You're almost there. Maybe we should be questioning why so many people are depressed in the first place. People all around the US (and in many parts of the glo

You're almost there. Maybe we should be questioning why so many people are depressed in the first place. People all around the US (and in many parts of the globe) are seeing their economic prospects slowly disappear in front of their eyes as good jobs evaporate into thin air (and no, the increases in Walmart greeter, part time, minimum wage style employment or "gig economy" freelance paychecks don't count). Political turmoil, lack of true and diverse representation in the political system, an increase in racial tension, foreign instability. All of these things are weighing heavily on the mind of the average American, regardless of actuality. You were able to solve your depression by almost entirely changing your life's focus and goals. Like you said, you totally changed your perspective... but you were only able to do so because I assume (since this is Hacker News) you have skills that translate to good job prospects in the information economy. This gave you the freedom to completely redefine your life. Now imagine you have the same malaise, except you already had kids, a mortgage, debt with no real economic opportunity, don't have the financial strength to quit your current job much less take a vacation of any length, are being told by the TV that your way of life is being threatened by INSERT_BOGEYMAN_HERE, that a certain presidential candidate's election will guarantee catastrophic ruin, and to top it all off you can't (or don't think you can) afford to go to a doctor and get Zoloft because your new insurance plan under the ACA heavily dis-incentivizes taking action on medical issues. I'm just scratching the surface here, these problems are huge and intertwining. However I feel this single manifestation is good proof of how seriously our society is being strained. People's social identities are being attacked and we're getting articles about how we need to push some of the most prescribed drugs in history to more people. On its face this is insanity. We need to start questioning the fundamental power structures that are creating these situations rather than continuously trying to bandage the symptoms or we will experience continued social decline regardless of technological achievements, improvements to quality of life, and advancements in other areas.