What Causes Depression?

Chemical imbalance? Maybe. Possibly. More often than not—unlikely. You know what I think causes depression? I think racism causes depression. Homophobia causes depression. Inequality causes depression. Knowing you’ll starve and become homeless if you don’t keep going to that job you hate and suffer at causes depression. Being told you’re not popular enough causes depression. Being told you have to be popular causes depression. Being told you’re ill and require pills for the rest of your life just to be normal causes depression. Instead of trying to change someone’s brain chemistry to cure depression, why not try changing how you’ve been treating them first?