“Alcohol won’t solve your problems, but then again, neither will milk."

As far as I can tell there are two root causes to unhappiness and depression.

The first, and most hard to address, stems from a cultural misconception that we have the right to be happy and the constant bombardment of advertising that tells us that if we buy certain products, it will make us happy.  The advertising companies prey on the young and the weak and fill our heads with an unattainable state of glory which can be ours for only $19.99.  This, of course, is not true.  Shopping at the GAP, won’t make you popular.  Drinking Coke doesn’t really make you smile.  Yet the American public continues to act as wage slaves at jobs they despise, to earn more money, to buy more cheap plastic crap, in a vain effort to fill a void (unhappiness) that dwells within.  People must take responsibility for their own happiness and not rely on the rest of the world to sell them a pill, a drink, a toy or some other shiny placebo that brings a person nothing but more clutter and garbage to weigh down their lives.

The second cause of unhappiness ties back in with the idea that a person should be responsible to their own happiness.  Depression, feelings of guilt, and general unhappiness are a bio-chemical reaction in the brain that is often triggered by our own actions.  It is a case of self imposed negative reinforcement.  When a person touches a hot stove, the pain makes them pull away.  It hurts.  If they touch the stove again the pain will return.  The same sort of reaction takes place when a person has to pay the consequences of a bad decision in life.  Instead of a blistered hand the pain comes on an emotional level.  But the message is the same, when you do something wrong it hurts.  The feelings of guilt and depression also serve as a primary motivator.  If you don’t like being sad, then it is time to make changes.  Most of the time a person knows exactly what the problem is in their life.  However, they lack the strength of character or courage to make the needed changes to break free of the unhappy situation. 

This may sound oversimplified, but life really is pretty simple.  If you want to be happy then you have to chase it down.  Life doesn’t come and knock on your door, while you sit on the couch eating potato chips and watching Tee Vee, and ask if you are ready to come out and play.  It will pass you by, with out a thought to your existence.  By taking responsibility for your life and your own happiness a person can reach for greatness and glory.  Otherwise a person is stuck in a depressive cycle, blaming others for their own unhappiness and never get off their couch to better themselves or the world around them.