It is true that everything may not be okay. But that does not mean things can't change. Nothing is 100 % perfect, nor can it be. We don't choose the things that happen to us such as bullying, depression, suicidal thoughts, etc. But we do choose, in part what we do with them. You mention your friend that is afraid to be happy because she no longer knows what happiness is. This is true for a great many people. It is easier for us to accept what we know than to go through what we have to suffer for them to change. Is this a choice? Yes it is, and a difficult one at best. I don't pretend to have all the answers. If I did, I obviously would not have ever come searching for a place providing methods and stumbled across SF instead. Has it changed my life? Yes. Is evrything okay? No. Will it ever be? I have no idea, but if I don't stick around long enough to find out, how will I ever know?