Reply #45: You're absolutely wrong.

[Lindacooks]

Depression is a physical illness. True depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain - there is no way to 'cheer up' and come out of it.

If you are able to 'cheer up', you no more have depression than if you thought you had a broken leg and 'willed it better'.

Genetic Link Found for Depression:
http://depression.about.com/od/causes/a/mutantgene.htm

What Causes Depression?
http://depression.about.com/cs/brainchem101/f/whatcausesdep.htm

Depression is not something you can 'snap out of':
http://www.depression.com/

From the National Institutes of Health:

"WHAT IS A DEPRESSIVE DISORDER?
A depressive disorder is an illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts. It affects the way a person eats and sleeps, the way one feels about oneself, and the way one thinks about things. A depressive disorder is not the same as a passing blue mood. It is not a sign of personal weakness or a condition that can be willed or wished away. People with a depressive illness cannot merely "pull themselves together" and get better. Without treatment, symptoms can last for weeks, months, or years. Appropriate treatment, however, can help most people who suffer from depression."

It is insulting to tell a person with depression that they can pull themselves out of it if they would only try. Would you tell a person with cancer that they can cure it if they would just make an effort??