3 Ways to Stop Self-Pity

Would someone who complains every time you talk to them about how unappreciated they are by their wife, daughter, friends ... Calls all the time saying its an "emergency" but really it's the same old problems, and they ask you "what to do" and you make suggestions like volunteer with Meals on Wheels, or go take a class, or similar ideas - but they never take the advice or try to change anything and you listen/support, listen/support year after year, THEN they accuse you of being immature, of not loving them, call you names, use sarcasm in a demeaning way, send you aish articles like this one, or the one about "stop whining"....are they actually projecting themselves onto you? And how does one handle it.

Thanks so much for reminding me that when we do get into a self pitying mood we should think positive and act kindly towards others! So true think deeper why am I feeling this way and than act!

Sometimes we are dealing with the latter. If a loved one is TRULY unable to stop the complaining, then we need to look deeper at what is happening to that person. I would hate to turn the clock back to the days when we told clinically depressed people to "just snap out of it."

I agree with what you are saying. My mother had Bi-Polar, and our family didn't take it lightly.So many people feel ashamed of their mental illness, and embarrassed to get help. My mother never was ashamed, because she had the support system she needed. People need to wake up , and realize that mental illness is a chemical imbalance in the brain, and just like heart disease, needs to be treated as such.

Exercise is great in this regard. A good workout in the morning helps to improve my mood. Does it mean that all of my problems vanish? Of course not. However, physical activity is a mood elevator.