Posted by bob on January 12, 2002, at 15:10:22
In reply to Re: In the news: Fla suicide pilot was on accutane » adamie, posted by MB on January 12, 2002, at 11:06:31
MB:
I'd say that even today, people with severe acne like you've described would risk the depression side-effect for the chance to have no acne -- especially if they'd never experienced depression before. It's hard to understand someone else's pain unless you've experience pain that was similar in some way. Your story was heartbreaking to me, but I'm 33 years old and have been considerably softened by my mental illness. I doubt when I was in high school that I would have been able to relate to your pain very well. I think that it might be an evolutionary defense mechanism: the less we can truly empathize with the depth of another's pain (especially non-relations), the more it protects us from being dragged down. I've often found in times of depression that I'm overwhelmed with sorrow for others' plights. When I'm not depressed, these things do not bother me so.
poster:bob
thread:89565
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020110/msgs/89862.html