While the victim clearly stated in his suicide note that his action was related to family matters, it still remains a mystery. Some said he had been depressed, while others brushed him off as an attention seeker who had gone too far. Some blamed him for “lacking faith,” while others blamed his wife.

Unfortunately, we can’t make a psychiatric diagnosis on a dead person, and such a conclusion can only be drawn through professional observation. Isn’t depression just sadness? Depression is a common mental disorder that affects people of all ages and backgrounds. While there are several contributing factors, such as economic, work or relationship problems, researchers have found that genetics and biological causes may play a dominant role in depression. Some people may be more prone to depression than others.

Depression is different from your everyday sadness. While the core component of depression is the blues, it doesn’t mean every sad person is depressed. Depression leads to distress and dysfunction; it causes mental anguish and can impact one’s ability to perform even the simplest tasks. When most people are sad, they will find a way to make themselves happy.

With people suffering from depression, this won’t work because another core component is “losing interest in things you once found enjoyable.”

Take asthma. People with asthma struggle with shortness of breath and have difficulty breathing. Therefore, it is useless to tell an asthmatic person, “Hey, there is oxygen everywhere, all you have to do is just breathe normally! Stop holding your breath!”

Researchers have found that depressives lack a brain chemical called serotonin, and combined with other factors — such as social, economic or relationship problems — one may fall into a pit of depression. It’s not that they refuse to be happy; they cannot feel happiness in the same way that others do. Therefore, it is not easy to tell them, “Hey, happiness is everywhere, all you have to do is just accept it! Stop being so sad!”

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