Can someone tell me (in simple terms please!) why some people will suffer from depression while others never do?

[Shoshe]

Is depression a chemical imbalance, or something else? A generic trait?

Just reading how some people really suffer, and wondered why others never do.

No idea, but an interesting question. Probably a bit of both? For me having PND treated by AD's, has made me realise that I've always had a very quick temper and impatient side to my personality. Taking AD's completely knocks this on the head, so I quite like the 'new me'

I have been very lucky never to have suffered with any sort of depression, but one of my friends does, in fact she and all three sisters do, which is what prompted my question.

I had really bad PND with DS2, but had never suffered it up until that point. I do get quite depressed with being in almsot constant pain, (although I sometimes wonder if I'm stressed rather than depressed)and I do wonder if the PND left me more susceptible(SP?)to it.

I was warned when I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, that I could become depressed, but never had, I had put it down to being to blood minded, but is it a frame of mind in that sense.

you are right on all counts sloshe, it can be a chemical imbalance ( i think its seratonin). genetics count, just like some families are prone to asthma. my grandad and dad both suffered fromm depression and so do 1, but my brother doesn't. my grandma and two cousins have asthma, i do but bro doesn't. so it can be a bit of a mental health lottery. and then there is the life experience stuff, and how we are supported at crap times in our life.
i'm like you saltaire, i'm almost constantly in pain and it will get worse and worse now until about may next year, but get better and better at dealing with it. if you or someone you know is suffering i would say from experience the sooner you get help the easier it is to deal with, we don't often put up with physical pain for too long and yet will put up with mental pain because of the bloody stigma that sometimes comes with admitting you've got
problems.....sorry, bit of a soap box!

errrr!!!!!sorry thats a bit intense for this time of the day....!

No That was what I wanted

As I said I have been lucky, but then again I have not known any of the family suffer either.

funny you should say about the asthma, again it had never been in the family.

DS was diagnosed at 3, and I thought maybe it had come from his father (divorced by then with no contact, so couldn't ask).

But then at 30, two weeks after having a very emotional hard time(DD, DM dies and EXh2 left) I had my first asthma attack, and have suffered since, DGD (DS DD) was also diagnosed at 3!)

bump