Norway, the best country in the world to live in?

Question

If so, why do 50% of Norwegians suffer from depression or anxiety at some time in their lives? Norway has also been labeled one of the "happiest" countries in the world in which to live.

I know some people will blithely answer "it's the lack of sunlight" but why are conurbations at similar latitudes not similarly blighted with depression? Most Norwegians live in the south of Norway not much further North than Copenhagen.

The Vikings weren't depressed were they? The Icelanders?

Answer 1

This is a hard one to work out since if Norway WAS such a good place to live in, why do so many Norwegians choose not to live there? As far as foreigners are concerned, most don't settle in Norway, especially men. Foreign women come with their children to Norwegian men born in or outside of Norway and often get a better life than they would have managed in the Philipines or Thailand (I even know a British couple who made sure one of their children was born in Norway .. what happened to them? they broke up. He went back to the UK since he wasn't entitled to anything in Norway and the Mum became a single parent permanently studying in Norway with her Norwegian kid and two English siblings ... so you get the picture ... great if you're a female of child bearing age with no better career prospects than to find the most generous welfare system to support them ... otherwise, for males, it's a dangerously cold place to wind up destitute)



So, reading the other comments, I suppose you'll find similar levels of depression in places in Canada and Scotland etc. as far north as where most Norwegians live.



I like the remark from the person who said they were questioned as part of that study. Gives a good insight into how you can get any result you want by skewing research.



Having said that, and having been working in Norway regularly since 1989, it's the place it was. Bullying at school affects 7% of the population, I know more Norwegians who have been on or are on anti-depressants than Norwegians who have not and the productive foreigners have left (mainly for Holland)because they found dealing with the Norwegian authorities whilst trying to run a business a fiasco leaving the ones that are a) entitled to benefits and b) can con a doctor into saying they're too sick to work.



Most foreigners I know who have left Norway say that even though they earn less than they did when they were in Norway, they now have a better quality of life, better access to better, cheaper restaurants and SUN along with all the pastimes. They don't miss the chaos of digging themselves and their cars out of snow all winter and so on. they liked Norway and thought it was beautiful but the deal they got there wasn't as good as it superficially appeared before they went.



I think a lot of the depression in Norway is actually caused by too many people managing to scam the state into letting them live off benefits but it actually makes the miserable because their lives are quite pointless, a somewhat hollow victory.Meanwhile the ones who are still working feel they are having the p+++ taken out of them as they're only cash cows to have money taken away from them so it can be given to the "depressed and vulnerable".

Answer 2

That number is somewhat overinflated, as it is not a psychological issue. Rather you were asked if you ever had felt depressed or anxious about the future over more than two days. I know, because I took part in that survey. People who actually have serious depressions is far lower. It's not like we go around in a constant depression under a grey sky all the time.



All over Northern Europe, particularly Norway and Sweden, so called Winter Depression is common. The earliest known description of Winter Depression in Scandinavia was in the 500's, so obviously it must have still been around during the time of the Vikings 200 years later. Winter Depression is a subcategory of Seasonal Affective Disorder. It has been suggested that great rise in the percentage (usually it lay about 24%) over the last few decades is because Norway has become richer. You see, fish is traditionally considered poor man's food in Norway, so with increasing wealth people have eaten less and less. But now it turns out that the low percentage in Iceland (where they eat on average three times more fish per year) may be because fish are high in vitamin D. Fish also contain docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which has been shown to help with a variety of neurological dysfunctions.

Answer 3

Well, first of all you have to remember that statistic without context is another word for trolling. In a country with only 5 mill people and 100% literacy, its easy to get statistic like that every norwegian have tasted alcohol witch then gets interprented that every norwegian is a drunk. Everyone who has had a wife in labor should check out in the "anxiety" statistic. So remember context.



When that is said, its sucks to be norwegian. We have conscription where you have to spend nights in -20 on a damned mountain guarding a road against moscus. We have 4 different season in one day. So no matter what clothes you wear, you always freeze, get drenched or sweaty. And if you try to be a self made man, both the Jantelov, the taxes and bureaucrats grind you so hard into the bedrock that you never be able to stand with a straight back again.



So what makes it the best country to live in? For one thing, we are still vikings. So we still expect the worse to happen and plan according to it. So if the road gets closed by a flash flood or an avalanche? Then we pick out our thermal sleeping bag that we have in the cars luggage room and wait until the road gets cleared. And yes, you are depressed when you plan for avalanches in the winter. But **** happens. Its just common sense to deal with it.



For the other thing, its not a questing of the best country in the world. Its a question about what country is less horrible to live in. And 6 feet female blonds makes the winter and stupid politicians less horrible. The winter time ain't so bad when you don't have to sleep alone in half of the bed. :)



So all in all: Norway is a bad-*** country for bad-*** people. Everyone else gets broken, chewed out and spit over to Iceland. Yes, the Icelanders where the wimps who could take it and had to escape to a iceland in the middle of nowhere. And the Icelanders claim that Norwegians are the one who where to stupid to get the hell out of Norway. So the Scandinavians are one happy family who loves to tease each other. For the Swedes, Danes, Finns, Icelanders and even most of the Scots and Irish are literally our brother people. And even if you never would get a Swede to admit it, they would stand shoulder to shoulder with Norwegians if the **** hit the fan. So if you really would find out why Scandinavia always comes out on top in UN ratings, I would suggest that you google "dugnad". Because you can have solidarity in a community without being a communist. And that is what makes the difference between Scandinavia and the rest of the world.

Answer 4

I live in both the uk and norway and i would prefer norway any time of year. It all depends what you want from life. If one is happy to live with some stunning scenery, quiet environment with a great social welfare system (well, it's not like we can't afford a good one) and time to read and go fishing, for example; this is the life for you. It also helps for the person to be comfortable with himself and not have to constantly rely on a great social life to keep you happy; not to say that you can't have one since norwegians are pretty cool people if you persevere with really getting to know them.



If you are going to drown yourself with booze along with getting down about the short daytime hours during some parts of the year, then is i suggest you give it a wide berth.



Frankly, I think the people take much more **** than they deserve esp when it comes to their open door policy to immigration; at least the kind of policy they used to have on this issue.



Negative ? Their politicians, tho, are a bunch of whimps if you ask me.



John

Answer 5

I would be very happy if I lived in Norway

Answer 6

To be honest, I wouldnt want to live there.

Answer 7

No, too cold, too secular.