My neighbour glared at me when, recently, I suggested that she might like to join me in a litter pick being organised to help clear up our local park.

“I have depression,” she said icily, fixing me with a narrow-eyed stare.

I could have pointed out that it would do her a lot of good to be out and active in the open air, connecting with other people, doing something helpful for those in the neighbourhood—all these known to be factors associated with helping to lift mood. However, Marion already spends a lot of time being sociable when she wants to, engaging in activities she likes, such as shopping and painting, and going for coffee with friends.

But then, every so often, her depression descends "out of the blue." It is something she was diagnosed with 30 years ago and for which she still takes a low-dose antidepressant every day.

Talking to her a little longer, I learn that she is disappointed that her daughter has had to cancel her visit that day—something Marion was much looking forward to. Clearly, that disappointment had expanded amoeba-like, after prey, pulling all sorts of other negative thoughts into its ambit. “You don’t know what it is like to live all alone!” she snapped accusingly. “How am I going to manage when I can’t walk?” Marion is 55 and rather healthy.

But Marion doesn’t see it that way. She can’t do anything about her negativity right now because it is........

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