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Old 03-25-2009, 09:58 AM   #15 (permalink)
fresnelly
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Location: Toronto
While all of those options can be major contributors, I think the key element is the lack of an outlet for that built up misery. All of them can be tempured or endured if one has something to turn to.

Recently my wife was away for almost a month on business and I was alone at home with our two toddlers. I had occasional help from our parents and friends (and for that I'm grateful) but sometimes the effort and lack of sleep really got to me. Our daughter would wakeup at 5:30am (in addition to middle-of-the-night stretches of up to an hour) and our son wouldn't fall asleep until after 10pm. Add in a full workday and I was exhausted and cranky.

During one of those middle-of-the-night stretches I found myself getting angry and resentful towards my daughter so I went downstairs to cool off. As I paced around in the dark it occured to me that I had absolutely no way to unload my anger.

I certainly couldn't take it out on the kids, I couldn't leave the house to go running or driving, and there was nobody to talk to about it at the time. While this knowlege and my own rational mind allowed me to settle down, the sense of frustration (misery) remained in place at a low boil.

Reflecting more on this the next day I realized it wasn't just when alone in the middle of the night that I had no outlet for all this extra emotion. No hobbies, no partying, no sports, creative avenues etc... In other words, no voice. That was the underlying misery.

Having a means to express that voice, whatever it is, allows us to endure hardship. It makes life meaningful or at least valued. If you have a shitty day at work, coming home to a loving family or having an activity or connection to look forward to afterwards counterbalances its importance. The shitty job doesn't dominate your life in the grand equation because it's not what you're living for. Clinical Depression I guess, is when brain chemistry gets in the way to the point where you can't see the balance anymore.

Anyway, all I'm saying is that I think that misery is a state of arrested expression as much as subjugation to one harship or another.
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