Depression and Thinking

I was having a discussion with my boyfriend the other day about how depression is viewed as a serious “disease” in our country when, in truth, it is (or would be) an easily solved inconvenience if people just used a little bit of thought. Everyone gets sad; in fact, everyone experiences depression at least once in their life. It’s not fun nor is it pleasant, but it can, and always does pass. And the way to do it is to simply change one’s perspective and one’s life. If your friends make you miserable—get new friends. If your family drives you crazy—talk to them and try to work out the problem, or just disconnect with them if that’s not possible. If you're bored and feel miserable all the time, try doing something that makes you happy, or at least go outside and be around people who love you. There are solutions and many people who have tried some of the solutions above will tell you that it works. This is because most people who are “depressed” are not depressed in a chemical sense. They are merely feeling a little down but because our society almost praises depression by elevating it to the status of a disease they believe that there is no way out, that they are doomed and life will never be the same again. This is simply not true for most of the people with depression. However when a doctor tells you that life will be happy and beautiful if you just pop a little pill every morning, most people choose to be irrational (and irresponsible with their bodies and minds) and opt for the “easy” way out. I find this to be disgusting on the part of the doctors and sad on the part of the depressed individuals; if only they would realize that the solution to life’s problems is not in a tiny white pill but rather in yourself and your own ability to control your life, your thoughts, and your emotions.