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Do I have the right to feel depressed even if I'm privileged?

312 Answers
Last Updated: 03/15/2022 at 12:22am
Do I have the right to feel depressed even if I'm privileged?
1 Tip to Feel Better
United States
Moderated by

Danielle Gonzales, PsyD

Psychologist

Hello! My name is Dani, I am a Psychologist and registered Psych Assistant. I have a passion for helping a different types of clients from all diverse backgrounds!

Top Rated Answers
Anonymous
August 10th, 2017 1:27am
Of course! Just because you have materialistic items does not mean that you MUST be happy, wealth can't buy happiness as they say.
Anonymous
August 10th, 2017 6:33am
We cannot always choose what we feel! Of course you do and you are a great person !
Anonymous
August 11th, 2017 12:11am
Yes, privilege has no correlation with depression. Never let anyone tell you that you cant be depressed solely of your financial situation, race, gender, or sexual orientation. Your emotions are always valid,
BouncyTurtleDream
August 13th, 2017 11:31pm
Yes. Mental illnesses don't look at you and say "oh, they are privileged, better not ruin their life." You can be the most privileged person in the world and still deal with depression.
GivingstonTreegull
August 16th, 2017 7:12am
Every person is an individual with a unique mind and a open of a kind set of genes. Yes It is absolutely acceptable to have feelings of depression even if you are "privileged". First of all having money doesn't determine our mental well being or level of happiness. Money can be things that make us happy, but it can't buy happiness. Don'y be so hard on yourself and don't compare yourself to other in an effort to convince yourself that you aren't allowed to be unhappy. BUT work toward fixing that depression. Because everyone deserves happiness!
Abby0624
August 19th, 2017 12:39pm
Absolutely. Depression does not occur based on what you have in your life. Depression is generally a chemical imbalance in your brain. So you have absolutely no reason to feel guilty for being depressed.
Drusilla451
August 19th, 2017 10:03pm
Depression is a bit more complicated than that there are plenty of examples of people who look like they have everything but suffer from depression. It is a mental illness caused by chemical imbalance. There is a physiological cause for the way you feel. It can affect anyone at any time.
TheNiceGuy1989
September 9th, 2017 8:16pm
I think everyone has the right to feel depressed at some point and I am not sure what you feel privileged by but it doesn't affect you from having the right to "feel" something. it always kind to remember how your situation is better than some others but it doesn't lesson your hurt or pain or the importance of your feelings to a situation where you don't have the right to feel that way that is just not right and wrong don't ever feel this way.
Streudel
September 14th, 2017 4:36am
Absolutely. Feeling depressed is something that humans can feel regardless of their backgrounds or current status.
MusicalGirlIndia
September 21st, 2017 12:26pm
Privileged people often are the most depressed as they never seen to be satisfied and content. So yes, do you have the right to feel this way. It is up to you how you change that. Find comfort in the simplicities of your life.
Anonymous
September 21st, 2017 8:17pm
Of course! This is something I struggled with. I felt like I didn't have anything to be depressed about. When you start to think of it as a chemical imbalance and not as a direct result of something in your life, it becomes easier to see how even the richest happiest people in the world could be depressed.
gracejune
September 25th, 2017 5:55am
You have every right to feel depressed even if you're privileged. We are entitled to our emotions, and pain is, and will always be relative. I get the feeling of "My feelings aren't justifiable, people have it off worse than me." But our brains are feeding us this lie that we don't deserve help or that for some reason we're just completely insignificant. It's hard and horrible. The constant war to put others before yourself will always be prevalent, but what I've realized trying to overcome my own mental health problems, is that you need to respect your own needs and the signals your body sends you for help.
Anonymous
October 9th, 2017 8:46pm
It doesn't matter who you are - depression is a mental illness, and just because you might have a bit more than some other people means you are immune to it. It can affect anyone.
Anonymous
October 19th, 2017 1:47pm
Of course you do! It's not like depression cares, far from it, actually. Depression can affect ANYONE. There is no set rule that says you have to have none-of-this, or all-of-that to have depression. Even if you are privileged, your depression is valid, lovelie
igetcha
November 5th, 2017 2:06pm
Yes. Believe it or not we're all in this broken world together. Everyone is privileged in some way and disadvantaged in others. Once we have beyond a certain amount of wealth, people tend to assume we don't need help with anything, ever. I mean, if we need something couldn't we just pay for it? From my experience, money can't buy friends, acceptance, or happiness. A lot of the time, we set out to make a better life for ourselves and lose what we had in the process. My mom grew up surrounded by a loving family that was always strapped for cash. She resolved to give me everything she couldn't have but couldn't give me what she did. People rooted for her success but they root for my failure. They attribute my intelligence and resilience to opportunities I had as a kid, which is an insult to my hard work and means I need to not only work 10 times as hard but get 100 times as far to win their respect. I know I have a lot to be grateful for and most of the time I am, but I shouldn't be shamed for the few times I actually do vent about my struggles as a human being. I feel limited in my ability to champion the causes of any marginalized group I belong to because people don't take me seriously as part of that group. Getting to a position of influence often requires spending a lot of time around people who aren't like you, resulting in losing credibility with people who are like you. People assume we're materialistic even if we're not. I spend money on things many people can't like Uber and eating out, not because I feel entitled, but because it gives me more time to put towards my efforts. Then there's the person with the fancy car who I envy but to him it's just a mode of transportation. If only he had a private jet, he wouldn't need to spend so much time stuck in traffic. People can assume but no one really knows if he'd use it to deliver food to the less fortunate or joy ride in circles. Those who don't have what we have can talk about all the selfless things they'd do with half what we have and make us feel guilty about our lives but chances are, they'd make similar choices given the opportunity. There's all this pressure to be better, this idea that we have no excuse not to. Unfortunately money can't buy the ability to function on no sleep or sacrifice your own needs to please others indefinitely until you have their approval. Privilege is temporary, which is something only the privileged seem to notice. We live in a world that expects you to take on massive debt for a college education with no guarantee of ever making it back. It can all be gone in an instant, and when it does, we'd get less sympathy than someone who never had money to begin with. The poor have the empathy of the world while the rich only have the empathy of their family, which might or might not be a healthy environment. We start out with a safe space that meets our basic needs but not our higher needs, and when we venture out we enter a world that's hostile towards us. We don't have time to develop skills at our own pace like those with the option to be invisible until they're ready for the pedestal. We are burdened with upholding the family reputation and miss out on the chance to make mistakes and learn from them. Like everyone else, we've experienced a tiny fraction of the world and long for more and it's a hard road to get there. We face bumps in the road like everyone else and we get depressed. It's not something you need a right to do. It's just something that happens, like breathing. It's whoever's implying you don't have a right to feel depressed who needs to rethink their rights.
SofieSof
November 11th, 2017 10:58pm
Yes! Absolutely and 100 % yes! I struggled with these thoughts SO much: "But my life is GOOD, why do I feel so shitty?", "I don't deserve to get help, others are MUCH worse off than I am!", "I don't have any reason to be depressed!" ect. But the truth is, that is our depression talking. That nasty negative voice that is present everywhere, it's not true! You can TOTALLY feel depressed even if you're privileged, just like you can unfortunately get cancer even if you're privileged. And both things deserve to be treated with as much seriousness as they demand. You DO have every right to feel depressed, and you DO have every right to get help!
AnEls
November 12th, 2017 9:07am
yes of course, because it has nothing to to do with being privileged. Everbody can feel sometimes depressed
ChangeofPerspective
November 16th, 2017 9:15am
Yes, of course you do. Privilege is relative...while depression is a mental illness, which makes it a physical illness that can happen to anyone. Depression doesn't care about your rights (which makes you forget that you have them, for some reason...) or respect your perceived privilege.
latticinio
November 16th, 2017 9:47pm
Anyone has the right to feel depressed. Depression comes in many shapes and forms and can affect anyone, no matter who they are.
fictionfreak09
November 19th, 2017 6:16am
Feeling sad and depressed doesn't always pertain to social status. Most of the times, it is about us as an individual devoid our social titles, rankings , profession and status. Sometimes, it's just about our thoughts and the way we perceive the relationships around us.
Mityvac
November 19th, 2017 12:28pm
Everyone has the right to feel sad. You are a human just like any other person. The fact that you are privileged only gives you more opportunities to not feel depressed. If you do, then you do. You'll fight through it though. Lot's of love from me.
jovialMermaid84
November 22nd, 2017 6:28am
Well all have a right to our feelings, every single one of us. Being "privileged" doesn't make you a bad person. It allows you a different perspective than others and a position in where you can create some real change. If you are feeling depressed because of something related to "privilege" it's worth talking to someone about it. Try to find someone who can give advice from all perspectives.
Anonymous
November 22nd, 2017 4:32pm
Do not devalue your feelings. I went through something similar where I felt that I didn't deserve to feel unhappy. You absolutely have the right to feel emotions. You should seek help from a professional to help you overcome your depression.
hipsta
November 22nd, 2017 6:50pm
Yes, you do! Depression has nothing to do with privileges but all to do with emotions. Think about Rose from Titanic movie for a sec, she felt unhappiness to the point of wanting to die despite being just so privileged.
frothyVision29
November 25th, 2017 3:33am
Yes, depression is simply a chemical imbalance in the brain, and has nothing to do with your external surroundings.
originalMusic45
November 26th, 2017 3:40pm
Depression isn't a thing we have a "right" to any more than we have a "right" to catch a cold or have a toothache. Depression isn't interested in our background or our heritage, and should be regarded and treated as it is: a common ailment that can strike anyone anywhere anytime.
Anonymous
December 1st, 2017 12:24pm
Yes, depression is a mental illness that does not care about your position in life or your privilege. Depression does not care, it is not biased. I hope that no one feels they are not allowed to feel the way they do because they are "too privileged" for that. What you are feeling is valid and you can get help, no matter how much privilege you have.
elsalovelove
December 2nd, 2017 9:07am
There is no 'right' to be mentally ill. Mental illness is not a contest, and your feelings and illnesses are still valid if you do feel or have been diagnosed that way. Mental illness doesn't care if you have a loving family, supportive friends, enough money, etc. Please seek out help if you even start to consider getting one :)
Anonymous
December 6th, 2017 5:15pm
Of course you have the right to feel depressed. Its your brain telling you that you're depressed, not your finances or what you choose to spend it on. The poorest person in the world could be completely non-depressessed and the richest man in the could could be sufferring from major depression. Money can have a positive influence on our lives, but it can not stop depression just like that.
Pratik96
December 6th, 2017 8:15pm
Depression is not a matter of choice. It can happen to the wealthiest or to the poorest person on earth. Privileged people might have a upper hand than those who aren't but anybody can have depression. You have all the rights to express what you're feeling. Never hesitate to share about it.