What's the Worst Thing Characters had to Face in Middle Earth?

[Farael]

Ringbearers - Sam and Frodo; the former (although not long a Ringbearer) manages to integrate the experience while the latter simply cannot cope. Bilbo was also a Ringbearer and like Sam he too is much more able to cope than Frodo.

But then, you have to take into account the purpose for which they carried the Ring. Bilbo carried it for a long time for no special purpose besides avoiding uncomfortable situations by disapearing and Sam used the ring only to save Frodo, his Master. In both cases the ring is helping them succeed and that's what the ring itself wants. On the other hand, Frodo is set to destroy the ring and of course, the Ring will do whatever it can to oppose it. You should not forget that the Ring has a sort of conscience of its own and in more than one instance we see it making choices, as (for example) slipping of the finger of Isidur when he tries to swim away from the Orcs, or becoming heavier and heavier as Frodo approaches Mt. Doom. I believe that it's because of the Ring that Frodo finds it hard to cope with the experience of being a Ringbearer. After all, the ring helps Bilbo and Sam yet it only opposes Frodo.