lol.
sorry for laughing, but depression is definitely not a form of brain damage, don't worry.
actually, once upon a time, a very bubbly friend of mine was feeling down so she simply declared: "I never thought I was smart enough to get depressed. But here I am."
Anyway.
I am 3 weeks sober and it's not like I **** rainbows and burp butterflies. In fact, I think with all my substance abuse, I have completely forgotten how to be happy. All I can do is work on achieving some sort of serenity. Embracing spirituality (without going fanatical) has been helpful.