There is a line of thinking I see that I wanted to address. The idea that someone isn't depressed but instead are really unhappy with their lives, work or situa

There is a line of thinking I see that I wanted to address. The idea that someone isn't depressed but instead are really unhappy with their lives, work or situation. It's been pointed out already that the difference is difficult to test. The problem that thought doesn't address is how impossible it can be to change your life, work or situation. People in abusive relationships can feel trapped and even when a door is left open for them to leave they won't take the chance out of fear. A change that would break someone out of a depression who is in an impossible situation could just as easily end up in what could be called a psychotic break. Hurting themselves or someone else, thereby becoming free of the situation by being in jail. I'd like to add that part of the solution to help those particular cases could be to promote a society of helpfulness. To know if they jump from that life, work or situation that they won't die or have to crawl back to their abusive trap. There isn't an answer and I think that you should err on the side of caution by not being dismissive of depressed people. There could be something in their life making them unhappy but they probably can't find any healthy way out. Without anti-depressants many people self medicate with alcohol for instance which I would argue is a worse condition to exist in. Anyway that is a lot of rambling to say there isn't a clear answer so please think twice before dismissing depression. Invisible diseases are incredibly difficult to live with for the very reason they aren't visible in a photo.