Depressed for no reason

I am a 20 year old male who seems to get depressed for no apparent reason.
I sometimes take a look at my life as if i were an outsider to it and i can't see why i would be depressed.
I have a good family, all the basic necessities, not a booming social life but i have good friends, i have a job so i'm not stuck in my own head all day and i haven't experienced any great loss. Yet there are days where i can't shake the feeling of being a pathetic insignificant person with no greater purpose. There's got to be more to life than merely existing. Can anybody explain this feeling or possibly offer a solution?
I don't want to sound like i'm just complaining about life but i'm just sick of this feeling, and i know there are people out there who have it tougher so in that respect i should be greatful for what i have and i generally am, but when depression strikes nothing is worth living for.

I know exactly how you feel. I can look at my life and realize that I have finally achieved the things I wanted, but yet I am still depressed. I don't know why this happens, it's not everyday, but when it overwhelms me I am...hopeless. I've often thought that I wanted to go to sleep and never wake, but I don't believe in suicide. I think that we must go through these trials - even though we don't understand them - in order for our souls to understand a particular lesson to grow closer to the Light, our Maker. I take Zoloft and Welbutrin daily and it helps a lot, but it does not "cure" it - I still get those black days. today is one of them. I think that my problem, and perhaps yours, is a chemical one. When my brain is running proper, I feel "normal". I have to remind myself that tomorrow my mood will be different. I have had success with Cymbalta for about a year, but it began to affect me negatively and I became a zombie! My doc switched me (gradually) to Zoloft more than 3 years ago and I am still having memory problems, attention deficit and temporary mental fog/confusion. Be careful if you consider taking Cymbalta. This may sound silly, but when I am in the "hole" if my husband tries to make me feel better is only makes things worse. I almost get angry when people who don't have this problem try to "help" me because they have no clue as to what I'm going through and I feel that they try to diminish my problem. The only thing I can offer is check with a doctor about antidepressants that deal with dopamine and seratonin - not only one. Try to control your brain chemicals, look into the foods you eat and cut out the preservatives and processed food, eat organic foods when possible, try several cleansing routines (i.e. colon, liver, etc.) which will help rid your body of the toxins. (I'm not a naturalistic freak by any means, but I do think our bodies respond to what we put in them and for people like us with chemical imbalances we need all the help we can get! If you would like to chat please let me know. It helps to talk to someone who truly understands and doesn't patronize you. Goodnight!

hi saw ur post and thought would reply. i can understand where you are coming from. I have days when i am happy and loving life and days when i just want to curl up and forget. Our brains are so so weird. have u been to see ur gp as he might be able to help? Hope u get sorted soon

I've had people suggest meditation which I tried and to some degree I suppose it worked but its a short term fix and you have to meditate daily for any real results and I simply have no time. Others have suggested medicinal marijuana, though I'm not sure if smoking herb would be the best way to deal with depression.
I haven't seen a doctor about it as I'm not sure if I'd be taken seriously, no one really does take you serious unless you are suicidal and no matter how bad things have gotten I've managed to fight those kinds of thoughts away.

anon-nymous12 wrote:I am a 20 year old male who seems to get depressed for no apparent reason.

Chocolate releases chemicals that make you feel happy, I suggest eating a considerable amount of chocolate, hopefully that will make you feel better but if not then I suggest you make an appointment with your doctor. I would usually say make the appointment first, but your depression doesn't sound very strong plus if its for no reason it could be due to a lack of chemicals in your brain. I hope it all works out for you.

Sounds like your depression is caused by certain kind of existential crisis "a moment at which an individual questions the very foundations of his or her life: whether his or her life has any meaning, purpose or value". However, existentialism has many takes on the absurdity of life. Camus, considered to be the philosopher of the absurd, wrote "The Myth of Sisyphus", which is about the mythological character doomed to roll a boulder up a mountain everyday. The works as an exaggerated metaphor for the absurd repetition that is life, however, Camus concludes with "one must imagine Sisyphus happy". He posits that accepting the absurdity of, even futility of one's life, take away the burden of denial and dismissal.

I think in our day and age of post modernism, there is a very large emphasis put on being "special" and therefore "significant", on being known, rather than getting to know the people around you. Being aware and accepting of yourself is the first step, and finding small ways to feel fulfilled-- a hobby, or helping someone out, trying to live as empathetically and acceptingly as you can, and find meaning in the little moments that make up you life. It might sound a bit cliche, but it's not your life, it's you pattern of thinking.

If you situation is good likely it is chemical. Maybe see a psychiatrist.