spend the night with him (we usually do that) but didn't have the guts to tell him that.

Seriously no, I'm weak as hell.


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