shakran

Sure, once they figure it out. Trouble is, it's not as easy to figure out "I'm clinically depressed due to a brain chemical imbalance" as it is to figure out "I cut my finger."

In the first place, depression involves an emotion. There's no blood, and no physical pain to localize the cause of the problem.

Whatever mood you're in right now, are you constantly asking yourself "What are the chemical reasons that I feel this way?"

Of course you don't - - and depressed people don't either. They feel sad, they figure they'll get over it, just like you do when you feel sad. By the time they may or may not realize they aren't gonna get over it naturally it's often too late - depression leads to lethargy - you tend to not want to move - - many depressed patients just sit on the couch and stare at the wall all day. And yes I'm sure that you would say they should stop staring at the wall and go get help, hence the responsibility - - but I would say with all due respect that if you have not either been depressed, known someone who was depressed, or studied / treated depression, you do not understand how hard it is to get off that couch.