I partly reject the "play with the cards dealt you" idea. If the planets are aligned in your favor, with the good luck of a nice neighbor, or an understanding relative, or maybe some special talent, or even great looks, you could, maybe even easily and at a young age, manage your way out of some depressing environment or depressing event.

But, if you are the average person, with too many bad factors, too many bad events, really lousy parents, lousy relatives, lousy environment, it is hard to overcome all that, and at a young age.

Maybe, in your old age, you can at least figure out what you went through, but that can even add to being depressed, cause you might wish you have had, somehow, impossibly, figured it all out in your teens for a totally different life.

Maybe the realization that you had impossible odds stacked against you, with little you could have done with what was available, is enough to find some sort of peace, and some sort of peace is the best that can be had. Late in life you can accept playing with the cards dealt you?

(after waking at 1 in morning, with my head swimming with ideas from rem sleep)