ABSTRACT
A characteristic of depression is the inability to experience pleasure (Sapolsky, 1994, p. 197). Not being able to appreciate sunsets, the rustle of October’s leaves, or any other of life’s small, daily happenings makes life formless and colorless. This can be as debilitating as a physical illness or as easily managed as a common cold. Although there is wide variation in the intensity and duration of the symptoms, the characteristics of depression are often the same. People have long sought the help of healers for dealing with this common problem. Individual cause-and-effect thinking has been the dominant view for understanding and treating this symptom, and although this view has contributed much to knowledge about depression, it is limited by seeing the problem as residing within the symptomatic individual.
