Re: swag and chaos
Can you understand what it's like to hear voices, or have uncontrollable urges to twitch every few seconds (tic disorder / tourettes), feel the need to lock and unlock the door 5 times every time (OCD), pull your hair out compulsively (trichotilomania), or feel like the world is crumbling around you and every terrible thing in the world is about to happen at once (panic attack)? Why don't you think those are bullshit?
Depression is no different from any of those. It seems different because it is closer to normal human experience than the others. There is also an entire field that studies it, people base their research careers on it, etc. These people aren't just saying "OK people say depression is real, let me base my whole life on it without question."
Also, the "just get out and do something/change your life" is exactly what the most empirically supported treatment does. It's called behavioral activation. The goal is to modify behaviors, with the idea that thoughts and feelings will follow. It's very effective at treating depression, but since depression makes you not want to do those things, it's a challenge still. The other challenge is for those more susceptible to depression. Ever had a really shitty day and you just wanted to withdraw from the world? It was probably a bunch of stuff going wrong in one day, right? Why can't you handle twice as much? Of course you can't. It's like saying why can't you do another rep in the gym once you're exhausted. Well other people have what seems like a hair trigger that makes them feel that way after just a little. Some people feel really down without explanation. These differences can be observed in the brain with imaging technology.
Your brain all boils down to a series of chemical interactions and electrical signals. There is no "will" function in the brain.
