People do let you down because they tell themselves "it can't be that bad". Unfortunately this is one of the negative sides of modernity, because most people are so comfortable they can't actually imagine something difficult. But when you went to the veteran's suicide line, suddenly there were people there who could understand and conceptualize real difficulty, and you were able to get some relief. It is a terrible paradox that people like us, who do not break easily, get to endure more and more punishment, whilst stating to anyone capable of hearing that our circumstances are outrageous and truly terrible. As for myself, I was never able to convince others that they were as bad as they got, or that my situation really was desperate in terms of making a living, redeeming my health and getting an emotional grip on a new culture, whilst being battered and blamed from all sides. I wasn't a mess, so I couldn't receive help. And even if I had been an emotional mess, that would have merely given credibility to my enemies accusations about me, that I was just weak and couldn't take it. Either way you don't win, but if you are strong you have to endure much much more, and prolonged hurt than if you are prone to crumble.
