I simply has a "maudlin temperament,"

Me too @denmarkguy. I've always considered my self to be a bit of an eeyore although I do have my pooh moments. 😁

I did take Prozac some years back which did seem to help. But the next time I tried it it didn't and I'd seen too many friends just getting higher and higher dose so I didn't take it again.

What really "worked" for me was when I gave up fighting and trying to understand it and faced asked myself the question 'what if you are always going to in and out of depression for the rest of your life, no matter what you do?'

'how would you live your life knowing that?'

Since then I have never had a full blown depression. I still get downs, sometimes for weeks but never to the point of not being able to get out of bed or feeling it's all pointless.

I just accept that I'm feeling crap for no particular rhyme or reason (except my thinking) and that it will pass it I let it be.