In the aftermath of the World Trade Center disaster, our subsequent response, and the anxiety of waiting for retaliation, depression — not economic, but psychological — seems to be on the increase. There are lots of people who can't tear themselves away from the TV news, who wake up at 3 or 4 a.m. with a feeling of cold dread, who are isolating themselves by withdrawing from their families and not being able to focus on everyday concerns. This is interesting because the folk wisdom among psychologists is that depression actually decreases during times of war or national emergency, because people feel less isolated — they feel they are part of a larger purpose, and that their own problems are relatively minor in comparison. So what's different now?

It may be that it's simply too soon for people to feel that there is a unified national effort to be a part of. And there are certainly many many people who have lost loved ones or whose lives have been directly affected in other ways, who simply need time to grieve. Grief is different from depression, although they look the same. In grief, we know we'll feel better eventually, though we may hate the idea. In depression, we see no hope. That's what seems to be happening to a sizable minority of people.

Through my work with patients and myself, I know there is usually an unpleasant kernel of truth underneath the depressed response. For instance, though we may complain bitterly about being unloved, we have to acknowledge that we haven't been very lovable, and things aren't going to get better until we do something about it. Depression isn't just a chemical upset in the brain, it's a signal that we're doing something wrong.

Here's the unpleasant kernel of truth that I think applies to some people who are having trouble with depression now: Our enemies have struck at something we feel just a little defensive about. They reject our stuff. Everyone knows we have too much stuff, and we feel embarrassed by it. We're the only culture in the world that needs rental storage units because we have so much stuff it won't even fit in our houses. And how do our leaders tell us we can help? by going out and buying more stuff! I think that just adds to our uneasiness. We've just had a vivid demonstration that life is fragile, and that it's people, not things, that we really value most.

So here's my suggestion: get on the patriotic bandwagon for a more just world. Get everything out of your rental storage unit, your attic and basement, have a huge tag sale and donate the proceeds to the International Red Cross or the Afghan Children's Fund. Work hard at your job, make a lot of money, and instead of buying more stuff that you're only going to be embarrassed by, give your surplus income to charity. If you've got more time than money, find a way to be a volunteer. I guarantee it will help with your depression.