These are just thoughts, not directed at anyone in particular.

Every family has their own history and stories to tell. I think that by setting other people up as happy, we make ourselves seem more miserable. Now I'm not saying that we make ourselves depressed, but I think that we increase our unhappiness by thinking that we are different and everyone else is happy. When I'm depressed I want to be like other people, not depressed. Misery loves company and we are sometimes our are own worst enemies. As youngsters, if we were unhappy at home we always thought that our neighbors were happier. I want to live next door, their lights looked cozier and more welcoming than mine.

When I was a child I lived across the street from a very large family. I loved this family, I had a crush on one of the sons too and I wanted to live with them. Later on I found out that the son had been sexually molesting his sister. That was not a happy family.

We imagine our misery in contrast to what we think others feel. How many people do we actually know who are honestly happy? I think that most people just go along and live there lives, find a balance and settle in. Life now is very hard due to the increase in hostilities around the world. Life is tough and produces a lot of angst, especially if we have cancer. Cancer is lousy and treatments are lousy. It maybe the first time we think about our own death. We question how long we have to live. These are all thoughts that are normal, natural and prevalent in the society of cancer. But this doesn't mean that other people are happy. It also doesn't mean that we will be stuck in this state forever.
I'm also sure that there is some genetics involved and chemical imbalances. For sure we need to attend to those and see if they can be remedied, but thinking that other people are happy, that next door is a happier home or that the person who travels all the time is blissful is setting ourselves up to slip lower in depression.
Merry