> As long as you have healthy relationships and meaningful activities it will never become a problem.
If someone subjectively perceives this statement to be true about her/his life - then s/he is not suffering from depression - pretty much by definition.
No, one could have a lucid view of ones condition, recognize that the above is true and still suffer from depression. That's the problem. Depression is a medical condition that can't be just reasoned away. Person can identify that by several rational measures they have a great life and still suffer from depression.
At least certain kinds of depression are actual, physical conditions. Sometimes without a known cure (only medication to keep the symptoms in check). Just because someone is able to move on their own, doesn't mean that their legs grew back. They might just use a wheelchair. And just because someone truly believes that they have a meaningful live, doesn't mean their depression "went away".
Sometimes I think "melancholy" was a better way to describe the situation than "dysthymia" or "major depressive disorder". It might be that's just your personality and the way you look at life. Maybe if it were possible to fully accept that temperament in this day and age it'd still be a burden, maybe not. But never forget, the depressed have a more accurate prediction of the future (though perhaps a skewed emotional emphasis). That's gotta be useful (or rather, there's gotta be a reason that trait got conserved). Regardless, as Allie Brosh put it:
> The problem might not even /have/ a solution. But you aren't necessarily looking for solutions. You're maybe just looking for someone to say "sorry about how dead your fish are" or "wow, those are super dead. I still like you, though."
I wonder if in the past society used to be more accepting of personality differences. Nowadays everyone makes a point of being so tolerant and accomodating but it's all based on the extraverted always-on always-happy norm. Anything else is fine so long as you acknowledge it's a disorder or a condition; otherwise ostracism. Feels like when I read about olden times there's more "oh, that's just how Fred is" but Fred's also an accepted part of the community.
If someone subjectively perceives this statement to be true about her/his life - then s/he is not suffering from depression - pretty much by definition.