Depression is an illness. It can be triggered by all sorts of events, stimuli - but it is an illness, just as sure as diabetes or cancer (and just as sure as they are triggered by something in the environment - stress, diet, cells that decide to grow like crazy).

People who are depressed are no more selfish than people with diabetes or cancer. But when you have a disease, your energy is often focused on your own symptoms and trying to get well. So maybe that's selfish. For some people, the only resolution to their illness is suicide.

BTW, in the movie Diva, from the 1980's, there was a cat named Ayatolla. That's my favorite ayatolla.

I apologise for have misunderstood your intended message. However, if you reread what you actually wrote, you will realise how one could take your message literally, with no reading between the lines as to what you possibly could be meaning outside the perimeters of the actually text.

I am always impressed with people who have grown up through adversity, of any sort, accepted it and been able to get on with their own lives. Some of the stories I have heard over the years have made me shudder, but have left me with the utmost admiration for the "survivors" but also concern and respect for those who don't - whether it is because of outside circumstances, or the ongong effects off illnesses such as depression.

Getting back to the title of this thread, it doesn't seem that poverty or wealth, a harsh upbringing or an indulged one, makes a difference when one is feeling desperate enough to take one's own life.

I posted this last week in the Off topic general section- it shows how some people can mask inner turmoil very well- I ask everyone to read his suicide note. In light of this New Year's resolution was to be less judgemental.



http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/0..._n_805689.html

Bill Zeller, brillaint programmer, suicide