Perhaps depression can overwhelm you in an instant I suppose but it can also creep up on you. It is relentless. Does it always win?

I can, but it doesnt have to. I was depressed five years ago for two years before I realized it wouldnt go away on its own. I went to the doctor and he put me on an anti-depressant. He said the serotonin levels in my brain were unbalanced, and needed to be corrected with medication in order to relieve the depression. It worked. I took the meds for six months and was back to my old self again. Sometimes overwhelming depression needs medical attention.