attitude adjustment
by rantywoman
I’ve been doing some googling on “midlife and depression” to get tips on how to cope with my recent spells of anxiety and low mood and have come across numerous articles on the spike in the suicide rate among the middle-aged.
The comments on this article are worth reading and offer a grim counterpoint to the relatively jaunty tone of most media articles:
I bring this up because after reading the comments I feel like I should be more thankful about the opportunity to re-enter my career.
In terms of dating, though, ack (to echo the comic-strip character Cathy). It does seem bleak.
Also, being “overworked and undervalued” is exactly how I felt the last decade or so:
Dr Andrew McCulloch, chief executive of the charity the Mental Health Foundation, explains why women like me are at particular risk. The reason so many ‘older females’ are suffering from common mental health disorders (depression and anxiety being the most common) is because we are both overloaded and undervalued.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1135410/Middle-age-depression-Why-IS-rise.html#ixzz2W6aGhCDT
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thebitterbabe 
Please stop reading all this!!! It only paints one side of the story.
If you are going to take anything from all those comments– it is interesting that having children is no guarantee for happiness.
Most of the women seem to be unhappy because of fiancial problems– I don’t blame them! But you Ranty seem to be in good place money wise.
There was a popular book about 6-7 years ago called the laws of power. More historical fact based than self help. But the one thing I remember clearly was one of the “laws” avoid the unlucky and the unhealthy — not the physically sick but the mental sickness brought on by contast drama. I am just paraphrasing, the book is very interesting.
But the point of this “law” is to surround yourself with positive dynamics so that youself can be elevated.
Sometime I read this blog and wonder why you get so down on yourself. I sometimes wondering if you have put yourself into an unhappy box.
Yes I did notice that there were an equal or greater number of mothers on there, so parenting doesn’t seem to be the cure-all.
I think it’s worth noting that the suicide rate for men is much higher than for women in all age groups:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender_and_suicide
I have a friend who lives in another country who thinks about suicide often. She’s in her early 50’s, no kids and moderately successful in her career. People respond favorably to her and would be shocked to know of her feelings. In her case it seems her artistic sensitivity/complexity tends to set her apart from others. She explains that she often feels lonely in a crowd so despite the offer of friendship from others, “joining in” appears to be more challenging than the isolation she struggles with. That being said, she shared with me once that the loneliness would one day do her in. As a fellow introvert in a highly extroverted society, I can relate. Unless I am able to connect in a more depthful, authentic way with others, I’m usually bored and would rather choose to stay home with a good book. But this, too, can become it’s own problem.
I have at least two friends in their forties (one female, one male) who are struggling openly with suicidal feelings. The thing is I don’t think it’s all that abnormal, especially at this age. Any tendencies toward anxiety or depression seem to become more intense.