Depression is the perception that the individual lacks the capacity to fulfil one or more psychological needs.
It differs from anxiety in that anxiety occurs when the person perceives that they do not have the skills to overcome the specific challenges related to a specific pathway for fulfilling their psychological needs. Depression occurs when the person percieves that they do not have the skills necessary to overcome the challenges present in all pathways and that they will never fulfil their psychological need.
This aligns with Aaron Beck’s Hopelessness theory.
Depression isn’t itself problem to solve. The subjective experience of depression is a communication from your unconscious mind (System 1) about your perception of your capacity to fulfil your psychological needs. Trying to medicate your way out of depression is like throwing away your bank statement when it doesn’t show a favourable balance. It doesn’t solve the issue. It just eliminates the communication. Sure, if it helps you address the underlying issue then that’s a great step forward, but it alone does not solve the problem.
Explaining the Placebo Results
One thing about depression medication is that it has not been shown to be any more effective than a placebo in mild to moderate symptoms. This is explained through UTHP because the cause of depression is a perception that the individual cannot fulfil their psychological needs. A placebo offers relief from that perception simply because the individual now believes they have a solution.