# At least its not cancer



## jack east (May 12, 2013)

Hello there to all who are interested.

My name is jack someone who has been wrestling with dp for over 5 years and trust me its worse then being dead.

But I would like to put a question out there. Given the fact that I have seen more then 4 close friends relatives teachers with cancer could we all take a step out of our places and access are we not taking advantage of all we can actually do with this disorder or are we taking things a little to the far end of where we actually stand


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## Justinian585 (Dec 4, 2012)

No Jack, it's not worse than being dead. How are you going to make a thread titled "at least its not cancer" and then turn around and imply that it is more crippling than a disease that TRULY destroys ones quality of life and will to live? Please don't come on a forum where people are currently at rock bottom, the worse physical and mental pain that they've ever felt in their entire lives and say things like that. It's only going to exasperate their already fragile emotional situations.

That being said, I do agree with the thread title. At least it's not cancer. I've done some great things while DP'd. It's not THAT bad. It's hard, but it's light years away from being as hard as having a terminal illness.


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## flipwilson (Aug 19, 2006)

Comparing one to the other or any other awful thing is a waste of time, and probably not in good taste. Neither is greater than the other in terms of suffering. When a human loses their capacity for freedom to live as they want and know they can, then that is where the pain is felt and where suffering lives, regardless of how we get there. Anything that robs us of our life force will be the source of our pain.


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## timzie (Sep 28, 2012)

depends how bad your dp is, mine was accompanied with suicidality and trust me you d rather be dead then...


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## DP boy (Mar 20, 2012)

Nahh u wouldnt and why cnt u people fucking understand tht ur coward pessimistic mind sets are why ur stuck like this thats the main reason . there may be some physical reasons like ur diets probly suck ur probly sit around drinking soda and taking meds that everyone knos make this worse MAN the fuck up break ur conditioning become a human again !!. all dp is THE fuckin same man up u can vent on here but dont vent Gay bullshit like this thread. people with cancer wish they had dp to escape the reality there stuck with


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## LuluCalavera (Jan 21, 2013)

I would agree, sometimes I feel id rather have cancer or be quadraplegic or give up my sight


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## Justinian585 (Dec 4, 2012)

LuluCalavera said:


> I would agree, sometimes I feel id rather have cancer or be quadraplegic or give up my sight


If you actually did have a serious physical ailment like cancer or quadriplegia you would be wishing the opposite. I broke my arm a few years back and just not being able to bend or move that arm for 6 weeks was extremely challenging to get through. So you're telling me you would rather go through Chemotherapy; get poked with needles, injected with steroids and other drugs, piss blood, have horrible nausea, feel physically weaker than you've ever felt before, feel helpless, eventually be frail, unable to swallow, unable to take care of yourself, have agony all day long, knowing in the back of your mind that you will in the near future lose your life prematurely to some kind of terrible disease? You would rather never move any part of your body ever again, never walk, never jump, never be able to cross your arms, or itch your face, or do anything for yourself ever again? You would rather never experience the beauty of this Earth again, be unable to see your family, be unable to read, watch TV, see what is in front of you, what you're eating or what is going on and lose a fifth of your natural senses? You really think that is better than having a little bit of anxiety and dissociation with the guarantee that you will one day return to living a normal life? Come on.....


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## Guest (May 30, 2013)

I can speak from experience.

I have had DP/DR most of my life. I'm 54. In 2010 I had a bilateral mastectomy for breast cancer. I just found out today that my medication may have caused ovarian cancer. Right now I'm not even scared. I have tests this week, and will be scheduled for surgery ASAP.

However, for whatever it's worth:

1. So far the cancer has been a walk in the park compared to DP/DR

2. If I did NOT have DP/DR I'd be able to deal with the cancer -- and now possible chemotherapy a helluva lot better

3. Cancer is devastating, but I only want a healthy mind, that's all I want.

That being said, no one can measure each other's suffering.

That comes from life experience. I have had wonderful times and horrible times in my life. The DP/DR has never been a force for good.

SO, cancer or DP/DR for me? Cancer. Believe it or not, and I have both.


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## Guest (May 30, 2013)

And indeed the subject heading is somewhat hurtful (but that's because I have cancer) and puerile sounding. But I think it simply reflects the words of a young person with fewer personal experiences, who will hopefully gaini wisdom by just living -- you have to put in the time, the miles, the journey, before you can really talk about it. We all suffer. We all die.


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## Guest (May 30, 2013)

Justinian585 said:


> If you actually did have a serious physical ailment like cancer or quadriplegia you would be wishing the opposite. I broke my arm a few years back and just not being able to bend or move that arm for 6 weeks was extremely challenging to get through. So you're telling me you would rather go through Chemotherapy; get poked with needles, injected with steroids and other drugs, piss blood, have horrible nausea, feel physically weaker than you've ever felt before, feel helpless, eventually be frail, unable to swallow, unable to take care of yourself, have agony all day long, knowing in the back of your mind that you will in the near future lose your life prematurely to some kind of terrible disease? You would rather never move any part of your body ever again, never walk, never jump, never be able to cross your arms, or itch your face, or do anything for yourself ever again? You would rather never experience the beauty of this Earth again, be unable to see your family, be unable to read, watch TV, see what is in front of you, what you're eating or what is going on and lose a fifth of your natural senses? You really think that is better than having a little bit of anxiety and dissociation with the guarantee that you will one day return to living a normal life? Come on.....


This is a little dramatic. Everything is on a spectrum. If I took all of this to heart I'd be scared to death. There are good outcomes for cancer as well as bad ones. What I have noticed is all the people I've met in my cancer support groups (those dying, and those living with cancer) do far better when they have a healthy mind. I have brought up the fact that I was depressed/anxious before my cancer and others feel badly for me.

There are a lot of strong people with cancer. There are a lot of strong people with DP/DR.

Other factos are severity, chronicity, etc. And you need family and friends for support. I have no family which makes everything more difficult.

No one person here is the same. There is no comparison.

And being there for someone with cancer or any other illness should not be scary, it is a lesson.

And being there for someone with a mental illness should not be scary, it is a lesson.


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## Guest (May 31, 2013)

"I think mental illness is the worst of anything. The hierarchy of suffering is sort of bound into our society. But my personal experience is that the isolation and anguish of severe mental illness was much worse than &#8230; having something physical that people could understand better."
~ Bobby Baker ~
Artist, Performance Artist, Breast Cancer Survivor, Survivor of Borderline Personality Disorder


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## Wallace (Jun 15, 2013)

I would rather have cancer. There has been so much internal suffering from this. People don't understand this but they do understand cancer.


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