Bad Weather

In an essay exploring possible turning points in the life of philosopher William James, Louis Menand defines Depression the way I do:

Commentators prefer to assume that [William] James was despondent in the years after his graduation from medical school because of some problem — a family problem, a sexual problem, a career problem, an identity problem, a philosophical problem. But depression is not a problem; it’s a weather pattern. Under its cloud, everything else is a problem. When the weather changes, these problems disappear or become ‘opportunities’ or ‘challenges’ — until dark skies return.

Depression can certainly be triggered by events in one’s life. You may be able to pinpoint the thing that “made” you sad. But if you can’t, that doesn’t mean you’ve failed. There might not be a concrete causal factor. Even if you find something you think must have brought it on, addressing it directly often does not blow the Depression away. Sometimes all you can do is endure until the bad weather passes. 

source:

American Studies

by Louis Menand

2002. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York