Some people will always have it worse but that doesn't make your situation better. I don't know too much about poor countries in Africa so it's hard to answer, but I'd say someone with severe mental disorders in a first world country has it pretty bad regardless.
First world problems are still problems, and when you're in this state it's really hard—if not impossible—to be content and appreciate the basics in life (clean water, food, etc), especially when you've had them your entire life and even mentally healthy people take them for granted. Many of us, particularly the anxious, are seemingly wired to never be happy with what we have. I'm always thinking about what else I could (or should) be doing, worrying about pretty much everything, wondering what terrible thing is going to happen next and living in a constant state of anxiety, and always feeling incomplete etc. etc.
When I've taken GABAergics like Phenibut I've finally felt "okay" with the present moment (temporarily) and I think that's something a lot of people (the non-anxious) including yourself feel naturally a lot of the time. That's basically what I'm looking for :(
Anyway I can't really articulate my ideas on this Africa thought experiment without risking sounding ignorant and I went on a tangent so anyway let's stay on topic
Edited by signsandwonders, 07 January 2016 - 11:17 AM.