# Struggles and Support > Frustration and Struggles >  >  What doesn't kill you makes you stronger?

## rachelchloe

Anyone believe it's true? Because I personally don't believe in that saying. 

Depression might make you strong in some ways, but emotionally you get weak. Physically, you get weak. And mentally you become tired. So do you agree with that phrase? :Confused:

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## fetisha

I don't believe in that phrase also, I think its bulls***

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## Marleywhite

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/...kes-you-weaker

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## CityofAngels

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger"

This saying is a pre-christian Germanic saying often attributed to just the Vikings. It was made famous by Nietzsche in his books encouraging Germans to abandon Christianity and become Pagans again. Anyway, Nietzsche started out as a shy college student being made fun of because he was still a virgin. So he went to a whorehouse and got Syphilis the first time he got laid and Syphilis drives you insane and he was also being driven insane by knowing what a bad decision he made. His ideas are messed up I have no idea why he is so highly regarded. So if you take this advice your listening to a guy who got laid once ever and then went insane. Makes listening to Dr. Phil seem like an act of genius in comparison.

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## takethebiscuit

Depression is, in my view, a nasty piece of work.

It's one of the "monsters" of the psychological disorder world. It tends to shut off things like sensory acuity and access to your emotional cycle making feeling a range of emotions difficult.  If you feel you have depression, see your doctor about it as soon as possible.

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## Parthenia

I believe it, but I've survived my life on motivational quotes. They've helped me out of many pits of despair.

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## Denise

What doesn't kill you will make you want to kill yourself.

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## Sagan

I used to think that until my wife left 3 years ago. I am still going through depression over that very much. I have suffered depression as long as I can remember. But Distraction is a good way to fight it.

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## Chantellabella

I truly believe the saying. I've gone through a lot and well, what gives me the drive to accomplish, the drive to fight back, the drive to now bow down to anything is my past experience. I take all that energy and funnel it to things that will make positive changes. I'm like a rabid chihuahua when it comes to helping kids and teens and it was the experiences in my life that give me that drive. I know when life beats you down it's hard to see the benefit, but in my experience, it's made me stronger.

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## grimmnaux

Yes, I believe in the saying. Obviously the saying cannot be applied to physical problems. Example: you might survive a heart-attack but definitely wouldn't be as physically strong as you were. The saying can be applied to the mental experiences you have, the situations you tackle in life, no matter how hard/embarrassing they are. Speaking for myself, every new experience I've had in life has taught me something. A particular experience made me better equipped mentally to tackle the same problem if it presents itself again. And as long as you're alive, you always have another chance.

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## Antidote

No. It makes you weaker. Somebody posted a link, which... I don't have the attention span to read right now, but I know the gist of it anyway. Basically research has shown that people who go through a lot of traumas and hardships tend to have poorer health outcomes / higher rates or morbidity and early mortality. Suffering wears down your resilience on a neurobiological level especially in people with biologically sensitive dispositions (people like say... us, with anxiety disorders etc). So whatever causes distress should be minimised wherever possible to protect your future health and wellbeing.

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## grimmnaux

What does 'suffering' do to people who don't have biologically sensitive dispositions? I personally know people who have suffered tremendous hardships and traumas but have turned out to be exceptionally strong-willed and level-headed individuals.

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## Anteros

It depends on your perspective -- on what you're _willing_ to take from the experience.

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## Antidote

> What does 'suffering' do to people who don't have biologically sensitive dispositions? I personally know people who have suffered tremendous hardships and traumas but have turned out to be exceptionally strong-willed and level-headed individuals.



People who turn out okay after tremendous hardship usually have a lot of resilience in the first place. It's genetic, they were born to be that way. On the other hand, sensitivity brings it's own unique perspective and advantages to certain areas of life, but it's just a lot easier to get ravaged by hardships when you are this way.

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## Topper

it is a silly phrase if you take it literally because it's obviously not true since humans are not one dimensional; things that make them suffer make them suffer.  it's just a motivational quip some people can apply to certain instances, like "survival of the fittest" which isn't true either but a neat little coined phrase that's lost its original function when people use it.  they're obsolete but rattle around the public consciousness

UGH

I TOOK THINGS LITERALLY AGAIN WHY CAN'T I THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX

POINTS, THINK IN POINTS.  EVERYONE HAS A POINT, IT'S NOT ABOUT THE WORDS THEY SAY

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## billius

that that doesn't kill you... turns you slowly insane

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## T-Bone

I think there's some truth in it for me personally. I believe overcoming my heroin addiction has made me less susceptible to substance abuse than someone with no history of using drugs at all. I've also learned some pretty harsh yet good lessons regarding society and life in general. I feel more connected to my own feelings now than i ever did, and i think that's a good thing and has made me stronger.

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## Trendsetter

> Yes, I believe in the saying. Obviously the saying cannot be applied to physical problems. Example: you might survive a heart-attack but definitely wouldn't be as physically strong as you were. The saying can be applied to the mental experiences you have, the situations you tackle in life, no matter how hard/embarrassing they are. Speaking for myself, every new experience I've had in life has taught me something. A particular experience made me better equipped mentally to tackle the same problem if it presents itself again. And as long as you're alive, you always have another chance.



This quote can apply to physical problems. Pain is only temporary. Certain physical conditions can help a person have a sense of humility.

This quote is definitely true. I was in a depressed state for about 2 years. Now that I'm finally over it, I feel better than I ever felt in my life. My anxiety has greatly reduced because after that recovery.

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## Arcadia

That's one of the quotes I dislike the most.  It does not apply to all situations.  There are some problems and experiences that may not kill you but will stunt your growth.  They can leave you scarred and changed for the worse.

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## Monroe

Whether or not this quote is true definitely depends on what the problem was.. everyone responds differently to challenges in their life. Some challenges stunt your growth as Arcadia said, but other challenges people can learn from, gain experience from and thus it matures them and makes them stronger emotionally and mentally. I'd say I experienced both kinds. For example, all the social rejection and isolation I experienced in my school years definitely didn't help me, it made me worse and developed AvPD. Whereas dealing with my Bipolar mood episodes and surviving them, proved to give me more experience with it, and now I can control my thoughts and emotions much better, I learned from my past in that scenario. It's not a statement that is true for every person or every situation - there's simply too many factors that are involved that affect one's response to challenges.

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