Thank you.

Having lost two aunts to depression & suicide, I can assure you that no amount of wealth and success (and they had plenty) could have ever made them happy.

I guess it's real easy to judge when you haven't had depression affect a friend or relative.

My dad and sister both had/have bipolar disorder.

I say my dad "had" it because he used his diabetes as a weapon to "punish" his family by intentionally causing medical emergencies and neglecting doctor's advice. Eventually, his diabetes "cured" his bipolar disorder.

My father had two moods: unbridled optimism and deep depression (which he usually displayed with violent anger). When he was up, he would make bad decisions becuase he would always bet the farm (and my college savings, and money borrowed from relatives) on a positive outcome, no matter how much of a long-shot. When he was down, he wanted to hurt those around him, physically and emotionally, to make them feel his pain.

Depression is the real deal, and it runs all across the socio-economic spectrum. His money, pussy, vacation time, etc has nothing to do with it.

I sometimes wonder what I would do if I had hundreds of millions of dollars, and no need to struggle anymore. After partying, vacationing, relaxing, getting massages every day, I know I would end up looking at myself and thinking "what's the point?".

It is my thought that the daily struggle is what keeps a lot of us sane. Might be what keeps me together. I cannot afford to have a meltdown, I have responsibilities.

So my plan, if I made it huge somehow, would be to do things with the money to make OTHER people happy. I think the biggest thing I would do is contribute both money and TIME to childrens' hospitals. If anyone deserves the best, it's a bunch of kids who are sick due to no fault of their own. I'd like to help hard working families who are trying to pay for cancer treatments of their kids. I'd want to go to hospitals, with a playstation in tow, and play video games with the little buggers, who no doubt would kick my ass all over the place.

I think that would keep me together bigtime- too much to live for in that scenario.

What is the divorce rate amoungst lottery winners, something like 80%? If you watch the documentaries, there is a large number of those people that end up broke, miserable, and alone. I 100% agree, the daily struggle is a virtuous one, and makes a big contribution to our lives.

I always figured if I had enough money to not worry about it, I would do something that I loved for a job, and not worry about turning a profit. For me, that would probably be tinkering with and restoring old cars and airplanes, rarely a good financial decision. I've always found it rewarding to take something old and worn and make it like new.

Like you, I'd also donate a significant amount of time/money to charity. Nothing makes you feel better than helping those less fortunate. I've always thought it would be great to start an organization that helps people help themselves. Help people that have made mistakes in life start a career and make the right decisions in life. I'm not much on handouts, but I'm all for assisting those that want to help themselves.

Odd tangent, back to talk of suicide.:D

Turns out he's a heroin addict....I'm not sure if it's due to depression, or depression is due to being a heroin addict....

that's the simple truth about it.

mental defects (general retardation, autism, various syndromes, depression, whatever) are a huge drag on everybody involved and it takes a very special person/people to love and care for people who suffer from such.

i know this is a bit OT for the thread but one of my pet peaves is people who toss the word 'retard' around like it's a put down. these are the same folks that are happy to post up vulgar 'jokes' mocking suicide. it's a condition. nobody chooses it. we would all do well to remember that the only difference between ourselves and people confined to an institution for life is that our number didn't come up. that's it. nothing else.

I thought it was: Suicide is a long term solution to a short term problem.:confused:

...And I always thought the saying went, "Suicide is a PERMANENT solution to a temporary problem."

Either way you look at it "Suicide is painless....."