We can all suffer and feel like victims of toxic people or "fate." This can lead to depression or depressive tendencies. Depression, however, can be made more complicated if one has masochistic traits. While depression and masochism can often look and feel similar, understanding the specific masochistic traits can help in identifying treatment-resistant depression or stubborn patterns that sap us of joy or motivation.

One of the important things about masochism is that a certain amount or degree of masochism is normal for all of us. One of the ways to understand masochism, according to Nancy McWilliams, is as altruistic self-sacrifice. Think of how parents engage in normal self-sacrifice for the sake of their children. We can enjoy or take pleasure in cleaning up after our children or putting our wants or desires on hold for the sake of others. As McWilliams argues, this pleasure in sacrifice is evolutionarily driven as it preserves the species.

Another way to look at masochism is through a religious or

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