It's not a personality weakness. It has nothing to do with strength of character. Like Diabetes or any other physical illness, a person cannot just 'snap out of it' at will. Relapse is a common feature of depression. Most scientists and researchers now believe that depression is an illness with a physical cause, like diabetes or heart disease.
Depression is believed to occur when there is a shortage of certain chemicals in the brain.
These chemicals transmit signals from one part of the brain to another. It can become evident following an upsetting life event, such as a death of a loved one, or it may show up during a period of adjustment - afer the loss of a job, or even following a happy event, such as the birth of a child. Sometimes people can feel depressed for months or even years without realizing that depression is not a personal weakness, but a physical problem they can do something about. This space was graciously donated by Brant FreeNet.