The Challenge of Depression

I just read a news article that featured the findings of a Canadian study on depression.

This study determined that people who were reported “cured” of their depression and subsequently exposed to “mild sadness” would frequently re-lapse into a depressive state.

What this means is that, even if you are “cured” of depression, and you stop taking anti-depressants, you may relapse into depression afterward.

This is not surprising. I believe there are some folks who will always be on anti-depressants. I believe that I am one of those people. But does this mean that life is not worth living? Does this mean that I can’t expect to have some measure of happiness ever?

Of course it doesn’t mean that. It means that there are some folks who are always going to have to mind their emotional health, and take care of it. There are people who are more emotionally reactive than others. These are people who are, by nature, also able to be affected positively and who feel emotions more deeply in general than others, in my opinion.

 I’d love to see a study that took that into account as well.

 As for me, I’m going to keep on, keeping on. There is no other choice. If I have to keep taking anti-depressants, then I will. That’s just that.

I certainly would rather not have to need them, but if I must, I will.