What triggers depression?

• Depression can arise suddenly, without warning
• Depression can be triggered by psychological trauma, stress and problems
• Depression can come of its own accord, without being prompted by any particular stress
• Depression can run in families
• The risk of depression is greater when you are older, but it is still common in young people
• The risk of depression is greater for women than men
• The risk of depression is greater during a chronic physical illness

The German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) was a pessimist. He is assumed to have suffered from recurring bouts of depression. He was quoted as saying:    

Life is a never-ending story of suffering without rhyme or reason. Nothing has any intrinsic value whatsoever. Those who, for a brief moment, maintain the illusion of owning and retaining something, but who will soon lose, suffer and go without experiencing value. Happiness is just an illusion, a brief break from the tediousness of daily life.