Q: If I do nothing, will depression go away like other ailments?
A: The answer depends on what the depression is based on. You can think of depression as having two basic forms: situational, and chronic. Situational is based on external, contemporary, and temporary events. It’s what you experience when a loved one dies, when you lose your job, when a cherished plan falls apart. If you do nothing, in this case in the sense of letting yourself feel what you feel, for however long that takes, then yes, it will pass just like a common cold. Our systems are organized to expel depression just like a cold, if all things go well.