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Comparing Yourself to Others

Here's what's happening on the HealthyPlace site this week:

New this week at HealthyPlace.com: Comparing yourself to others; New from our mental health blogs, New from our mental health TV and Radio shows; Share your mental health experience, and much more at HealthyPlace.

What is "Normal?"

"I wonder, will we ever stop comparing our experience in life to another's?," writes Katie, a new HealthyPlace fan.

Comparing ourselves to others is how we judge ourselves. Unfortunately, for some reason, we tend to compare our worst to other peoples’ best. We read about someone’s inspiring story of recovery and then we use it to tear ourselves down. We hear that a man with severe depression found a way to get better, yet, we ask “why can’t I do this even though I have mild depression? I must not be strong enough. I must not have the courage this person had.”

If we didn’t make those kinds of comparisons, maybe the stories of eating disorder recovery, anxiety recovery, and effectively managing schizophrenia symptoms (what some consider the "worst mental illness") would remain inspiring and we’d all go out and actively pursue our recovery instead of using comparisons that tear down our self-confidence.

But How Do I Stop Comparing Myself to Others?

  • Comparing yourself to others is like a bad habit. Instead of perfectionist thinking, remind yourself that no one is perfect.
  • Don't be afraid to be yourself. Everybody is different. Some will accept you. Some won't. That's life.
  • Learn to forgive yourself and others. Everyone makes mistakes. Learn from them.
  • Accept the reality "everything isn't possible." Flapping your arms, no matter how hard, will not allow you to fly. Right now, there is no cure for Bipolar Disorder. But the real question is: "What can I do to reduce my symptoms and better manage my illness and life?"
  • Set realistic, achievable goals and pursue them. Then congratulate yourself on a job well done.

Other Helpful Articles on HealthyPlace.com

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From HealthyPlace Mental Health Blogs

Your comments and observations are welcomed.

Feel free to share your thoughts and comments at the bottom of any blog post. And visit the mental health blogs homepage for the latest posts.

Trip from Mental Illness to Advocacy on HealthyPlace TV

Shannon Flynn has survived the ravages of Bipolar Disorder, Depression and Self-Injury. Now she's out helping others. How Shannon survived and the motivation behind her altruism is the focus of Trip from Mental Illness to Advocacy on this week's HealthyPlace Mental Health TV Show.

Depersonalization Disorder: Living in a Dream World on HealthyPlace Radio

Depersonalization disorder is a type of dissociative disorder. It's defined by periods of feeling disconnected or detached from one’s body and thoughts (called depersonalization). People with depersonalization disorder describe it as feeling like you are observing yourself from outside your body. Our guest is Jeffrey Abugel, an editor and writer who has studied depersonalization disorder for more than 20 years. He's here to discuss his new book Stranger to My Self: Inside Depersonalization, the Hidden Epidemic on this edition of the HealthyPlace Mental Health Radio Show.

Learn about depersonalization disorder and other types of dissociative disorders.

Other Recent HealthyPlace Radio Shows

  • Parenting an ADHD Child the Right Way: When parents first hear that their child has ADHD, many feel as if they've been set adrift on an emotional sea of guilt, isolation, confusion and fear. To help these parents and their children navigate the challenges of home life, school, and ADHD treatment, Tracey Bromley Goodwin and Holly Oberacker have created Navigating ADHD: Your Guide to the Flip Side of ADHD. We discuss discuss parenting solutions for ADHD children.
  • Sexual Assault Recovery: I'm sure you've heard the phrase "can't you just get over it?" Unfortunately, so have a lot of people who have been sexually assaulted. Trauma specialist, Dr. Kathleen Young, joins us to discuss the recovery process and why it's difficult recovering from sexual assault and rape.

If you know of anyone who can benefit from this newsletter or the HealthyPlace.com site, I hope you'll pass this onto them. You can also share the newsletter on any social network you belong to by clicking the links below. For updates throughout the week,

APA Reference
(2011, June 9). Comparing Yourself to Others, HealthyPlace. Retrieved on 2024, November 2 from https://www.healthyplace.com/other-info/mental-health-newsletter/comparing-yourself-to-others

Last Updated: February 27, 2024
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Medically reviewed by Harry Croft, MD

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