It could be worse

We have all been there.  Dealing with personal struggles, you try to confide in a friend/family member and their response is "Well, it could be worse" or "There are people worse off than you".  Well, duh.  There is always someone going through something worse, but that does not make my particular battle any less serious to me.
No, I did not lose my home to a tsunami, I have a job, and I am not dying of a terminal disease. But sometimes there are things that are crappy none-the-less.  It is not a competition on who has a crappier life.  There is no award for being the Queen of Suck.  So, really, is it helpful to remind someone that there are others that have it worse?
Telling someone to suck it up is not an attempt to make them feel better.  It is a dick move.  What you are really saying is "Your feelings are not important and I am superior to you."  I know that there are people out there that complain over every little thing and it gets annoying, but those little things are meaningful to them.  If it annoys you, then stop talking to that person. 
It is especially bad when the "It could be worse" person is comparing your life to their life.  How about you just lend an ear, and then I would be glad to do the same for you, but do not trivialize what I am going through by trying to compare it to your life.  There is no trophy for going through a shitty time.  No one wins.   So be a friend a be supportive.  On the other side, people need to stop bitching so much.  There are times when bitching is necessary, deserved, and cathartic, but if you spend your entire life hosting a pity party for yourself, you are closing yourself off to the wonderful things life has to offer.