Would you prefer artificial happiness (i.e., drug-induced) or genuine misery?

It depends on your situation. If you are unhappy for a long time, maybe you should try some medication. However, I think sometimes you need to be unhappy to realize you need to change some things in your life.

I would say to suffer a little while and see where it takes you. If you are totally unproductive, maybe a little artificial happiness is OK.

Sometimes you need the drug induced boost to remember what happiness is. Yet, if you stay on that boost, you will be more like a walking zombie because even though you are smiling... you have no idea why! You can't help it, but even though you look happy, you really are emotionless.

I'm not sure I accept the premise of a clear divide between "artificial" and "genuine. "For example, someone might be miserable because of a hormonal imbalance--that is, because of chemicals circulating in their bloodstream. Does it really make a significant difference that the source of the chemicals lies within the body rather than in a pharmaceutical company plant?

How about someone whose misery is due to their acceptance of an erroneous idea (say, "I am fated to be miserable due to the curse of a Gypsy fortuneteller? ")On the other side of the question, if someone has success in treating their depression with medicinal support, why pillory that choice as "artificial? " That person may be highly authentic and honest in facing their own life, and the world around them.

Isn't that the important thing?

I've been dealing with depression for a long time. I let a doctor talk me into taking some pills for it a couple of years ago. The side effects were terrible, and the withdrawal effects when I stopped taking it were even worse.

I was different when I took it, and I remember feeling a little different, but it really wasn't worth it to me due to the side effects of the medicine.

If you let yourself be miserable, you will appreciate when you are happy. If you are always happy, you will never know genuine happiness. Take what life gives you and make the best of it.

Vashal - Sorry to hear about your bad experience with medication. Hope you have found other things that help.

Option CMisery is a state of mind. People choose to be miserable.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.