Why do we have depression? Is it merely due to a neuro-chemical imbalance? Which came first? The depressed feelings or the chemistry?
Depression is a ‘normal’ response which evolved as a survival mechanism. When we lived in caves and times were hard or dangerous, the body and mind could slow down and consume fewer resources until times were better.
Today the response is still there but the causes are more complex. It could be a response to life events, now or in the past, it could be a difficulty in how we see ourselves vs. who we are, or it could be relationship difficulties. Or it could be something harder to identify, for example, depression (and anxiety) are correlated with self-criticism.
What do you think? Is depression a thing or should people pull themselves together and crack on? Are the causes identifiable or solely medical? Let me know in the comments on any social page.