Not always. Some have chronic, some have situational even seasonal, its different for everyone.

Did you get a diagnosis yet?

My mom has situational depression, easily overwhelmed by life and her health. Had a storybook childhood full of love and laughter.

It’s multifaceted. There are so many physical, mental, situational and combinations of these that bring on depression. Sometimes there is not one core issue but many. This makes it hard to treat.

Those of us who have dealt with depression don’t really understand as it seems to come out of nowhere and for no reason. If you’ve never dealt with depression, it’s even more difficult to understand. I have been sitting enjoying my time with some good friends, laughing and telling jokes when all of a sudden I burst out in tears and have a funk descend upon me. It’s a feeling that I just can’t immediately shake off. It may last for an hour or two or it might last for a day or two or it might last for a week or two or maybe longer. I tried taking the meds that the doctors said would assist me in controlling it, but they didn’t work for me. They only made the episodes worse. For me, there is never any one circumstance or event that sets off my depression. There are times that I go to sleep happy and wake up in the funk fog.

The meanest thing ever said to me was from a friend who had no idea what she was saying. I make it a point to not discuss my funky moods as I’ve learned that it’s just something that is somewhat unique to me and I have to deal with it. I broke my own rule once and told a friend that I was feeling depressed. She almost got whiplash as she jerked her head around to exclaim“What do you have to be dpressed about. Your life is wonderful” All in all my life is wonderful and I seldom have a reason when I descend into my funk.After her comment, I made sure that she was the one and only person that I ever tried to confide in and I’ve learned that when having my funk that if I can deal with it that it will eventually just go away much like it appeared. I deal with it on my own the best way I know how. So far that has worked for me as the prescribed pills really didn’t agree with me and only made everything worse!

I know that I didn’t answer why depression is so hard to overcome; but as a person who lives with it, I don’t understand it myself.

Depression often comes with a fatigue or anxiety factor that makes depressed people reluctant to do things that may improve their situation, like exercise and socializing. Anxiety is not the opposite of depression. It can be a part of it. As @SEKA suggested, depression frequently decreases in the evening, but can be particularly acute in the early morning. There is no way to adequately describe depression to someone who has not experienced it.

@SEKA I feel your post, based on my experiences with others. I’m so sorry.

I find that a lot of people think that being depressed is when you didn’t get your way & you’re sad about it. Being sad is nothing like being depressed!!! I think it’s hard to overcome because there is NO one cause for it & each time is like a mystery…you just have to figure out the best way to deal with that particular time as what worked best for you the last time doesn’t seem to touch it this time!!! My experience has been to NOT fight it & just roll with it because it WILL go away with time…IF you fight it, it will dig in deeper!!!

My husband brought home 2 puppies once thinking that would take away my depression. Little does he understand that it almost made it worse because I knew there should be joy but it just wasn’t there because of my depression. Unless you have truly had it you will never “get it”.

The vast majority of people who suffer from chronic or major depression are also victims of childhood or adolescent trauma.