I've just opened my monthly Internet account and I'm depressed.
In fact, most days when I get on the computer I get depressed.
The thought of Bill Gates rolling in the squalor of his ill-begotten gains (much of which comes from me), while I struggle with the help menu on Microsoft X makes me depressed.
I then get depressed about the fact that I get depressed so easily.
The antidote, for me, usually comes in the form of a cleansing ale at the end of the day, a run around the block, or a good chat with a care-free dole-bludger.
Weekends are also not bad.
They clear the cobwebs which start from a single strand on Monday morning and wind up a complex, ever-broadening trap by 5pm Fridays.
Add to this the chronic worry gene (which only seems to exist in those of us who have little to worry about) and you've got a long-term recipe for a potent brew.
My depression is transitory and usually never of the 'black dog' variety that true victims often talk about.
At least it's not sitting at my heels.
But I can see it in the distance.
And I know that each time the spiral goes down and the age goes up Fido takes a step closer (and I can now see that he's a Rottweiler not a Labrador).
I've begun also to empathise with those estimated 1 in 6 men who suffer a genuine biological depression at some stage in their life and who battle to keep this at bay with increasing age.
Serious depression is now one of the major causes of visits to the doctor.
It's usually seen more often in women, but this masks the reluctance of men to admit they have a problem.
Often they don't even know.
It's put down to feeling a bit lethargic or upset by daily hassles, but this can then gradually grow into something more persistent and severe.
Irritation is common to us all.
This is a psychological response to minor annoyances that occur through life.
True depression - the 'black dog' at the heel - is now being recognised as a biological phenomenon, due to the break-down of nerve, or neural connections in the brain associated with wellbeing.
Nerves connect to each other through a series of diverging channels, a bit like the end of a river which branches into many streams.
Chemical substances called neuro-transmitters, which help the message jump across the gap between nerve endings, then carry messages between streams.
In the parts of the brain associated with pain and pleasure, the neuro-transmitters are of a specific type.
Some of the ones we know about are serotonin, dopamine and nor-epinephrine - all feel good molecules, sought after for their 'highs'.
With repeated depressive bouts, it's now thought that these begin to diminish in effectiveness and hence those parts of the brain that would normally help us get through the day, become less effective.
What causes this can vary between individuals.
Working long hours without a break, can be a definite risk.
Swedish studies have shown that stress-related chemicals build up over the course of a working week, and are normally 'relieved' by the weekend.
In shift-workers this doesn't happen and these levels continue to rise, possible having long-term biological consequences.
The impact of worry on this, whether real, or anticipatory (as most worry is), is not clear, but again it appears that the accumulated effect of this, and its combination with age could have the same degrading biological effect.
You may wonder why some people never even get a glimpse of 'the black dog', while for others it's a constant companion.
Genetic factors have to be considered here.
In psychological terms there are those who are biologically 'hardy', for whom stress and worry is rarely an issue.
It's my contention that the best politicians throughout history are made of this stuff.
That's why they live so long - even with the worries of our well-being on their shoulders.
Think of Winston Churchill for example.
Having carried the weight of England through the war years he was once reputed to have said that "..
..
whenever I feel the urge to exercise I lie down until it goes away!".
Yet even with a reputed bottle of scotch a day, he lived well into his 90s.
Then there's the rest of us.
With life's meaning through the struggle to survive decreasing, and increasing disillusion with religion as a replacement, depression is on the rise.
But so too are the available treatments.
Medication, while not the answer to the problem, now offers a 'window of opportunity' for dealing with depression, which is much more advanced in the latest generation of anti-depressants.
These are called SSRIs or SNRIs and they are all involved in keeping chemical neuro-transmitter levels high.
A current problem is the difficulty in selecting the right type, for the right patient, and sometimes several types need to be tried before hitting the solution.
Research is now oriented towards identifying the psychological and gene profile that suits each medication to improve the potential 'hit rate'.
Psychotherapy, which has always been the backbone of depression treatment, is also now more advanced, and provides an adjunct service from medication.
Self-help through special groups such as the 'black dog' society is now also available and the involvement of well known individuals such as ex Victorian premier Geoff Kennet and actor Gary McDonald has brought the problem into the open.
As with many health related issues, the single most important factor with men, is in admitting they have a problem.
Being male has always meant not admitting to any weaknesses, in case this is then used against you.
If we can see the black dog in the distance in the early stages and start to admit to it, the chances are, it will continue to be kept at bay.
If we don't, we're likely to be surrounded by a pack and the barking is likely to become louder.