people who experienced a bad life and moved on to a better life, tell us what you were shocked by?

don’t surround yourself with people whon wallow in self pity. it’s a waste of time and bad for your mental health.

edit: just noticed I didn’t answer the question properly, my bad. despite still having depression, I was surprised at how much more manageable it got when I distanced myself from people who always cry about how sad and broken they are.