I've discussed these things elsewhere, but I think this bears repeating here. Depression is not a weakness, character flaw, personality trait, or anything of that kind. It's not God's punishment for past sins. It's not karma catching up with something the person did in a past life. It's not someone just being too sensitive. It's not laziness or immaturity. No one does anything to deserve it. And you did nothing to cause someone in your life to become clinically depressed.

   Depression is also not just the emotion of sadness. In fact, many depression patients experience numbness, or no emotion, rather than sadness. It is called a "mood disorder," but this is a misnomer, in that it can go way beyond someone's mood. Depression can totally disrupt someone's thinking, in every way.

   Depression is also not an excuse. Having this illness doesn't absolve anyone of responsibility for themselves. Don't make the mistake of letting a depression patient "off the hook" because of his or her illness. Point out any transgressions and explain what went wrong, and make sure the person understands it. However, getting angry or vindictive do no good, either. Keep criticism constructive. And stick by your friend or relative; you will find that it pays off in the end.

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